good discussion raisor, but a good logo is determined by what it's for, not how it's done.

this, i find, is also mislading.
first, logos aren't limited to companies alone. and also, flat is a better choice of words than simple. something can be flat & <2 colours, but still be something complex in construction => http://www.newyorklimousineservice.net/ the limo guy is a part of the typography in the oficial logo.

simple = professional i again find misleading, because simple isn't always the way to go, like Warcraft - simple in concept but a flat b/w logo doesn't do the game justice. it depends on the medium. in the case of blizzard the abilty for b/w print isn't a factor so it's not held as a condition of the logo.
logic/quality = professional. in the same case, th warcraft logo is very brandable, but it's also taken the visual element a stemp further and encapsulates the game it's representnting. if you saw a flat b/w flat logo of just WoW would you think world of warcraft? i might not, if i wasn't surrounded by the game from associates, but if i see something of the similar texture, regardless of what it's actually presenting, gold+rough says WoW to me.

because WoW is a game that's only going to be featuring high tech visuals, either in promotional banners or in screen caps, it's going to be large scale design and minimalism isn't going to be the best path for this medium. knowing when to throw away the traditional methods is what seperates the amatures to me.

good topic though.