Ninja Gaiden is a good example of a game I haven't beaten, but the harder than hell difficulty is perfect, because everytime I blew up the tank and then the helicopter, It was a sense of accomplishment.
Same with Tomb Raider Legend, even on difficult the puzzles were easy-but the sense of accomplishment gained when you finally figure out where the gold icon is for the level is perhaps the most rewarding experience I've yet had on my 360.
games like Rainbow Six Vegas and like Gears of War I usually try and play it on normal or hard, (which ever is the hardest difficulty availible from the outset) and work from there to get a real good feel for the game. After that, It's on to the hardest difficulty to really hone your skills.
I may not be a totally hardcore gamer, but I'm good enough to spend hours perfecting my headshots-cause I have nothing else to do. But when I get back into college I imagine playing games in short spurts, I might have to go for those where I can save and come back, or easy access online games in which playing for a few hours can be as satisfying as previously mentioned days devoted to gaming.
In all, what's the sense of making new technology if it can't change with the times? Graphics have always been improving, and its important to remember that gaming would lose its appeal if it still operated in 8 bit on high definition moniters. Graphics should be icing on the cake. The real sense of loss is the catering to the casual gamers, the games that had mounds of potential that were wasted on making the game more user friendly. If people want to play the game, they'll learn how-and if they suck at it they'll practice to optimize their play. If not-they'll find a different game.
-dL