This has probably been talked to death between gamers around the world, but I'd still like to sound in about the issue between how good a game looks and how fun it is to play. I don't own the best or most expensive pieces of equipment (Xbox 360 aside), heck, I just got the internet, but I have played a lot of games. I have had a blessed life when it comes to this aspect of my years. I've experienced the best Nintendo had to offer, from the SNES to the Gamecube, then I met the Xbox, and then the 360, and its evil best friend, the Red Rings of Death.

From my experience playing games, I've come to realize that content is much more important than graphics. My best example is Pokemon. I know what you're thinking, but hear me out. The original Pokemon came out roughly 1996 for the Gameboy, the big hulking gray thing, not those slick new ones. Nothing about that game was cutting line, but it was and still is, one of the top selling portable games of all time. Fast forward roughly 12 years, and you have the latest versions on the latest systems that are pretty darn good looking, but still nothing close to what the PSP could churn out graphically, and they are still kicking butt. For that matter, look at the Wii's sales.

Just to be clear, I'm not a Nintendo fanboy anymore. I think sacrificing that much graphical power was a mistake. Thrid party publishers can't just straight port anything anymore, they have to down grade graphics and then adjust the controls to work for the Wii. But now we're getting off topic.

Basically, I think gameplay will always be 10 times more important than how good the game looks. You can cover a piece of crap with silk, but in the end, it's still a piece of crap. With that said, I don't think there's any reason for a game to look like a five year old's art project. As artists and game makers get better at there trade, I think it's natural that games will play better, as well as look better. However, I'm not willing to sacrifice good mechanics for awesome graphics. Look at Oblivion. Graphically, very impressive, and a blast to play for hours (if that's your thing). As cutting edge as other titles? No, partly because it was basically a launch title for the 360, but also, I think, because the development team at Bethesda was more worried about content and enjoyment, rather than blowing people away with how awesome a blade of grass looks (consequently, pretty good).

All right, there's my rant, take it as is.