First of all, the article/book you read seems to be targeted towards certain games, not all. Puzzle games for example don't align with those topics. Clash of Clans and World of Warcraft, two games that topped their category, didn't have definite endings. So it may be good advice but may only apply to certain games.
I wanted to comment on the 'surprises' topic. A lot of those games you mentioned do have some surprises in them, but they can't be surprises that throw the game too much either way as they are strategy games. For example Civilization has the little barbarian huts or native tribes where you can gain a technology or get ambushed. SimCity for SNES I remember had "gifts" where if you were doing well you would get a special building.
As for your recent discussion I agree that these 'sandbox' type games which you are referring to allow the player to create their own story in a way. You may not have character dialogue and that detailed focus but if the player gets attached to something in the game then there can be drama. For example, if you are playing SimCity and have something planned out in your head then a fire comes along and ruins it. It becomes the story of your city. Or in Civilization there could be plenty of twists: you plan to take over a civilization but while your forces are out you get surprise attacked by someone else. You don't need to lay out a narrative for the player because the player guides it—whether they want to be risky or safe, etc. etc. Some players really get into that but some don't.