To be fair, backlash against games like Myst started as soon as they were released. I remember reading at least more than one games author from the Halcyon Days

To be fair, backlash against games like Myst started as soon as they were released. I remember reading at least more than one games author from the Halcyon Days book (freely available online) complaining about "games like Myst don't appeal me, where is the gameplay?"