With all due respect, you really have no idea if that will be the case. A percentage will quit, a percentage will write bad reviews and pass the word "avoid ED, no fun, impossible hard, yada yada". This will hurt sales. You are assuming that this percentage will be low enough not to matter, I assume that it will hurt sales in a significant way. Possibly to a point that might kill game development.
Again, personally I have no issue with the new AI - but I am not a casual player.
Steam reviews (as iffy as they are) are already mixed, this won't help the game much as far as bringing in new players goes.
Yesterday I was all hyped about the 2.1 update. I was secretly watching the live stream while at work, I had RDPed into my home PC from work (fortunately I work IT and have the ability to do that) and updated to 2.1 well before I got home. In my extreme desire to play, I left work 30min early, got home, mixed a drink, and logged into open play. Prior to the update I was docked in Jameson Memorial, I've been chomping at the bit to try out the huge multicannon on my FDL. Sure enough that was the first thing I did, I scoped out what Engineers I had available, and decided to go back to my home system of I Carinae to scope out the new AI difficulty.
Less than 10 min, Boom. Nice little wake up call, I had a 1 on 1 with a Deadly Anaconda, he had me down to 60 hull, I had him at 40 but he rammed me as a last ditch effort. It was pretty humorous to hear "target destroyed" after I had seen the ship destroyed screen and I was docked back up. I thought to myself "Beyond the grave kill? Nice!" Too bad I didn't get the bounty. So I understood what I did wrong, re-checked my fit, re-armed sobered up, and went back out. Smaller targets? Same thing..
After the 4rd ship destroyed screen I got frustrated. Still I didn't want to give up, "maybe a smaller and more agile ship?" By then I had run low on funds so I sold the FDL for a Vulture, still same outcome.
Feeling defeated and seeming to not have much other option, I said screw it, and logged off for the night. I still don't want to give up on this game and I've been desperately pleading with other Steam friends of mine to get the game in order to have someone to fly with. Since the wings expansion was introduced, I think I've been in a wing with other players maybe once? If you want to add me for the sake of flying in a wing with me please feel free to add me (CMDR Terrox). I love this game and I'm not wanting to give up on it. I never played the original Elite but I have played other similar games (Descent Freespace 1, 2, Starlancer, Freelancer, Renegade: Battle for Jacob's Star, Wing Commander, etc...) and playing Elite brings me more fun than any other game in the past. I played EVE Online for 4 years but quickly left when ED was introduced, never looked back.
I don't think the AI is insanely difficult, but maybe a few minor tweaks are in order. Granted, this is my opinion after only one evening, and I'm willing to give it another shot tonight once I'm home again. My last "tactics change" idea is to trade out my Vulture for a FAS which I think I have enough credits to properly fit it out....maybe. Hit me up to join a wing and I'll gladly fly along side with you.
-CMDR Terrox