I don't think you are representing the original fairly, they said "often ... because they're at the expense of everything else," Which seems plausible althou

I don't think you are representing the original fairly, they said "often ... because they're at the expense of everything else," Which seems plausible although "often" may be harsh. Too high a proportion of your budget on art is rarely going to end up somewhere good, unless the art is the main point. There does seem to be a bit of a AAA arms race here, which isn't necessarily a net gain.