Just a few years ago, there was ample justification for that line of thinking. A dev's resources are a finite pool and can be very restrictive in the planning of the game/sim. Devs typically chose good graphics vs barely passible simulation or barely passible graphics vs plausible simulation. And the curve on that is constantly shifting based on tool kits/APIs greeting released.
There is a third factor and that's motivation. Investor- or market-driven devs are generally pushed for cutting edge graphics with simulation deprioritized to be good enough on launch day. Client-driven devs tend to build more sim-oriented, depending on clients or niche market.