I don't necessarily agree with that bold part. I think the reason most modern gamers think it's shit is because they play shit versions of the games. Like AT Games crap, or compilations that try to use a joystick for paddle controllers.
No study or data or anything, but from my personal experience, I've seen my kids and their friends try to play A2600 games on AT games stuff and were disgusted and had the usual "this really all you had to play back in the day?" comments, and I connect the real thing on a CRT and they have a blast. Suddenly these "shit games" become not only playable, but loads of fun. We've had multiple days where we (me, the kids, their friends) would spend time playing Warlords, Circus Atari, Freeway, Keystone Capers, etc, and not a "wow, this is crap" comment to be had. Just as fun as it always was.