So I brought this up in another thread, but no one seemed to notice, so I thought I'd try and get some opinions.
I feel like Three Rings is relying on promotional accessories over new content. And yet it's hard to blame them when the playerbase eats them up. Why spend the time and effort developing new content (monsters, weapons, levels, etc) when you can spend a couple of hours creating an accessory that people will spend $100 or more just to have a chance at getting. That's right, it's not even guaranteed, you simply have a chance.
The latest promotion seemed quite popular, and I've no doubt it was a huge success for Three Rings. At the end of the day, though, after you've spent your hard earned dollars and fought to get something shiny to show off while others look on jealously, you're still in Haven. With nothing new to do. Except maybe grind in preparation for the next promotion.
This promotion was accompanied by the opening of the testing server to preview the first of a new line of challenge missions, as well as new lockdown maps. The devs have been pretty explicit that we should expect more such content to follow, and not long ago Nick made a detailed post with promises that are beginning to be fulfilled.
Meanwhile, desirable accessory promotions provide a quick fix to reduce the price of CE; prices on the exchange are a very frequent complaint for new players in particular.