Not jblow but it's rather obvious that anecdotal evidence isn't a sound basis for the sort of general advice given. That some people fail to make a big splash

Not jblow but it's rather obvious that anecdotal evidence isn't a sound basis for the sort of general advice given. That some people fail to make a big splash isn't evidence that a big splash is a tactic that will fail. Particularly if you take a broader view as this has been a successful part of the business model of games for a long time. Whether or not it's right for a specific game and the longer term business of the developer is a much more nuanced question.