It'll ship when it is ready
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GameDailyBIZ is reporting, "Sony will not be releasing the PlayStation 3 until the company is completely prepared." (Link) They didn’t have any quotes that I felt confirmed this view, but it is an interesting idea. A few game development companies operate in this manner. Id, Blizzard and Valve have all put off releases until they where ready and it paid off in the high qualify of their product, loyalty of their fans and a nice bottom line. This policy often looked down on because it make retail scheduling and buzz building difficult.
I think that is short sighted. In the long run, making great games is way better for sales than any of these supporting processes. If any thing, it sounds like the supporting process are too ridge and need to be made more flexible. This is the first time I've heard it from a big company like Sony. In some ways I think it makes sense because more and more video games are an art form and art doesn't exactly work on a schedule. It is also cutting edge innovation in many situations. The bottom line and the gaming public are better served by products that not only work, but expand expectations.
I think that is short sighted. In the long run, making great games is way better for sales than any of these supporting processes. If any thing, it sounds like the supporting process are too ridge and need to be made more flexible. This is the first time I've heard it from a big company like Sony. In some ways I think it makes sense because more and more video games are an art form and art doesn't exactly work on a schedule. It is also cutting edge innovation in many situations. The bottom line and the gaming public are better served by products that not only work, but expand expectations.