I'd say that image applies to every developer given time.
One day CD Projekt will be in the same category.
I was referring to the wisdom of not harboring negative feelings about things way, way beyond our control - however justified we think they are
As for complacency - I think that's a dangerous topic when talking about people you've never met.
But I can talk about it in general terms, based on my experience with people - and what I consider the average human reaction to great success.
It's been my experience that the majority of artists that achieve great success at some point in their lives - tend to be less driven and less impassioned about their work compared to the time before public recognition and the supposed self-realization modern society would consider such an achievement.
Again, it's dangerous to talk about this when dealing with specific people or companies - but I would argue that, for instance, James Cameron reached this stage relatively early (around the time he made The Abyss) and Ridley Scott reached the same stage with Blade Runner.
Now, that's not to say I don't think their later work is bad or void of passion - not at all, I just think their later films were less about proving themselves and going all the way - and more about experimenting with whatever caught their fancy at the time.
In a way, great success can be liberating in that way.
I suppose it depends on what your original ambition was. For some artists - the ambition is to prove themselves to others - and, in that way, I would say great recognition would be very liberating indeed.
If, however, your original ambition was to simply contribute and do the best work you possibly can - then I don't think great success necessarily brings complacency - because why would you stop wanting to contribute just because you've already contributed, you know?
I know this seems a little off the mark, but it's just my way of getting to my point about Bethsoft.
You see, I've never felt their games represented some kind of one-time achievement goal.
I see them chasing the same thing as they always did. They want to "perfect" the huge freeform open world CRPG - and bring all the various elements that they enjoy about games together.
If you listen to Howard talk about their games in various interviews - you will hear him talking about the kind of things they're going for, and how they're always trying to get closer to it and expand the formula to be even better.
Since I, personally, feel their games are getting better and better with each iteration - though still far, far from perfect - I really have no reason to doubt his words.
In fact, they make a lot of sense to me.
So, from my perspective - Bethsoft are definitely not complacent developers in the bad sense of the word.
However, I do think they're liberated from having to prove themselves - and they have extremely powerful financial support from the suits, as their games sell millions and millions of copies - and they've done so ever since Morrowind.
It still might be complacency on some level, but it's not what I would consider a bad thing.
Overall, though, it must be understood that I'm one of those people who have accepted the "great compromise" that must exist when developing AAA games under a publisher model.
If you want money people to fund your game - you must understand the basic fact that they're not going to do so because they care about the game. They do so because they care about the return they're going to be expecting.
Under those circumstances, there's no way a huge and expensive game like Fallout 4 or Skyrim could ever target the "hardcore" audience, because that would automatically exclude the largest source of income.
So, they do it the other way around. They make a game they want to make - but they deliberately compromise the challenge and complexity involved in playing it - so that not only the smallest audience wants to play it.
In that way, they earn more money - and they please more people. They also please a LOT of "hardcore" fans who're ok with compromise (like myself) and who're not feeling entitled to something that absolutely doesn't belong to them.
On top of that, they have an active modding community willing to fine-tune balance and mechanics to the satisfaction of most people.
Obviously, people who don't accept compromise and who think they're entitled to games they don't personally work on - with huge economic consequences for the people who DO develop and finance those games - are not likely to be very pleased.
Such is the nature of human beings.