Um.. summer release?

[Neptune]

I think I can hear my voice echoing in here. So let me get this straight. Every news outlet has been under a contract to not give honest feedback about FFXIV, and a release date has already been announced? Tell me again, who blew up the launch of the original FFXIV? Oh yeah.

Mmyeah.

I just think there's a touch of delusion in the air. Why don't we keep that release date between ourselves and the lodestone here while we rethink that juicy bit of info.

I always thought after what happened last time that Square would take the freakin' temperature before announcing a release date. If it were up to my suggestion, I would let some news outlets write about their early impressions, and use that as a basis for changes in future beta phases.

Isn't that better than getting hammered with a rude awakening and hundreds of thousands of lost sales and unrecoverable negative release reviews?

I just want to leave this quote here from the original RPGfan review:

The volumes worth of feedback given during the beta test were never fully addressed and chaos ensued. Within two weeks the majority of the overeager fan base stopped logging in. When the gaming press started to publish their scathingly negative reviews, the domino effect began.

[Catapult]

Hehe...

"hot part of summer" means by the end of August.

Do you seriously expect the beta to run for more than another three months? They're on the home stretch and this estimate is actually a pessimistic projection now.

[Mjollnir]

1.0 Alpha, Beta and launch were atrocious versions of the game (I think we can all agree?). I stopped playing until March 2012 and when I came back I found an enjoyable game, granted with a couple of deep-rooted issues (for me, the major one was the Market Wards and the economy), but very playable nonetheless. I played from March until shutdown and was left wanting more.

From what I've seen so far, ARR has very little to worry about. At the very worst, it could be considered average, but it's certainly not atrocious (as last time) and I'm confident that the features that have been promised for the next Beta phase and launch will ensure the gaming press return at least 'good' reviews (I'm hoping the game will deserve better than that, but until everyone's had a couple of weeks to sink their teeth into it, it can't be predicted).

So those are my reasons as to not consider it relevant to compare 1.0 launch with ARR launch.

I've mentioned it before, but I think a major influence on the actual release date will be that of TESO's, because the gaming press are naturally going to compare the two. Will ARR go live first and have to retain subscribers from TESO, or will ARR instead have to pull subscribers from TESO?

[ArkhamNative]

Every news outlet has been under a contract to not give honest feedback about FFXIV [....].

No. Every news outlet knows they're looking at a game in its "Core Systems Rebalancing" phase, with the majority of the game and story and classes/jobs withheld to focus the testing. Who in their right mind would write a critical review of that? Each of them wrote a preview, and most stated that what they saw was much better than 1.0. They said they were optimistic and wanted to see more.

Connect the dots to realize that those and other reviewers are in beta and do give honest, critical feedback where it does the most good: In the game's beta feedback forums.

Isn't that better than getting hammered with a rude awakening and hundreds of thousands of lost sales and unrecoverable negative release reviews?

Would you rather it get nearly unanimous "9 out of 10" reviews like SWTOR? Then watch most people bail 2 months after release like every(?) recent MMO?

SE believes it is on track to release the game this summer. They're using a design they decided on that was meant to correct the faults of 1.0, as well as making the learning curve more inclusive for gamers unfamiliar with MMOs, such as console users. You (or I) may not like some of the decisions they made, but there are literally hundreds of thousands of other design decisions that we don't dislike. Even in Phase 3, the game will still be in beta, it's still getting major features added, and SE will still be making changes based on feedback.

Ultimately it's their game. It's impossible to please every gamer or reviewer, and they have to release it eventually. It will get what it deserves. On forums, it will get everything else. ("Giant chicken mounts? OMG FAIL!")

[Elexia]

I remember when people denied a summer release of ARR because it was inconceivable.

[Abriael]

I think I can hear my voice echoing in here. So let me get this straight. Every news outlet has been under a contract to not give honest feedback about FFXIV

Who told you this bit, plain, fat lie exactly?

The only thing i can hear echoing here is the bulls*it.

I remember when people denied a summer release of ARR because it was inconceivable.

Most people just stated that the source of that rumor was not believable, and it still isn't since it stated that the whole Versus XIII team was moved to ARR.

[Mjollnir]

I remember when people denied a summer release of ARR because it was inconceivable.

You keep using that word... I do not think it means what you think it means.

You line 'em up, I'll knock 'em down.

[Abriael]

Before someone actually naively believes the enormous lie by the OP, let me officially state something as the news editor of one of the news outlets that was authorized to release a preview of the beta of A Realm Reborn (this one to be precise).

We signed absolutely no contract about anything (the only thing we had to agree to was the NDA, which was exactly the same used for every other beta tester, and I mean literally the same: same site and all). There was absolutely zero pressure from Square Enix to give FFXIV a positive preview, or "to not give honest feedback about FFXIV".

The only restriction received from the publisher was to use the screenshots provided on the press kit (which is common practice for early betas). Nothing else was restricted, recommended or even mentioned.

As a matter of fact the mail we received was a very brief communication that basically amounted to "The press embargo about phase 1 and 2 falls from this date and time, please use the provided screenshots".

It was actually so lacking in detail that I had to mail back asking if was really ok for me to write a full preview (didn't really expect the embargo to go down that early), and no further guidance or recommendation of any sort was provided.

In conclusion: the OP's point is entirely false and misleading.

He's probably mad that his personal feedback hasn't been addressed and he's doing the usual misguided equation that since his feedback hasn't been considered everyone's feedback isn't. It's rather obvious that Square Enix can't implement all the feedback they receive, including conflicting matter-of-taste suggestions. This doesn't mean they don't consider any or that they don't listen to it all.

[Solace]

Before someone actually naively believes the enormous lie by the OP, let me officially state something as the news editor of one of the news outlets that was authorized to release a preview of the beta of A Realm Reborn (this one to be precise).

We signed absolutely no contract about anything (the only thing we had to agree to was the NDA, which is the same used for every other beta tester). There was absolutely zero pressure from Square Enix to give FFXIV a positive preview, or "to not give honest feedback about FFXIV".

The only restriction received from the publisher was to use the screenshots provided on the press kit (which is common practice for early betas). Nothing else was restricted, recommended or even mentioned.

As a matter of fact the mail we received was a very brief communication that basically amounted to "The press embargo about phase 1 and 2 falls from this date and time, please use the provided screenshots".

It actually so lacking in detail that I had to mail back asking if was really ok for me to write a full preview (didn't really expect the embargo to go down that early), and no further guidance or recommendation of any sort was provided.

In conclusion the OP's point is entirely false and misleading.

Seriously thought this topic just seems to be on edge, has an aggressive tone and warrants little to no real concern..
More of a rant than an actual topic, with real insight..

/Thread.

[Abriael]

Seriously thought this topic just seems to be on edge, has an aggressive tone and warrants little to no real concern..
More of a rant than an actual topic, with real insight..

I preferred to clarify, since I don't appreciate plain lies.