Wired News: Gamers Rewarded With Another Life

"There's a scene close to the beginning of Half-Life 2 of an urban vista in which a flock of birds flies toward a pale ecru sky against the backdrop of a very tall, black, ominous building. It seems so visually interesting -- even better than real -- it's hard not to pause for a moment and say, 'Wow. That's really cool.'"
(full article @ link)