Edit: Here's the article:
Edit: And games like SMB and Braid, IIRC, already had successful PC launches to create revenue to fund the console versions.
From this project's own Kickstarter page, it says they aren't even halfway to the development costs for a Xbox Arcade/PSN title, and nowhere near the costs for a AAA disc title. Without a doubt, publishers still have a place, until a dev team can earn $30 million from a Kickstarter campaign.