Perched at his Newsweek blog, N'Gai Croal discusses modern problems with screenshots -- they just don't look as good as video. He cites shader and particle effects detracting from game images when still.We agree that screens don't always show the quality of a game; good animation also makes a major difference. The developers Croal interviews want HD video to become the screenshot replacement. That'll happen someday, but not in the short-term.
What annoys us most about game screens -- and videos -- is when developers render beyond what the game can produce. In that situation, game companies are either deceptive, trying to trick us into thinking the images match the actual game, or up-front, clearly saying that an in-development game should eventually reflect the marketing materials. But if they're honest about it, we're still skeptical about the game -- either way, they can't win with faked screenshots or video.
See also:
Riiiiiiiiiiidge Racer! Xbox 360 vs. PS3 screens
Careful with those ancient Zelda screenshots! You'll poke an eye out with images that sharp.
