I thought character customisation and character identification is something in MMOs these days.
You have a lot of veteran players here, a lot of people that been playing the same race for over years and want some variety.
Promises were given back in 1.0 and hype got build up to not ruin pre orders, so it is only understandable that some people might quit for now and feel cheated. And even if its just for time being, it will leave a mark in their profits.