Yes, this was an unusual release, and an experiment in shipping new features quicker than our major release cycle normally allows. Out-of-process-plugins was a good candidate for an interim release, because it is a stability enhancement and is transparent to the user (no UI changes).
The idea is to push things out that help users as fast as possible. Things that require users to rethink how they use a product require longer release cycles as to not confuse users. In other words, rethink releases from a user's prospective, not a developer's.