That's definitely true, the lack of throwing weapons in SAO certainly made the show interesting to watch when it came to close-ranged battles, but from a writing point of view, a larger scene can be not only a lot more fun to write, but also a lot less hectic, as we won't have as many potential instances of characters bumping into each other trying to slash away at a certain monster. Plus, guild battles... *_*
Heck, I'll put my vote in, if there's a vote to be made.