It wasn't unprecedented, just look at Dwarf Fortress. Tarn threw out all graphics in exchange for focusing on an incredibly complex and deeply layered game -- w

It wasn't unprecedented, just look at Dwarf Fortress. Tarn threw out all graphics in exchange for focusing on an incredibly complex and deeply layered game -- with an environment that is fully constructable and has both a geological and cultural history. Once the 3D accelerator become an item all gamers had, (perceptually) it appeared all major game develop shifted to producing "photorealistic" graphics. We ended up with an endless trail of games that basically produced the same thing. I wonder, what would happen if the budget of something like Call of Duty was spent on a game with Minecraft or even Ascii graphics? Perhaps a total disaster, but what could be produced if it was done really well?