Escapist has something else to offer other than Yahtzee?

Valve's certainly found something that works, they just have to keep the ball rolling. I know firsthand that diving into the community and asking for help will give you some great ideas, but also bog you down the constant bickering and abuse to changes that weren't as welcome.

The problem of being spread too thin between projects also is a bit concerning. It'll be interesting to see of the quality of the work stays the same. I doubt it would change, but the "listening" period might, given increased workload on their end for these side projects.