But do you ever saw newer version that is simpler ? :) With less features or not-backward-compatible or without mechanism for plugging developed in future extensions...
Making complicate protocol simpler require process equivalent to rewrite in software. Re-architecture the basics. It is more then seldom to the point you can think all that complications are intentional.
One example of simplification that happen in IT is UTF-8. But it was more a replacement and big companies didn't switch anyway...
