I do recognize how much extra work the traditional "cell format" is, having several different versions per scene to accommodate the costumes. That was one of my favorite features though, and something that made SU stand out even more to me. Unlocking both the new scenes
and the new costumes. And unlocking a new costume was the perfect reason to go through the older actions again (like choosing a Dance or a BJ again even if you've advanced on to Sex and Anal) because now you could see it with a new outfit
Plus it also made the character roster feel like a "collection", and like they were property. Even going as far as getting to dictate what clothes they each wear (if any), all just depending on your mood. Like having all of them dress in their slut outfits one night. And the character combos (even more work, I know!) could create some very interesting scenes. I remember one favorite of mine was having Cheshire wear her suit costume and Artemis wear her schoolgirl one, so that their scenes looked like it had a "Teacher and Naughty Schoolgirl" dynamic going on. Or have them both wear the schoolgirl outfits, etc.
If they were all just *naked*, and that was it, it would essentially make every scene feel more like just a one-and-done. Not that the scenes that
are more kind of 'one-and-done's aren't awesome too, but the costumes were something that made the cells special and really stand out. That being said, I agree that it wouldn't be feasible for *every single character* to get the "full cell treatment" of course. And pretty much every character would have at least a few fans that would want that for them. It's impossible to please everyone.
But in general, while I do see how the cells are a shit-ton of work comparatively, imho as a fan, it's one of the key features that put SU on a whole other level. If SR7 ever decided he just doesn't want to do them anymore then that'd be of course his call. The quality would suffer anyway if he just hated doing it and tried to force himself through the work.
Tldr: For whatever it's worth, even if he ever stopped the cells entirely: the time and effort that was required to make the cells what they are is both acknowledged and appreciated (I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure I'm not alone on that one lol)!