"Having film as a touchstone for gaming is very much a thing that comes from publishers."
This reads like he's putting all the blame on the publishers, especially when read in context. If that's truly the case (I call bullshit), then the publishers have their hands so far up the asses of developers that we might as well call it a day now, because it really, really sounds like a lot of developers are buying into this mindset.
Overall, I'm skeptical about this article. I've little doubt that there's a lot of truth to the assertion that most publishers think and act as outlined. I've even less doubt, based on politics, business, and sports, that there's a merry-go-round at the top levels wherein it's really tough to get pushed out of the field entirely, no matter how incompetent you are. But this myth that everything would be so much better, if not for those damned suits telling us what to do... Bullshit, plain and simple.
