I am not saying you can't ignore visual appeal at all. I'm just saying that visual appeal should serve to enhance the hook, and when well done it really makes a

I am not saying you can't ignore visual appeal at all. I'm just saying that visual appeal should serve to enhance the hook, and when well done it really makes a great total package, but the design itself is not the hook. For example, modern PC laptops basically are ripping off the design of the Macbook Air, with varying results. Yet, one thing Apple does consistently well is the trackpad and somehow in almost every review I read, the trackpad of every PC laptop doesn't match well with the MBA. They never feel right, even if they look very, very similar. It might feel like a very small thing, but that little bit of hardware design and software drivers changes how the user feels about what might otherwise look like comparable hardware. At the same time, I don't mean to discount the design or graphics when done well. A game like Borderlands takes a great gameplay experience with a fantastic hook (random loot drops/rpg elements), and the graphics helps add a vibe all its own. A different graphical style and it would look like a different take on Gears of War, Fallout 3, or Call of Duty... Anyway, I think we are on the same page.