I don't fully agree that the modding scene has taken a hit. Skywind, Skyblivion and beyond skyrim are going to be some of the biggest total conversion mods in history. We'll see whether or not Microsoft will continue to allow OpenMW to progress in reverse engineering the entire construction set and engine.
I think that Larian has nothing to lose in proving all the tools they can provide without infringing upon someone elses IP.
