I don't feel like having easily accessible content in an MMO is a bad idea; I mean, it's how they keep the lights on, effectively. Appealing to a niche audience gets you a more fervent loyal fanbase, but doesn't bring in nearly as much money. MMOs gotta have broad appeal to keep running. There's nothing wrong with this, especially in a game where they have hardcore content to cater to the players that want it, without forcibly excluding casual players who don't.

Not everyone plays MMOs to do hardcore endgame raids and stuff. Some people just like hanging out, and those people pay the bills way more than the niche hardcore playerbase does. WAY more people play casually than don't, so the attitude that casual players are somehow hurting the game is just baffling. I can't think of too many "hardcore" MMOs that have thrived for any real length of time financially.