I suspect they mean they decided for something smaller rather than skip a fire starter all together.

I too am in this camp. I purchased a few Blast Matches, but found them too bulky for normal use. I replaced mine with Firesteel Scouts.

That said, I think a compact and lighter version of the Blast Match would be a winner since you should have less chance of breakage and less chance of accidental spark (I keep mine in an Omniseal bag by itself for this reason, but you could still break it).

-john