The 888 Rule - Explained Here
This is an interesting rule change. I'm not sure that is exactly how I would have dealt with the issue, but at the very least it is an attempt to deal with it. People have been walking off during bad rounds to save their precious ratings for as long as I can remember.
As a TD, one point that I do like is our ability to give an 888 to someone who simply does not show up for their remaining rounds. Sure, there are occasions where it doesn't hurt anything, but there are also some instances where it throws a pretty serious wrench in the works. Now, all it takes to avoid the 888 is letting the TD know you are leaving.