The real question is, "At what point does HTC continuing to support long-time players who haven't upgraded their rigs come at the expense of attracting a larger customer base with prettier graphics?"
IMO, gameplay will ALWAYS trump visuals (this is why I STILL prefer a lot of older games, and why Aces of the Pacific is still, IMO, the best air-combat simulator EVAR) and Aces High's is frankly superior to WT's. It has a far better blend of concessions for non-sim players while still offering something for hardcore sim fans without needing to stick them into separate arenas, WT doesn't even HAVE a main arena yet, and a better approach to balancing the availability of advanced aircraft via the ENY and perk system.