Have to disagree with you on that one. Now, if they made modding the game impossible...then THAT might be dropping the ball. But delivering a game that they (as well as quite a lot of us) enjoy, isn't dropping the ball, in my opinion.
Agreed. The only way id could have 'dropped the ball' on a game that they designed to be their ultimate vision of their own creation was to succumb to the demands of people external to the company to change their vision.
Frankly, imho, they're happy some people enjoy what they enjoyed creating and enjoy playing, and fuck everyone else.
Were I in their shoes if only one person liked the game and I found it fun, it was worth it, even if it didn't sell for shit.