A thing that really urks me is when people complain that the crosshair does not stay on the screen at all times...and then they complain about game realism.
There is no crosshair in real life. You slow down, you aim and you shoot. That is how it works.
To me, that is what GES is simulating when you bring up the crosshair. It is forcing you to slow down and aim, unlike just running around, spraying bullets everywhere with the crosshair there.
Or, with time, you learn how to shoot properly without using the crosshair at all. Mangley is correct in saying that using the crosshair increases your bullet accuracy, but overtime, you rely on your own accuracy. I for one rarely use the crosshair and I prefer it this way.
And no, there is not a dot on my screen to show where the crosshair would be (I know people that do that, and that is so sad).
My point is, I think people rely so much on the mechanics of one game that when they try something new, they just don't like it. GoldenEye 64 was the FPS that started it all. If anything, I think the mechanics of games these days make shooting way too easy. And I don't think GES is outdated. I think it is a game of skill.
PS: If you played GE 64 with auto-aim off, you are a legend. Puts COD players to shame