In the short run it worked....but it left a sour taste in quite a few consumer mouths that will translate to crummy DLC sales.
If you sell me a krappy meal at a restaurant don't expect me to buy desert.
They have said it for the last 5 years that it's not a SOAPBOX, I just don't get what people were expecting, they never said this was going to be fallout, they said it a gazillion times that it's a FPS with some RPG elements that it was more like an Open but directed experience. Sure there could be some misrepresentation there but the Previews done by Writers in the game industry all said how the game was going to be. If you chose to ignore those and still purchased and are pissed about it, you have to put some of the blame on yourself and your expectations.
Now do I not like how things are blocked off with invisible walls...sure I hate it, it takes away from the immersion. I also of course think they could have done better with a more fleshed out RPGesue elements to keep the world more alive and add more motivation to the player but in no way DO I think they DUPED anyone that's a bit going overboard.