True. SDS will tell you that their data indicates that people skip cut scenes, etc and the feedback is that people want the game to play faster. Simple solution really...keep the OPTION to play either way in the game. No brainer really. But I think we will continue to see changes, especially online, that make for faster more streamlined gameplay.
As long as us offline players can choose how we want to play, then great! Once the options disappear and the manufacturer thinks they know best on how people should play the game, then that's when the title "jumps the shark" in my opinion. I used the love the real-time feature that was in a few years ago...made the game seem so realistic.
It's all about options which SDS has been pretty good about up to now.
C