I don't know, I really liked watching the numbers fly as I shot my way through Borderlands. They were more entertaining for me than any graphic death animation.

@Daniel: I can admit that there are times when I care more about hearing the 'Ping!' in Killzone 2 than I do about immersion. 

I feel it's all on a game by game basis. What works for one game isn't necessarily fitting or a good thing for another. I loved how games like Dead Space and Ghostbusters handles certain aspects of clearing up the HUD, even if Dead Space still couldn't completely rid of numbers for ammo managing purposes.  But there are games in which I want that information there. In a non-obstrusive manner, surely, but there are games, certain RPGs for example, where numbers are very much part of the strategy. Elements of Final Fantasy XII's Gambit system for example probably don't translate very well in a game where we're killing off the importance of those numbers.

So while I like the idea, I really only care for it in situations where it fits. I'd slow down a little before proposing to make a standard out of an idea that's not necessarily a glove for all.

An interesting idea, but a one size fits all approach isn't the way forward. Some games benefit from stats, points and numbers, whilst some will almost certainly be more immersive experiences if they weren't there.

Still, the fact of the matter is that maths, stats and points will always go on under the hood. Even a thicker piece of armour will have statistics underneath it that lets the game engine know one piece is stronger than the other. That's just the way computers work.

The joy of gaming is having all these different forms of presentation. When we start saying one way is the only way forward, as many champions of certain gameplay styles have a propensity to do, we enter the realm of checklist design. That's not healthy.

Just imagine Lumines without points, because not having points is the de jure thing right now. Oh the horror!

Edit: Just noticed that my comment is pretty much a flabby version of what Gerren just said. So... I agree with what you said, Gerren!

Good points made, Jazz. This makes me think of Skate. I probably spent about a hundred hours in freeskate, with the HUD completely off. It always irks me when games give a point system to something that doesn't need it (in this case, skateboarding) and it bothered me that the single player utilized it so heavily. If I want my photo in the game to be of a frontside flip, the game should let me do that, instead of making me tack on more tricks so I can get the point value for the required goal.

@Chris: I've started to think about this more as a way that certain games should be designed, not all of them. 

@Michael: Skate is the perfect example of what I mean. An other thing that fits my vision is some thing like Heavy Rain. The game isn't reliant upon points what-so-ever.

I completely agree with Gerren. Even if you narrow it down to a single genre, I think there's plenty of room for versatility.

I would definitely like to see things like morality points and such go away in games that use those systems. I still want those systems to be there, but I want them to be transparent or invisible. I want to see the results of my actions play out in the environment and consequences.

That said, a lot of games just feel more fun and gratifying when points are there. You said that immersion is a key factor in most games. I think "some" would be a more accurate word. A lot of games don't mind letting you know that you are playing a game - because they don't really want to be experiences but just games.

You will never be immersed into the actual world of a Street Fighter game. You play it becuase you want to get combos and pull off super moves just right while counting frames. Team Fortress 2 deliberately shies away from a realistic presentation and becomes HUD-heavy because it knows that a multiplayer shooter has little-to-know chance of being "immersive" or "realistic" from the get-go.

I've had two jobs as reps for different companies. They were identical in every way except one: one job required actually selling product. Both jobs required securing space, educating staff, merchandising, travel, appointments, etc. The problem was that one job could be quantified adn the other couldn't. I, and my bosses, would know how I was doing at the sales job by looking at sales. But how do you get a performance review on a job where there is nothing quantifyable? Games are like that where some games give you a sense of accomplishment while other games just have you "doing stuff." I do think Halo would be really weird if you had to play through it, trying to beat your best melee combo score or something.