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A few comments (I had been out of action trying to get a new laptop set
up):
1. In regards to invention, I believe it is one of the strengths of the
variant community, and provides both an outlet for designers and also a way
for chess variants not to get boring.  My concern with them is that each
one ends up being its own path, and doesn't lend anything to the
collective experience of playing variants, outside of just another game to
play.  I would like the experiences to be able to mingle among one another
and for the variant design, in some framework, to enable one design to be
built off of another, and that to continue to evolve, and what is learned
to be able to be reused.  Yes, we can do that to some extent now, but we
have issues with naming conventions and the like, which make it more
difficult.
1a. I have a vested interest in seeing the chess variant community produce
champions at various games, which we could help use to promote variants.  I
speak from the perspective of a sports federation when I say this.  And I
write this also, in that I would like to see IAGO to be able to recognize
and stand behind the conventions the variant community came up with for the
pieces and the like.
2. Chess on a 12 by 12 board looks like Warmaster Chess 2000.  Please let
me know how it isn't the same.  Here is word on Warmaster:
http://blog.chess.com/RooksBailey/chess-crusade-warmaster-chess-and-no-chess
3. FastChess?  We talking about a Speed/Blitz chess as the game in
question?  I am of the belief also (I say also if Speed/Blitz is what is
meant by FastChess) the chess community is deciding to speed up the clock
to solve all its ills.  And it does resolve a lot of the issues it has,
regarding openings, draws, and making the game more interesting to watch. 
Unless the variant community gets together and comes up with some way to
showcase itself more to the world, and get interest, there is a definite
interest in locking out the variant community, saying it doesn't bring
anything to the table but distraction.  I would rather not see that
happen.
4. I don't believe you will get anything to replace 8x8 unless the
physical boards become more readily available.  That is how it works.  And
I wouldn't expect 9x9 to be it either, as that totally disrupts normal
chess.  It also brings back visions of the chess variant with 2 queens
aside and the bishops on the same colors.