While save games may be about game design, if people don't like the way saves are handled, then that's not very good game design.
I could program a game where you have to click "R" as many times as you can, until you can't anymore, at which point you get a message saying "you lose", it would be how I chose to design my game, do you think it will be popular?
To sum up my crappy example, just let the people have what they want so they can be happy, and let everyone play the way they like
