That is one way of looking at it, and the majority of game publishers look at things exactly like that.
But ED's simulators have always been about the fidelity, and I think that always looking at the next thing before the stuff in front of you is finished is very worrying. Correct me if I'm wrong, but fixing small issues like this is a lot less work than making an entirely new module.
Now, I'm not stupid. I know that focusing on the Next Hot Thing (NHT) is alot more fun for everyone (I do like the way you put it, "bigger picture"). Fans want the NHT, it's probably alot more fun to work on the NHT rather than going back and fix stuff that were supposed to stay fixed, and maybe the most important thing is you can't charge for bug fixes (although I'd gladly pay for them, but that is just me and I've taken my fair share of internet tough guy hate for this).
As a home owner I know it's alot more fun for me to install a new TV or a beer fridge than it is fixing a leaking ceiling, but I think it's important to have everything in order before running of to the next project.