Potential cost savings aside, the number of lugs on any drum, just as any other element, should be considered as part of the overall concept. In isolation, the number of lugs is close to meaningless in terms of performance. Let's break this down into two distinct areas;
1/ Mass.
The lower the lug mass, the less dampening affect on the shell, & hence the whole instrument. That's fine, but not all lugs are equal. Some lugs weigh 10 - 20 times more than others, so that snare with 8 die cast lugs will carry more dampening mass than one with l10 lighter lugs, & you can take that to extremes in any direction. BTW, adding lug mass to a shell doesn't necessarily translate to adding "focus". It's more likely to reduce shell resonance, & that reduces tone shaping provided by the shell. In fact, more mass on the shell
can contribute to greater high overtones, & high overtones are often perceived as "openness" (not really true, but let's go with common perception for now).
The affect of additional or reduced lug mass is proportional to the shell's overall resonant profile too. On a highly resonant or otherwise thinner shell, it can make a big difference, but on a heavy or otherwise less resonant shell, the difference can be negligible - non existent.
Tuning accuracy.
Directly proportional to the rigidity of the hoops. A drum with 8 lugs fitted with S hoops (as an example) will exhibit greater tuning accuracy than a 10 lug drum using single flange wood hoops & claws. Similar difference between say die cast hoops & 1.6mm triple flange. So again, the number of hoops should be considered within the overall design concept. BTW, Hoop mass will have a much bigger affect on dampening of higher overtones than lug mass ever will.
Ok, those are the two main areas of consideration relevant to the player, but the drum designer has to (or should) consider much more than that. For example, intended tuning range, shell stress (in relation to shell type, footprint, cross head tuning affect, etc).
I hope this little 101 breakdown helps