Heh, I guess this answers our (Beta Testers) questions on if they were just hiding the content I mentioned on my last content from the testers or if it simply wasn't done.

tbh this makes me sick, it's getting so close to WAR/WoTLK that this shit is gonna be a disaster.
 

A close to summer release is the worst possible time, i mean WoW can get away with this, but a new contender? I highly doubt that. By the time people start to buy games again, AoC will compete with WAR/Wrath or Wrath only. I bet you'll see more "suprising" delays middle of the year. We don't even have a date for Blizzcon08 yet, guess why.
 

They're screwed. If they release it before it's ready, they'll get slammed by everyone and it'll fail. If they release at the same time as (or after) either WoW's WotLK or WAR, they'll get lost in all the hype generated by either of the other two.

It doesn't sound like they have enough to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack. And the few ways that they do, it's not enough to make the majority of us try it out.

If ever there was a case for a company needing to offer a free initial download + free 2 week trial, this would be it. I can't see any way that someone would pay $50 initial + monthly subscription for this. Not with the competition that they're facing. Bewbs or no bewbs...
 

If WAR and Lich get pushed back to Q4, AoC might be the only new mmorpg released at the beginning of Summer. That would actually be a huge break for Funcom.
 

I support Funcom in this decision. You've seen the stories popping up recently, all doom and gloom about how AoC is gonna be like Vanguard.

Every time a game gets pushed back people view it as a bad thing, when it usually never is. Two months of polish doesn't sound bad to me.

I'm one of the people who would play it even if it released a little crummy, but a lot of people out there just wont, so this will help to keep their attention.

WoW sure did raise the bar on expectations though, sheesh.
 

I'll be buying it, as will most of my WoW guildies, simply because we're so bored of WoW and the ridiculous logistics required to progress.

As a small raiding guild, we started on Kara back in March of last year, whilst trying to recruit for 25 man. Fast forward eight months, we've taken down Gruul two or three times but three out of four raids were getting cancelled due to low sign ups - all through that time we're bleeding players to further progressed guilds as fast as we recruit them. I blame the 'must have now' mentality of the bulk of the playerbase as much as I blame Blizzard.
 

i do hope all 2008 MMO be it is CONAN or WARHAMMER both have successful launch and healthy life.

why ?

because it is to our benefit (the MMO customer) that there is more player in MMO world. More competition = more innovation

Look at blizzard, no competition means they dont do anyting to improve WOW other than 'more-of-the-same' new raid new gear new reputation.

i hope these new AAA+ title MMORPG launched in 2008 will initiate a new wave of innovation..

We the customers are the ones who will reap the benefit of these competition :)
 

Actually, 'more competition' often doesn't have to equate to 'more innovation'.

On the contrary, more competition means less elbow room to try new things, to fool around, to experiment. It might sharpen the quality of tried-and-true gameplay, but not necessarily drive innovation...
 

competition hmm

microsoft with no competitor = bland product like vista

Intel without AMD = bland and overpriced CPUs

Blizzard with no competition = no new feature
 

Most succesful web 2.0 services are/were 'firstmovers', completely without competition... Highly innovative, nevertheless :)