OR, the TEC just was "soft" and "easy" (intro video) - part of that being the first to be designed (ingame). But if you look at the trailer (which is beta), they really have improved ALOT.
Now for the 12 o'clock question:
Would you call a missle a rocket... I mean same tech, right?
(nope)
Would you call a tank a armoured car? They both spurted out of similar ideas?
(nope)
Why call a 3d model pixels (though that term can be correct - everything still has to be rendered out)
(You don't, most/all 2d sprites had their origions in 3D models.
Similarly, why nitpick out over it?
(You don't because CDO (the way it SUPPOSED to be spelt) doesn't affect everyone... right?)