Looks interesting indeed. Winning if you get your king across the middle of the board sounds like it would be fun to have a go at definitely. The first game between Anand and Carlsen for the world title was something like an 18 move draw so it definitely can be a bit of a disappointment.
Unless you have dynamic chess which creates the asymmetry which the article mentions then yeah it can be dull, top players often go for safe options and so won't even go for asymmetrical pawns. Starting off with different pieces probably is the most interesting prospect for me. If the armies are balanced then it would be a really fun game. I think people should be awarded points for flair.
I do fear that these armies would not be fair at the top level, which this modification is designed to combat. One mistake with equal pieces is enough to lose a game and so if you already have a weakness it may well be that you can't win unless they make a mistake.