I would argue most new Kraken divers would only be distantly aware of Mike Nelson and the double hose heritage... and would be using it set up with pretty much everything in your first list. Plus an AI transmitter
New divers would have just completed their OW training using all these items and I suspect would be very uncomfortable in abandoning them.
In Australia and everywhere else I've dived overseas if you don't have a BC, octo and a SPG as a minimum... you ain't diving!
That was certainly true on a recent LOB in PNG... they were incredulous when I pulled out my Kraken, but knew it was not vintage because of the modern features... and cool logo! It was only because of the presence of these features that I was able to dive it at all.
It generated HUGE interest amongst experienced divers, esp the photographers who immediately recognised the benefits of having the exhaust bubbles behind you! So I was expecting 80% of new Kraken sales to be towards very experienced divers... who were also keen photographers.
So if the majority of Kraken sales are to new inexperienced OW level divers I suspect it is because the Kraken has the double hose black-techno-cool factor of a rebreather without the associated extreme cost, training or mandatory high maintenance.