I am kidding, of course, to some extent. But really, isn't gameplay king? I mean, I remember having the Doom3 vs. Half-Life 2 debate before the games came out. People actually believed they would be just about equal. Turns out they weren't even in the same ballpark. Half-Life 2 won because, not only did it have graphics, it had gameplay.

Sure, graphics will sell your game, but in the long run, which franchises are the most successful? That Aquanox franchise sure took off, didn't it?

Meanwhile, there are games that fly under the radar that have merely okay graphics that happen to me some of the most amazing games I have ever played (Katamari Damacy), but people still whine about it. It boggles the mind. It shouldn't matter.

Does ANYONE remember how blown away we were by Battle Arena Toshinden? It was incredible. We had never seen anything like it. Now? We laugh at it. We can't believe we were hoodwinked. Mark my words, beware that the same does not befall this generation.