TBC Delayed for polish

MorDecai · 10-24-2006, 11:51 AM

Quote:

IRVINE, Calif. -- Blizzard Entertainment® today announced that the release date for World of Warcraft®: The Burning Crusade™, the highly anticipated expansion for World of Warcraft, will be in January 2007. By adding a few extra weeks to the development cycle beyond its original target date, Blizzard will be able to extend the closed beta test and further refine the new content that will ship with the game.

“We appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, and we’re excited about putting the finishing touches on all of the new content,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We feel confident that the extra time spent polishing the game will result in the high-quality experience that our players expect and deserve.”

Blizzard began the closed-beta phase of testing on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade earlier this month. The January 2007 release window will allow extra time for current beta testers to participate in the final stages of development and continue providing valuable feedback.

Further information on specific worldwide release dates, pricing, and other details will be announced in the near future.

Yet another reason why I respect Blizz more and more over SoE. They actually have the fucking balls to delay the release of their first expansion to add further polish and fix bugs rather than release it with them and fuck over their subscription base.

Discuss.

Cupcake · 10-24-2006, 11:58 AM

Why? Because it takes them over 2 years to deliver an Expansion? Delaying to polish your product is one thing but come on. There are limits.

Oh, and they don't have the balls as you put it. They have the player base to ensure a low risk of losing customers. SOE simply couldn't take the piss and wait over 2 years and then delay an expansion further because they haven't got the numbers Blizzard have.

MorDecai · 10-24-2006, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cupcake

Why? Because it takes them over 2 years to deliver an Expansion? Delaying to polish your product is one thing but come on. There are limits.

Oh, and they don't have the balls as you put it. They have the player base to ensure a low risk of losing customers. SOE simply couldn't take the piss and wait over 2 years and then delay an expansion further because they haven't got the numbers Blizzard have.

How is the amount of time it took them to release their first exapansion relevant at all? They've released more solid end game raiding content over the last 2 years than SoE could ever even imagine releasing.

AND IT FUCKING WORKS.

That right there invalidates your comments.

True that having the sub base allows them to delay, but even more so, they also have over 7 million people drooling at the mouth over it. So yes, it takes balls to tell many people that they're not getting their Christmas wish.

Gage · 10-24-2006, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorDecai

How is the amount of time it took them to release their first exapansion relevant at all? They've released more solid end game raiding content over the last 2 years than SoE could ever even imagine releasing.

AND IT FUCKING WORKS.

That right there invalidates your comments.

True that having the sub base allows them to delay, but even more so, they also have over 7 million people drooling at the mouth over it. So yes, it takes balls to tell many people that they're not getting their Christmas wish.

No, no they haven't. The *only* worthwhile thing they've released for free is Naxxramas.

SOE has released plenty of free raid content too, and they still pump out expansions and adventure packs.

Two years for an expansion is fucking ridiculous. Blizzard only gets away with it because they have 7 bajillion people playing their game. My brother, who has raided WoW since release, bitches about it constantly. They want the expansion bad, they just won't quit because they have so much invested.

/shrug

If SOE could penetrate (oh yeah baby, harder!) Asia, their sub numbers would shoot up too.

Khalan · 10-24-2006, 12:31 PM

Say what you want about 2 year expansions, but mega kudos to blizzard for wanting to release complete and working content, not releasing bugged and unfinished shit and patching it in later (Estate of Unrest anyone?)

Gage · 10-24-2006, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khalan

Say what you want about 2 year expansions, but mega kudos to blizzard for wanting to release complete and working content, not releasing bugged and unfinished shit and patching it in later (Estate of Unrest anyone?)

I do agree with that. But its the liberty of the amount of profit Blizzard makes.

That's the same reason they could afford to let Tigole spend months working on Naxxramas, a zone that only a tiny ass part of the population ever got to see.

That is what happens when you make a fuckload of cash each month.

Still, two years before an expansion is fucking retarded. I'd kill myself if I had to farm KoS for even three more months, let alone two fucking years.

MorDecai · 10-24-2006, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaige

No, no they haven't. The *only* worthwhile thing they've released for free is Naxxramas.

Actually, that's incorrect. Go read the patch notes. AQ20/40, Zul'Grub, BWL, Naxx, Battlegrounds, other lower dungeons, etc... All included in patches post release. If you want me to detail out the release times I can...

MAJOR dungeons, not piddly bullshit adventure packs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaige

SOE has released plenty of free raid content too, and they still pump out expansions and adventure packs.

Question - When was the last time SoE released something that worked out of the box?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaige

Two years for an expansion is fucking ridiculous. Blizzard only gets away with it because they have 7 bajillion people playing their game. My brother, who has raided WoW since release, bitches about it constantly. They want the expansion bad, they just won't quit because they have so much invested.

/shrug

No real argument here, but to play devil's advocate - how does it matter? There's been a shit ton of free content released, more than SoE for damn sure. Yeah maybe it's boring, but even with an expansion released a year ago, people would say the same thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaige

If SOE could penetrate (oh yeah baby, harder!) Asia, their sub numbers would shoot up too.

Will never happen. SoE tries to hard to be "real", which is where it fails in Asia. Even Soga models couldn't change that. Asian people (please: not making generalities here, just go with it) like the big ass weapons that are prolific in WoW, you know "Shinies". Look at every game that's successfull in the Asian market... full of crazy ass looking stuff.

Gage · 10-24-2006, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MorDecai

Actually, that's incorrect. Go read the patch notes. AQ20/40, Zul'Grub, BWL, Naxx, Battlegrounds, other lower dungeons, etc... All included in patches post release. If you want me to detail out the release times I can...

MAJOR dungeons, not piddly bullshit adventure packs.

Question - When was the last time SoE released something that worked out of the box?

No real argument here, but to play devil's advocate - how does it matter? There's been a shit ton of free content released, more than SoE for damn sure. Yeah maybe it's boring, but even with an expansion released a year ago, people would say the same thing.

Will never happen. SoE tries to hard to be "real", which is where it fails in Asia. Even Soga models couldn't change that. Asian people (please: not making generalities here, just go with it) like the big ass weapons that are prolific in WoW, you know "Shinies". Look at every game that's successfull in the Asian market... full of crazy ass looking stuff.

We've gotten Lyceum, Halls, Spirits of the Lost... etc. That is in addition to all the expansion/adv pack content.

WoW *HAS* to release major dungeons for free because they take two years to release expansions :P

Pinski · 10-24-2006, 02:05 PM

You know, the reason why WoW is being delayed isn't for polish, but because of massive game-breaking bugs.

MorDecai · 10-24-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinski

You know, the reason why WoW is being delayed isn't for polish, but because of massive game-breaking bugs.

Either way, at least they're delaying it instead of pushing it out the door trying to get the sales revenue so they can fix it "later".