Actually you dont have to worry about TCE's system requirements, they wont change but you will need better hardware for HDR and dynamic eye. It can be turned off and be rplaced by a plesibo HDR effect.
You do have to worry about AA2.7's system requirements and alot of people are already getting 7-8fps on one of AA's largest maps even with a decent system far above the new recommended system requirements. Chances are, anyone can still run the older maps like same as before, but 2 of 3 of the new maps will have problems, unfortunately the one with vehicles is one of those. I will see tomorrow how my Opteron will perform against all odds.

I hope it can hold out. Otherwise those new maps are looking at a dark empty future not quite what was expected - forcing the army to comeup with a way to lower the requirements.
As for TCE, a bright future ahead of 049, but the "dark times" (-of TCE) arent over yet. Till 049 hits Fileplanet servers, TCE is in the darkness of cheaters, exploiters, bad-@$$ admins, lamers, and no0bs. Worrying about it's sysreq is quite irrelevant because it still does run on a base game that works on practically every computer that still works. As for AA2.7, depending on tomorrow's happenings and what people may get from Snakeplain and Steamroller - gah! But still, the rest of the game is still to celebrate about.