To me, (I've just been reading everything), the comments of Ed actually sound to me like the "male students and geeks", Michal Madej writes, "modern" RPGs seem to be catering.
Sounds to me like "I wanna be the biggest gangsta in this world, thus gimme a shiney blaster and a shiney sword, or I'll make hack-meat of you !"
Replace "gangsta" with "hero", if you wish.
Peter Garza sounds most "philosophical" of all statements, whereas the one of Michal Madej goes most to the botrtom of the real problems "modern" RPGs have.
I'm in fact a bit surprised that no-body takes a look at the demands of the publishers - it is without doubt that they play a huge role in shaping the RPG genre ! - By releasing games that are the way THEY want !
The entry of Jeff Vogel has little to do with the question itself, imho - it rather sounds like an advertisement for himself to me.