Well I still don't have my all knowing Crystal Ball but out of experience I'd say these points alone are plenty enough to purge the whole idea !
This is a very real possibility but I think you go a little too far with this... think it will be different from the rest of the game but this also means it's a cheapskate method on the horizon... either do it and go with it ( now that would really slow progress... actually fits the time table
OR leave it alone and go with the good ol'fashioned path that led already to 2 very successful games ! Will see what happens... )
We share this view... but we still assume things don't actually know it ! It would not be a shock either if it turned out they just took a big ( and well deserved ) break or something like that