I would not say that was traditional ICO... those initial fees for stake like 0.001 was to stop some people.
it was like NEM realesed 2000x 1$-5$ per share to avoid coin concetration in one hand avoid NXT distrybution.
NEM had own dev fund that was needed to run coin so quite fair you develop you are getting share.

In current ICOs people blow like 5m$ funding for development and coin system doesn't have to deliver while in NEM system
you had to improve a lot before rise from almost 0.