Since I consider the plot an integral part of gaming, and lore an integral part of plot, I would say that the lore is very important to my enjoyment of the series as a whole. It's not constantly on my mind while playing (I'm not running over CHIM when I'm looting a cave in Cyrodiil), but the idea that the world is a lived-in place makes me not just "dungeon delving in a tomb set," but "exploring a tomb."