"What I simply don´t get, is the hype about the engines.
They are just tools, nothing "revolutionary".
Of course it´s ok to get excited, but imo it´s ridiculous to say
that an engine represents the absolute truth and is the Holy Grail."

Unreal Engine 3 and CryEngine 2 cost close to

A MILLION DOLLARS

And tons of developers license them.

So , I think that should OBLITERATE your argument , as if these were just mere tools of not great importance , I doubt anyone would shell out close to a million dollars for an engine.