They needed to make them matter. I would have done this. All raids require you to be level 40. Max light you can get from vanguard is 180. A full vog set gets you to 230. Crota full set would get you to 260. Prison would get you to 290 and kings fall would get you past 300. By doing the next level raid you could ascend the lower raids weapons. So after you beat crota you could turn in vog weapons for a 260 version. Once you beat kings fall you could then infuse all raid weapons. This way year one players could have pretty much jumped right into kings fall. Those who just started would have to work up the ladder of raids. Once you beat kings fall all vanguard and faction vendors up their gear level to 280+. This way new players get the full effect, thus expanding their play time, right up buggies alley. And us year 1 players move right into the new expansion content.