Yeah, ok, maybe stories are an exception here, fair point. Thinking of it, the marvel comics also weren't tied to skins, hmm
Why a project gets made is definitely not purely determined (nor gated by) whether it’s attached to something that generates revenue. :-) Any project gets approved based on many different criteria. The questions of should we make it, when should we make it, how should we make it, are asked against several factors, with a focus on delivering player value as a primary focus.