Tread pattern might have a role to play in marginal improvements, and it can make a difference for elite riders, those marginal improvements might mean the differnce between a 2 or 3 second lead or a photo finish... that said, it all depends on the road surface.
For everyone else, as Schwabe have cottoned on, a 1% improvement in rolling resistance doesn't justify the extra tens of thousands that need to be spent on R&D of tread patterns. Focus on getting the rubber compound right, and the tread pattern is almost irrelevant.
Improving tread pattern results in increasing the cost of the final product, because the manufacturer has to produce and test lots of prototypes, this cost has to be recouped by the company through the consumer at the till. Pirelli are hyping their tread for marketing purposes. They looks like a good tyre nonetheless.
As Ajax says though, the slick tyres actually offer better grip on smooth wet surfaces, but don't forget if the compounds differ, a tyre with a tread pattern but superior compound may still offer more grip than a cheapo slick tyre with inferior compound.