Yes, WB screwed this one up. Instead of following Rockstar's example with GTAV and taking the time and effort necessary to produce a proper PC port, they took short cuts and released a broken product. Having said that, I don't think we have to worry about them "getting a pass" here. The Steam refund policy has ensured that anyone unsatisfied with the game can easily get their money back and that's a far harsher punishment to WB than a hundred message boards full of angry rants.
The worst part is the game itself is fantastic. I put up with low frame rates and stuttering just to be able to play it through and I loved it anyway, but I can easily see why people would be upset about not getting a proper PC port. WB made some lousy decisions and they are definitely paying for them now. Hopefully they learn from it and don't repeat these mistakes the next time they have a AAA title they want to port to PC.