My first experience in playing an RPGA event was a 12 hour game. I'm pretty sure that if anyone at the table died before 2 hours, they would have been PISSED. Sitting there with their ass up their ass while everyone else killed ettercaps and got obsidian dogs and shit.
But Spoony talks about winning and loosing. I'm not one who thinks that you can "win" at D&D. Having fun is what matters, I'm not saying that babying players or outlawing player death is antifun. But sometimes the mood at the table is to kind of fudge things one way or another, as long as it makes more fun, then I'm all for it. Generally in D&D I'm more forgiving than CoC. In CoC I'm a fucking asshole, but fun is had.
But as a tool for recruiting new players and new customers, I can see why the no death makes perfect sense. A strategy of not alienating future customers in a touchy-feely sort of way. Especially since a parent is more likely to be buying a thing if the kid doesn't DIE during a GAME. Its a testament to the strategy working that they haven't changed it in 12 years or w/e.
The GUMSHOE system has a rule for automatic success in general ability tests. Meaning, if the players attempt it, it succeeds. The roll just indicates how poorly you performed said action. Is that winning? Is that cheating?