Well the game came out way before IE7 did. IE7 obviously changed something in the way internet addresses, proxy servers or ports are handled (probably something to do with security) that broke the game's connectivity with the stats server.
I agree though, it was very stupid not to make it an automatically downloaded update.
Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand.
I don't care, I'm still free, you can't take the sky from me.
Take me out to the black, tell them I ain't comin' back.
Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me.
There's no place I can be, since I found Serenity.
But you can't take the sky from me...