RS has always mentioned that he wants to have GPU and CPU on the same level, not to ban GPUs completly, it looks like that was reached... sure it also helped promoting SC. It's funny how everybody else jumped on the CPU-train after RS published the idea and published some altchains, which are not far from death now, except maybe LTC
FYI, ArtForz talked in IRC about a CPU-only chain before SC1 was taken down, and way before RS mentioned the CPU-only idea. So don't assume that ArtForz stole his idea.