Devs, can we please have a response?

[RikkCavalier]

No it wouldn't. Making models for races consumes resources. They always start with concept arts and when approved they take it a step further into the actual 3d modeling part (take a look at Zenos concept arts). They don't make the 3d models and then wait for the approval after they wasted their time making them.

And speculations based on previous events hold more weight than speculations that contradict those events.

I said they made male viera concept art. Read the thread. The model comment was in response to someone. And I didn't say fully completed models. You wouldn't present full models for a decision, you would submit roughs. I just find it hard to believe they made such a big decision without further research, testing, hell even asking the community even. I agree with you on speculation based on history. This is why everyone was shocked they repeated another genderlock.

[Alucard135]

I said they made male viera concept art. Read the thread. The model comment was in response to someone. And I didn't say fully completed models. You wouldn't present full models for a decision, you would submit roughs. I just find it hard to believe they made such a big decision without further research, testing, hell even asking the community even. This is why everyone was shocked they repeated another genderlock.

And I replied to the same comment you mentioned the models in. And yes, they can easily dismiss an idea if it's going to be a barrier to another idea, which in this case was the Hrothgar. Viera only had concept art made nothing more. But they weren't part of the original plan like Hrothgar (Yoshi P said that). Even Fran wasn't planned to show in the Ivalice raids. It was supposed to be Balthier. But when they decided to make Viera, they decided to put Fran in (it was stated in Vegas Fanfest if I remember correctly).

I agree with you on speculation based on history. This is why everyone was shocked they repeated another genderlock.

Yoshi P did say in one interview before that Viera might be female only and there would be another male only race. And some were already speculating that there won't be male Viera based on the trailer and the leaks. Furthermore, this was also done due to resource limitations so those that speculated that had something to back that claim with. But, a speculation that the dev team will place a huge burden on themselves and announce something they haven't even started and if they didn't deliver it on time will cause a bigger backlash is unlikely to happen.