Really, it takes two to tango. The developer usually comes up with the ideas, but those ideas get funded and approved by the publisher, who at least deserves a nod for pulling out the credit card and going along with the developer.
Ideally, the relationship should be like a writer and an editor, or a film director and a film editor. Basically the creative guy comes up with lots of crazy ideas while the more independant critical guy steps back and chops out all the ideas that didn't quite pan out.
It's a team effort, and the team should be stronger together than they are apart. If the creative guy is too strong, the result is self-indulgent and incoherent. If the editor is too strong, the result is a soulless, commercial pop-tart of a product.
Chances are that your favourite book/movie/album/whatever is the result of a really awesome editor keeping a really awesome artist barely in check.
"The worst part about these reviews is they are [subjective]--and their scores often depend on how drunk you got the media at a Street Fighter event." — Mona Hamilton, Capcom Senior VP of Marketing
*Image indefinitely borrowed from BrainBoxLtd without his consent.
