Speaking of the quick save/reload reminds me of why Braid is so good - its designed so that mistakes aren't costly, and the player is encouraged to explore and not fear making an error and loosing progress.
I think it depends on the game and the experience desired by the creator. For something like Day Z, you want the progress lost when dying to be part of the story and the experience.
For something where the overarching narrative is featured, like Braid / Journey, I think the quick restarts are just as important.
Games _should_ be designed that way.