Well, its not so much the company, as it is the people who buy them. AE is in it for money, just like Traxxas, Losi, and every other RC manufacturer there is. They'll only spend the money on R&D and tooling for new products if they think beyond a certain doubt that they can sell them. As long as people buy the cars, they're gonna keep on making them "better" in an effort to one-up the rest of the RC community. I don't think the Slash is going anywhere any time soon. Certainly not with the reputation they've earned with the basher crowd. And if what people say about them just being a blast on the track is true, I don't think people will let them go away there either.
You're absolutely correct though, I think AE missed the point entirely. The Corr truck RC movement is based on the ability to roll over (ten or twelve times
) and keep going, and be cheap enough that anyone can join in.