Well I missed what the original OP said, but OBR is one of the players in the past that did a lot to help other people enjoy the game via great advice and posts in the forums. For that he has gained my respect.
Sadly I think the forums have often degenerated into slagging off other players rather than offering our suggestions, complaints and help to fellow players. For this reason I participate less and less. And yes I have benn guilty of that from time to time.
There are "cliques" that seem to corner some posters - this is the disappointing side of the forums. As for me, I say what I feel, if someone does not like it, I can live with that, but most of the time I at least try to be constructive in my comments,
As for the game, I still enjoy WGT - I play by feel rather than a calculator, and still find it just as enjoyable, albeit frustrating at times as when I started.
But with other options I will keep an open mind, but I do not think I will be leaving WGT soon.
Edit - I saw the title of the original post. I am not sure why some of the die-hards are so anti competition. Personally I would be surprised if the "new game" is half as good as WGT and a one off fee screams lack of future development. Sure there will be other ways to raise revenue, but it is a concern.
The great thing with competition is it raises the bar for all companies - in terms of the product quality, customer service and in terms of pricing. The consumers then have a direct say by using the product or not. This keeps all companies innovative and we see market forces working in terms of pricing. WGT has dropped the ball in the last year or so with an almost arrogant approach and contempt for the customers. Can we really blame someone for leaving?