Sure it's not aimed at the majority of the player base, but it didn't take that much effort for Funcom to introduce time trials. Also bear in mind that, while only a handful of groups might actually be going for the "Master of Trials" title, there are many more who try to get at least some (easier) time trials done. Overall, I'm pretty sure the return in terms of replay value is quite decent for the dev time invested.
Other than that, awesome videos, Moriala & crew!