Without knowledge from the creators there is no way in which we can try to determine "how thought out" or "how much effort put". Instead we are left with a subjective interpretation how said product fills our needs.  As I said before you can make me a list of what you think quality is and everyone here is not going to think it is the same.  That sounds pretty subjective to me.  It appears we may just need to agree to disagree.

I think it'll happen.  It took a few decades for film to get any serious criticism and theory going on, and games make more money than films these days.  I think games will be the same way.  Games are following the history of film and comics pretty closely.  First it's a fad, then it's just entertainment for the unwashed masses, then it's a crappy casual version of an art medium that came before it (film seen as bad portable theater, comics seen as stupid books full of pictures), then people grow up with it and consider it art.

I think in 10-20 years we'll have some serious game art criticism happening, and people will look back at the years of every game getting a 90-100 score, and laugh.  The hardcore critics will struggle to stay relevant, and then disappear.

There used to be hardcore silent film critics that were scared that sound film would "destroy cinema."  Reminds me of the idea that any new type of game could actually destroy gaming.  Apparently new art forms and new technological advancements in those art forms drive people nuts.