I think a lot of quilts that are densely quilted are meant to hang as pieces of art, not to be used as quilts on a bed. I think after a person has enough "user" quilts, they tend to try for something that will display well on a wall. Just my opinion. Neither way is wrong, it is just the intended purpose of the piece.
I also tend to use wool batting and lighter weight thread if I intend to quilt heavily.