Nah, they are trying to keep it vibrant. You have to remember other added game mechanics (Syncros, Xyz) have had people saying the same thing. I myself made fun of Xyz saying the next new mechanic was going to be Abc. I even pronounced it Ah-b-zees. I do see a bit of a negative impact at first, but in the long run it should actually help the game to survive.
This game has changed. That much is clear, I'm not saying it as a "gen wunner" of sorts. It is fact, and while change can be good, you have to wonder what kind of game this becomes as these changes occur? Sure, it may attract new people, and may even sell to those people and some of the old people, but is it going to keep the game alive, or is this like many past changes since "the duelist genesis" just a stepping stone konami is using to convert us from a unique entity in the gaming world (non mana platform, minimalist hand size and board, opportunity for players to run numerous stratiges outside core set/archtypal theme and the biggest of all no set rotations!) to something that, by way of mechanics like synchros, XYZ and now pendulums, slowly whittle away at the players choices of cards till you effectively are forced into "only the last 2 years" worth of product being valid for play?
Call me crazy but this game is starting to look like were going to end up a bunch of wizards of the coast posers....the cards may have "yugioh!" stamped on them, but it's feeling less and less like a game I get or like playing, and more and more like the headache and "rubber stamp" styles of play I've seen in MTG and pokemon.....I'm worried they are distancing themselves TOO much from the games origins.