Well, I think you've nailed it Jim. The UI experience can't be a distractor. It's a balancing act and that's serious (and professional) business these days.
I know you are driven by the game mechanics and engine first and foremost, but I'll bet if you didn't touch those things one bit, and hired a UI team to help revamp the look & feel that FOF (let's call it v7.5) could generate revenue. Remember, Beats By Dre is a 3.2B company...and they did nothing to revolutionize headphones....they just made them prettier.