Graphics vs Gameplay The ultimate showdown

With Rumours of next Generation consoles around the corner a never ending debate in gaming culture looms up out of the darkness once more, Graphics vs Gameplay.

Many people simply settle with the opinion that both graphics and gameplay are important but then along comes a game like Minecraft, which looks terrible by todays standards, to blow away those preconceptions.

The most important thing to note though is that it depends on what's driving the game, could Gears of War or Uncharted have been the action orientated masterpieces they were without stunning graphics in the mix?
would Minecraft be better with good Graphics or does it's style somehow add to the gameplay as well? I would say both.

I have always felt that topic comes entirely down to what the game is trying to do, for example Nintendo's iconic games like Mario and Zelda rely heavily on that cartoonish look hence why up untill this day no 3D Zelda has really aged all that badly, but then to say that Killzone 2 would have benifited from the same "cartoon" treatment is really like saying people should start using puppets in blockbuster movies again.

To summerise, I do not think it is ever about gameplay or graphics it is simply about what the game aspires to be. Games like Minecraft can live for ten years or more because it is the gameplay that reeled us in but Things like Crysis on PC will only draw attention in that moment of awe. Both are important, one demonstrates creative freedom in game design while the other demostrates a companies coding skill chich helps to push us forward away from the often stagnant way of video games.

  
Let us know in the comments, is it graphics or gameplay for you?