First up, the purpose of EA isn't to draw in new players, it's to stress test game mechanics, bug fix, identify exploits, collect metadata, and get a feel for how the game will be received by different demographics in its current form.
The game does seem to have drawn in quite a few new players alongside the fans of BG, DnD and DOS though? Larian have definitely gone for a wider appeal than previous BG games. And getting as much money upfront can only be a good thing from their perspective.
Judging by Larian's relative lack of communication in these forums, it is hard to know what they make of much of the feedback that has been given and which feedback they intend to consider. The changes they have made to their own mechanics (cantrips, barrelmancy, companion personalities) have been *relatively* small so far.
