Absolutely. People who don't like this element have plenty of other CCGs to choose from.
Yeah, and they did. Which is part of why L5R is at the pass that it is, I'll wager.
You're forgetting the fact that L5R as a CCG made it to the 20 year mark in a field with at least three 800 pound gorillas, and at least a half dozen promising upstarts each year. Yes, it had issues, especially in recent arcs, but the interactive story, and the loyalty that it built, is what kept it going for as long as it did, especially considering the resources AEG had available.
If a local burger joint located between a McDonald's and a Wendy's served burgers for 20 years and then decided to sell to someone who could afford to renovate, redecorate, update the menu, (and maybe even relocate), I'd consider those 20 years a success, not a failure. I own a business that is also a local brand. I hope in 20 years I'll be able to sell it to someone who can take it regional - or even national - if I'm not able to get it there myself.