Letter from the Producer, XXVIII (05/28/2012)

[Jinko]

So yeah, they have been updated since they were released.

What you mean today ?

@ Malakhim there are a lot of people on here who are talking about stuff they don't understand, E3 used to be a public event but they changed it because the event was getting too large so they made it industry only, back then people proclaimed that it was the end of E3 and that it would slowly die off, that didn't happen because gaming news sites decided to start streaming it instead.

If you go to any of these sites on the day of Sony, MS and Nintendo conferences you can barely watch the streams due to bandwidth problems, its safe to say that the numbers are massive.

Suggesting that numbers are irrelevant just because you don't know what they are is absurd, thats like saying the world population is irreverent if I didn't know what it was.

[Delsus]

And therein lies the problem. While you're absolutely right about online viewership, this number is absolutely unidentifiable, which means that while it's definitely a factor, it's ultimately irrelevant as a valid source of information until we can fully measure it. It could be in the 100s of thousands, it can be as little as 14 thousand, which still doesn't add up to the 275k attendees of Gamescom. It's the case of a concrete vs. invisible number really. Keep in mind that this is a population with a specific knowledge set that can easily get their online info from any other source(like Gamescom streaming or say a promotional 2.0 site for example), AND said online viewership is limited to the coverage that people on the show floor will give. If 1up or IGN or Spike decide not to show any FFXIV stuff that was there, well then tough break to anyone looking online for FFXIV info.

E3 is the big papa on the street right now, but over the years it's lost a lot of its luster, and a lot of companies have decided to opt out(if I'm not mistaken, bungie has decided to opt out this year for example, along with Irrational). Gamescom, PAX, even CES are gaining more steam, and a lot of gaming companies are doing their own thing like Nintendo with their Nintendo Direct shtick(which also doesn't seem to have a huge online viewership dent just yet).

Its entirely possible to find out how many people watched online, cross referance the amount of hits the vids get, filter my unique IP address and you get the ratings for E3 online viewers, just the websites don't make that info publicly available.

[Delsus]

What you mean today ?

I do, but they have been updated (yes it was only today) but if they are on course for the planned release they have no need to update the roadmap, and the concept art will change very little, so only changes need to be updated (which they were today)

[Malakhim]

Just the websites don't make that info publicly available.

Which makes the info unofficial, which makes it speculation on SE's part. It'd be much easier for online streamers to post the numbers themselves, which I'll admit should exist, otherwise they wouldn't see the value in offering the service year after year.

If you go to any of these sites on the day of Sony, MS and Nintendo conferences you can barely watch the streams due to bandwidth problems, its safe to say that the numbers are massive.

It could be bandwidth, but it could also be because they're having issues with their streaming on the floor, or maybe your ISP decided to suck that day.

I didn't say disregard the online viewership, I said that they're irrelevant as a measurable metric because the information isn't published or shared as far as I'm aware, and all of that has an effect on your measurements. We're talking about creating sound business strategy here. You don't rely on invisible numbers for that.

[Hycinthus]

I'm looking forward to gameplay trailer,showing new UI, new redesigned world.

But knowing the timeframe they had, it will probably be #1, only CGI....

But also keeping my expectation even lower again, there will probably be nothing, only an announcement that they're working on it.

I knew this was gonna happen, I called it first!

Anyway, even though I understand the part about releasing "a flood instead of a trickle", I think they should still show the trailer at E3 since it's done anyway. If marketing is all they're after, E3 is the place to do it. And then in August they can show more new things on top of that trailer.

[Jinko]

I do, but they have been updated (yes it was only today) but if they are on course for the planned release they have no need to update the roadmap, and the concept art will change very little, so only changes need to be updated (which they were today)

So your point is moot is it not ?

Or are you just trying to be pedantic ?

[Antanias]

I waited almost 8 months since the initial 2.0 announcement. Another two months won't kill me

[Colino]

Suggesting that numbers are irrelevant just because you don't know what they are is absurd, thats like saying the world population is irreverent if I didn't know what it was.

"I don't know exactly how many stars there are in the universe, therefore there are none"

[Ilethius]

Maybe someone at SE pointed out that 30 seconds of already existing cgi doesnt = a new trailer....

I hope when they say they are going to 'wow' us they really do cos most of the time player expectations are up here --- while se's are down here ____

[Babydoll]

lrn2market se

I give up lol just one disappointment after the next..meh