Flashback a few years to the release of LoZ: Wind Waker. There was a big stink raised about the graphics and how cartoony/immersive they were thanks to the cel-shading.

But 20 minutes into the game, I stopped noticing that they were cel-shaded. It literally did NOT matter what the game looked like to me because my eyes just stopped discerning that the cel-shading was interesting.

Another great example is Uncharted, which was an excellent game, but its stellar graphics quickly stopped seeming stellar and I found myself wishing the screen was less cluttered with unnecessary plants so I could see where my next ledge was.

These aren't isolated incidents. Every game which has been intended to set a graphical or style benchmark has taken maybe 30 minutes max before I simply stopped caring and only treated the stuff on screen as visual cues for how I should be playing the game.

The extreme example where graphics matter would be the graphics being so utterly bad that I have a hard time discerning what's on screen. That is unforgivable.

But short of that, I've found no reason to care about the way games look anymore. I used to be ecstatic about new games with awesome graphics or a whole new art style, but now that we're approaching photo-realism, it's ironically making me less interested in what a game's graphics have to offer.

I wouldn't be surprised if, 20 minutes into the Conduit, I'm either going to be enjoying the gameplay or wanting to put the game down because the graphics just won't matter anymore.

Is anyone else in the same boat where you find yourself ceasing to notice a game's graphical prowess shortly after playing it? 

It depends. I stare at surface textures, environments, and lots of other things in Metroid Prime 1, 2, and 3 all the time, and it's never changed no matter how many times I've played the games, but I have gone through the same thing you did with Wind Waker, so I guess I have a little bit of both sides when it comes to these things.

Yup, Usually when I get a new game i tell myself "Looks pretty nice" But the newness wares off instantaneously and I want to be playing a game not a tech demo. I do, however, commend a game based on art style. Wind waker, Metroid Prime, and Mario Galaxy still amaze me whenever i play them and it NEVER wares off, 20 hours in I will go into a new room in Metroid and say "damn that looks amazing". Art > Polygons.

I agree. Now, it doesn't mean that I don't like new styles, but it really needs to accentuate gameplay. It will only make me appreciate a game more, not make up for bad gameplay (like some games like to try).

Semi agree, I don't mind cartoony type games from older generations, but if I am playing like a fairly good FPS but has horrible graphics the game is pretty much ruined because there is so much competition out there. I think the more unique games may get a pass with weaker graphics, but in crowded genres I don't think poor graphics are acceptable.

Hmmm. Graphics not really. I dont care if your character looks more like a human I want something stylized.

Heavy Rain graphics for example look boring. Why? Too realistic for my taste.

Give me something cool to look at like Eternal Sonata or Twilight Princess. Eternal sonata graphics were great and stylized and didnt get in the way of anything.Twilight Princess didnt have the best graphics but it was stylized so it still looked damn good.

It really depends on what the game is trying to do for me. Of course, Mario Party or a game like Wii Sports are simply 'fun' and don't need fancy graphics or art styles to draw me in (though they do help). But in a game as intense and visceral as Gears of War, the amazing graphics really do add to my enjoyment of the game. It really gives me the feeling that 'HOLY SHIT WHERE DID THAT GUY COME FROM?!?!?" or "Glorp! That was a chunky headshot "

An interesting one for me was Gears of War. At no point was I really impressed with it graphically finding it rather dull.

I couldn't disagree more when it comes to art direction. Good art direction can add immeasurably to a game. Shadow of the Colossus would not have been nearly as powerful an experience without its particular style.

I guess style is more easily forgiven than raw graphical prowess (hence why I say the Conduit had better be DAMN fun, otherwise it's not going to survive the 20 minute mark).

Still, I was surprised that WW didn't keep me in awe with its style like I figured it might.