Boy, I'm so happy I don't have to deal with that sort of stuff anymore... it's like they just go for more complicated techniques and push the hardware to the limit, while the art is least challenged somehow. Yeah, you can push physics simulations to the meltdown and all that jazz, but really...is that what it's all about?
I much prefer clever and beautiful solutions, supporting a good story and atmosphere. Today I believe the only acceptable challenge is how to cram the most into real time computation and not how to exhaust millions of dollars of hardware and try to amaze with the longest rendering times, hahaha.
Didn't see piper, though.
...now I did. Very cute, of course!