We all agree performance is #1 -- we expect to see about a 10% improvement by launch for low-mid level machines. There s only so much we can do in the time we have.
We don t want to rush things but like I said we have a solid launch date. People are crunching and working long hours but the financial reality is we need to lauch commercially, and soon.
I know that s not the answer you want to hear, nor I, but it is what it is and I ve always been straight up with you guys. We will have a lot of work to do post-launch and the first couple of months post-launch will be just as busy as beta 5 with lots of patches, bug fixes, new feathres, etc. In that sense, things won t change.
I promise you we are doing the best we can with the time we have, even though we all, the players and Sigil wish we had more time, but like I said, there are financial realities. We are still I belive the 2nd most expensive MMOG to-date after WoW and that is something, despite the desire to have more time, I have to be grateful to both MSFT and SOE for.
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"With all due respect, Smed has done EVERYTHING possible to give us as much time and money and support that he can. The reality is that SOE is under Sony Pictures and there are financial realities and the game must be released and go commercial at some point, and it is soon (we ll be announcing the launch date in the next week or so). But I just wanted to assure you that Smed and the entire SOE team has been great."
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"The financial reality is that while we don t have Blizzard s budget, this game is probably the second most expensive MMOG that has been put together and we ve done the best we can in the time we ve had, and like I said, will continue with the same vigiliance post launch. But there comes a time where the financial reality is that you have to launch. No one likes that. Heck, I remember wishing we had more time with EQ 1, and now the competition and expectations from MMOG players are that much higher. But we have to work with the cards we have been dealt and from one perspective I can only be grateful to Microsoft and SOE for financing this game to the point it has been -- very few developers are given the faith to get the kind of money and support we have recieved from both companies."
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