(And most likely designed in such an ass-backwards way that it turns into a huge mind numbing grind anyway.)
There will be engineering involved, so yeah. Most likely.
The problem with MMOs is that new content needs to be balanced to give enough playtime for veterans who already unlocked fucking everything and to new players,
with a possible skew towards the former - hence the obnoxious grind.
As to whether it was "wanted or needed", I think it's a logical expansion to the planetfall mechanic from the previous DLS, letting you walk around on your own two feet.
I see it a milestone and depending on where they take it, it could be interesting. From what I've read, ship interiors and spacewalks aren't planned for now, but would be nice if they're further down the pipeline.
Not sure about walking around space stations. Would be nice to have it, but it is at odds with having everything handy in the ship's computer. So they'd have to revamp all of it.
All in all, it's a way to get up to speed (and give the middle finger) with Star Citizen, which I am sure they're watching. I mean, that shit-chicken laid eggs of pure gold just by selling walkable spaceships.
I am sure Frontier would love to get their paws on some of that action.
It'll most likely bee a subpar fps, even though that vid is trying to make it seem cooler than it really is with some chatter (I only watched half of it).
The only interesting thing is how will it play with the rest of the game's systems - will it be possible for one guy to hover above the settlement and give fire support to the ground team?
Blasting tiny dudes with large cannons could be fun. Dropping off commandos and extracting from a hot zone is something Alliance Chieftain was made to do.