i think the whole thing about the crossguards is for protection of the user's hands, because people who wield lightsabers have a tendency to lose them. though the parts that stick out could very well be cut off by another saber, which makes that idea pretty unlikely. they could very well be exhaust ports, too. the crystal could be poorly focused if the hilt was crafted improperly. it's been a concept for about 15 or so years, and i don't see why people waited to complain about it until now.
either way, i just hope we see a full on trailer soon.