Are Simple Games the Best?

Since seeing this link on BoingBoing, I've been playing this 3D Cave game recently. Its about as simple as games can get, with just one button to move your ship up and down to try and avoid hitting anything. It's suprisingly addictive! :)

I'm finding I spend more time playing these sort of games than the 'proper' commercial ones, causing me to wonder which ones are best.

I reckon it all depends on time!
If I only have a few minutes to play, it's much more rewarding to play a 'simpler' game.
On the other hand, if I had a few hours to waste I'd probably get bored of the 3D cave and would be much better off getting immersed into something like Half-Life.

I guess this is why companies like Microsoft and Nintendo are announcing that their next-gen consoles will offer 'classic' games for free in addition to the normal retail games. This seems like a great idea to me. Not only will it broaden the appeal of the consoles, but it will make people more likely to use the consoles when they've bought them!

Now if only I could find a version of the 3D cave game with persistent high scores.....