This was supposed to be a quote from the second post and I can't quite tell if it carried over or not. So if it didn't, reference that (also, sorry, just can't tell. I clicked quote, but I'm not seeing it now)
Anyways.....I agree that quality takes time. There is a certain point where a company simply needs to release a game having put so much money into it at the forefront (eg: lost profits, pure and simple). All that time they put into producing it, from paying dev's to play testing, etc. is nothing but lost profit until they have something to put out on the market. It's a big gamble. Also, with a bit of a programming background and currently working as an IT Professional, I know I personally don't want to put something out there until I know it's perfect. After all, it has my name on it and if it comes out looking like crap, it's crap with my name on it. Not exactly an ego boost there. On the other hand, marketing wants to put it out there ASAP (they want all that money they put in back, after all) bugs aside. The true balancing act comes between not releasing something too soon (laden with bugs) and not releasing something too late (too much money spent in development to make back in sales). Square errors on the side of perfection. They release great, polished games but take their darn sweet time releasing them. It's possible they need to reign in their development team.
Also, I think that maybe, sometimes, they need to pull back the reigns on their sales team. With too much time passing between their news releases, it like sales wants to make sure the public remembers them, and shoots off their mouth a little early. When was the last time a person from the development team made such an announcement, after all. They don't, do they? No, because they would love to have 'till 2020 to perfect their baby. On the other hand, sales sees something and says to themselves "New FF?! I'm talking about that!" Then the public gets all up in a huff, wetting themselves over the announcement, and soon enough, we get anxious. Where is this next great thing we were promised? Why isn't it out yet? D**n you square, I want this now and I'm tired of waiting! etc.
Again, there's a balancing act here, and it's one that few devs have really nailed. Sales reps need to hold back until a real, viable release date is within reach (no more it will be released "when it's done" bs! You here me devs! NO MORE!!!!) but at the same time, some companies need to crack the whip and say, it's good enough and we can patch the tiny things later on (tiny being the, fell through the world in one specific spot, effecting 2% of the gamers who bought this)
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