I've recently gotten a new userid because I couldn't find my one from wayyyyyy back when I joined the forum for VV2.

Anyway, to comment on a projected release date: I have been a beta (closed beta, private group) tester for several projects in the past. When the QA team or the programmers release any sort of projection, users are bound to take it as GOSPEL and then create angry sentiment that was unnecessary.

With a release as anticipated as VV3, there are people who are going to hold the developers to their word, regardless of whether or not problems arise. When you're programming something as complex as VV3, you're going to encounter errors. There's no way to project how long it will take to fix those errors.

Scenario: The developers project : "First week in December" as their release date. On December 2nd, they discover there's a _bug_ that makes the villagers fly off into the middle of the ocean and not get back to land, just before you beat the game. They are trying to fix it, but by December 6th they're starting to get angry messages "YOU SAID the first week! The first week! There is only one more day in the first week!!!!!" If that _bug_ isn't fixed by the 7th, people will start using the word "Liar" and "cheat" even though they haven't taken any money from anyone.

Ok fine, but how about "in a few weeks" just to placate the public? Same scenario above, but if the _bug_ fixing takes longer than 2.5 weeks, people will start saying "a few! A few is over... LIARS!"

Even "Spring" could get them into trouble if testing takes longer than to the first day of Summer according to the almanac.

They are better off listening to the whining, than the shouts of anger if they cannot meet a projected date or even window.

That's the reality of developing something commercial for a mass audience of rabid fans.