For every "game meant to get 20 expansions", we have a wealth of very good replayable games that exist well on their own. For every game meant to launder 20 different kind of components, you get 4 wonderful games sold at cost and that are actually fun, with the tactileness being the flavor on top.
I kind of agree that lots of games are OK with making their boxes "too much" nowadays (if only from a practical perspective of it being too big and just a lot of trash). But I think almost everybody at the creative level is just earnestly excited to make board games. Business people want to make business, but that's the same in every industry.
A quick note that they at least don't own Wingspan, the first game in the article. It's by an independent publisher called [Stonemaier Games](https://stonemaiergames.com) who "grew up" on Kickstarter (and openly considered it a marketing tool in later years) but vocally moved away because the founder found the experience too stressful.
They make some great games and I recommend checking them out! I particularly enjoy Viticulture, and Scythe if Fantastic, if you can find people to play it with.
I bought the family a coop expansion for Viticulture that we're opening later this morning, and they're really a great company that, so far as I can tell, is doing everything they can to foster more indie producers, not dominate the market or play any of those kinda games. If there is a golden age, Stonemaier is one of the major mines.
Can't wait for the movie adaptations and shipping.