The first game I ever saw that used the technique (or, at least had an option for it) was Outlast and it was pretty much just for the LCD screen effect of the camera you used, and that looked pretty close to what an older camcorder looked like, but yeah; the general vignetting most games use it for is why I turn it off. I hate vignettes that don't convey info, and even the ones that do can be pretty intense and just make it harder to see instead of just telling you you're hurt or cold or on fire.