Many Sega CD games (those terrible live action FMV ones) are pretty much where QTEs came from; they are movies which you can "win" or "lose" based on when you time your button presses. No game developers would admit it, but QTEs are an extension of this idea.
What, like the old Dragon's Lair arcade games, and that Sega hologram arcade game from the 90s, Time Traveler? I can see that as being so, but it doesn't make QTE any more fun that what they are. Besides, I think games like Heavy Rain, the Walking Dead and perhaps, the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls are true evolved forms of those old movie games. Though, I can honestly say, none of those are my style. I remember as a kid, how those arcade games were freakin EXPENSIVE, and knowing nothing about the games, you die and that's it. It used to piss me off, and it's descendant, the QTE, is no different.
I blame myself a bit, though, too. Though, when you're that young, you see those arcade machines with the FMV scenes. REAL cartoons and stuff, and you say, "Wow, this is a video game? It looks like a cartoon! You can actually PLAY a game that looks like a cartoon? You can move the cartoon character around any way YOU want to? That's awesome!". Of course, that suckered me in to loosing quarters and still left me dumbfounded to how to play the damned things. I guess that's why I'm sooo much for more freedom of control over QTE. If there's some cool finisher movie, I want to do it. I want it to be on MY terms, not the game's. There should not be any break in the action. That's my opinion, though. I don't like games that try to take control and freedom away from the players. Especially if it's some jumbled button mashing combo shit you have to do just to open a door.