New Call of Duty 3 details highlight immersive environments [update 1]

'MaK10' over on the SteakNBJ forums has posted a rough transcription of new details of Call of Duty 3, which were taken from a recent article in EGM. According to the post, Treyarch is focused on crafting immersive environments, adding new effects like:

• Interactive foliage (e.g. grass remains flattened when walked over)

• Scorch marks left from grenades

• Surface-specific reactions to bullets

• Destructible cover

• Wind-altered smoke (from smoke grenades)

• Smoke clinging to tanks

• Bullets manipulating smoke clouds

There's a tendency to write off the hardware power of Xbox 360 and PS3 as simply creating 'prettier graphics.' But that hardware allows developers to build realism into physical environments, which in turn, greatly enhances player immersion. It's hard to imagine that these improved environmental effects will be carried over into the Wii version of COD3.

With that said, let's turn back to yesterday's topic, and ask a new question. What's more critical for player immersion: real world physical movements (i.e. the Wiimote's motion-controlled functionality) or in-game environments that not only look realistic, but exhibit realistic occurrences (e.g. interactive foliage, wind-altered smoke, etc.)?

Update: corrected developer (Treyarch not Infinity Ward).