It's not an either a or b situation you can have both. Just because one developer decides to start making simple games does not mean that all developers will make simple games.
I think the irritation more comes from developers simplifying the more systems focused RPG franchises themselves/the previous top tier developers of those moving towards simplified RPG mechanics.
The Daggerfall > Morrowind > Oblivion > Skyrim chain is an example of this. Daggerfall was off-putting with it's mechanics. Morrowind hit, for me, an ideal balance, Oblivion began the move towards streamlining of RPG mechanics, while Skyrim took it one step further.
That said, Skyrim was a far better game than Oblivion, likely because that transitory step resulted in a lot of poor design choices in trying to straddle the fence, like the enemy level scaling system and having legacy skills that basically had little to no real value.
Same with Bioware and their games. The first Dragon Age was more in line with what the CRPG audience wants, the second moved too far towards action oriented gameplay, and the third tried to correct but did so by rolling a lot of the single player MMO mechanics found in other games from around that time into it (basically a polished up and larger Kingdoms of Amalur minus it's unique settling and art style).
I find it amusing that many of the original posters he's quoting probably think The Witcher 3 is great, but the actual RPG systems in it are less complex than something like Skyrim. It's all about brand appeal. The Witcher IP didn't really make mainstream waves until 3, so that's the standard. Meanwhile Bioware and Bethesda's games have made a transition and get flack as a result.
I'd argue that Diablo 3 more or less proves this, as it's levels of complexity are every bit comparable to Diablo 2 at this point but some people just won't let go of the real money auction house, more colorful and varied areas, etc.. I wonder how much of the continued hate comes from regular players who're just pissed that Blizzard remixes equipment + skill ratings enough to make the power builds change more often and more dramatically than in D2.
What you gonna do? I actually just started playing Divinity: Original Sin this week as the hype for the sequel (which I kickstarted) got me interested enough to break away from OOTP and CKII.
I'm loving it, but I've been thinking the whole time that it feels like a great introduction to the CRPG genre, not some bathed in blood purist's dream come true. I mean, I get through most battles with only one or two characters needing to be healed, no one dies, and the deaths aren't permanent as I'm less than 10 hours in and have over a dozen res. scrolls already. Good game but this ain't Fallout 2 levels of RNG punish or something despite using a very similar AP system. Also, it's on consoles. Yet that's the new poster child for "big boy RPGs".
It's not as if everyone is a connoisseur in everything. You will not have time for all kinds of leisure and entertainment anyway.
Speak for yourself, I'm the undisputed arbiter of good taste in literally all matters.
*sips espresso from insane vape pipe contraption with one pinky firmly raised in the air*
