I would like to discuss with you about the development time of this game and compare it to other AAA games in a factual non emotional manner. I know it is an emotion loaded topic. I you want to participate on the discussion please try to keep your emotions calm. If you think, not another development time discussion, then just stay away. Nobody force you to join this discussion. Scope of SC Development: Two AAA-Games - Star Citizen Multiplayer Game - AAA Game - Star Citizen Squadron 42 Single Player Game - AAA Game SC Milestones so far (from several SC presentation - not all presented milestones included - staff member information varies in different CIG presentation): 1.) Croud Founding (2 months): - Oct 2012 - Star Citizen has been announced - 7 staff members - Nov 2012 - Croud founding campaign finished - 8 staff members 2.) Early Company Development Phase / Early Development Phase (2 years): - Feb 2013 - Austin studio opens - 20 staff members - Jun 2013 - LA studio opens - 32 staff members - Aug 2013 - 1. Module released (Hangar) - 40 staff members - Oct 2013 - Foundry 42 studio announced - 52 staff members - Dec 2013 - Austin studio upgrade / Start of community content shows - 60 staff members - Feb 2014 - Foundry 42 (Manchaseter studio) opens - 93 staff members - Jun 2014 - 2. Module released (Arena Commander) - 139 staff members - Aug/Oct 2014 - Module improvements - 156 staff members - Dec 2014 - SC Alpha 1.0 - Feb/July 2015 - Frankfurt studio opens - 205 staff members 3.) Later Company Development Phase / Main Development Phase (2 years 4 months so far): - Apr 2015 - Performance Capture starts - Aug 2015 - Multicrew Demo and Planetside announcement- 260 staff members - Dec 2015 - Module update (PU - SC Alpha 2.0) - Jun 2016 - Module update (PU - SC Alpha 2.4) - Aug 2016 - Module update (PU - SC Alpha 2.5) - Oct 2016 - CitizenCon - Planatery tech anouncement - 363 staff members - Dec 2016 - Module update (PU - SC Alpha 2.6): - Aug 2017 - GamesCon - PU - SC Alpha 3.0 build presentation - 400+ staff members Overview patch notes: http://starcitizen.wikia.com/wiki/Patch_Notes Overview of development time of some AAA Games of different genre: - Diablo III: 2001 - May 2012 - 11,5 years - First announcement: Jun 2008 -> public awareness: 4 years / hidden development phase: 7,5 years - Diablo II: 199x - Jun 2000 - ? years - First announcement: May 1998 -> puplic awareness: 2 years / hidden development phase: ? years - Star Craft II: 2003 - Jul 2010 - 7 years - First announcement: May 2007 -> public awareness: 3 years / hidden development phase: 4 years - Final Fantasy XIV: Late 2004/beginning 2005- Sep 2010 - ~ 5,5 years - First announcement: 2009 -> public awareness: 1,5 years / hidden development phase: 4 years - Final Fantasy XV: 2006 - Nov 2016 - 10 years - First announcement: 2006/2013 -> public awareness 10 years - Doom 4: 2007 - May 2016 - 9 years - First announcement 2008 -> public awareness: 9 years / hidden development phase: ? years -> in 2007 it was already in development, no information when development starts. - Mass Effect: early 2004 - end of 2007 - ~ 4 years - First announcement Oct 2005 -> public awareness: 2 years -> hidden development phase: 2 years - Mass Effect Andromeda: 2012 - March 2017 - 5 years - First announcement: Jun 2015 -> public awareness: 2 years -> hidden development phase: 3 years - Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: 2004 - 2009 (PC) - 5 years - First announcement: 2006 -> public awareness: 3 years -> hidden development phase: 2 years - Star Wars Battlefront: ??- Sept 2004 - > 2,5 years? -> First announcement: 2002 -> public awareness 2,5 years -> hidden development phase: ? This is only a range of some projects. I have not the time to investigate hours and hours to cover more examples. And I am sure that not everybody is happy with the selection. But hey, do your own investigation and write some project examples from very long, average and short projects. Challenges of SC: - Under public focus since beginning of the project (start of croud funding campaign) -> Usually publisher would announce a new game 2-3 years before release. The development phase seems then to be very short (in case that nothing unforseen happens). But in reality early development start several years before initial public announcement. - Scope of project includes 2 AAA titles - Company was not existing with the start of the development, compared to other big AAA titel development companies -> company has been developed during game development phase - Very big budget: boon and bane at the same time -> extremly big expectations of community - Very ambitious development goals - new technologies / size of game world / features / etc. - Majority of community is too hyped and don't understand that good development takes time. My opinion: The big budget and the fact that the project is under public focus since beginning of the project, makes life of the developers very difficult. The expectations are on a new level in the history of game design. In the same time the disappointments/concerns of the community from other failed game releases or failed open development projects are an issue for this project. The majority of people do not understand how long software development goes and works. The reason is, that publisher usually announce AAA titels earliest 2-3 years before release in order to start the marketing process. The hidden development phase is not in public focus usually. This fact makes the community believe, that the SC development is already to long. What is not the truth, especially when you take the scope (development of 2 AAA titles in parallel) into consideration. Compared to other development companies/big puplisher, CIG had to develop the company in parallel to the development of the game. I believe that the development will take in total 7-10 years until the release of the game, what is totally ok for such a big project. I expect a release not before late 2019/early 2020. What is ok in my opinion, because in a regular development situation (not open development), i would be aware of the project not before 2017/2018. Update: My timeline where I am confident after all this discussion, is: - Alpha 3.0 in Oct 2017 - Alpha 3.1 in Jun 2018 - Alpha 3.2 in Dec 2018 - Alpha 3.3 in Jun 2019 - Alpha 4.0 in Dec 2019 - Beta 1.0 starting with Jun 2020 - Content adding and optimization - Beta 2.0 starting with Dec 2020 - Content adding and optimization - Release between Jun 2021 and Jun 2022 (incl time buffer to cover previous delays on my timetable) - Starting post-release development for new after-release content and new functionalit. Adding new content continuesly. For me the development started in Feb 2013. With a release between Jun 2021- Jun 2022 we would have a total development time for the MMO of about 8,5 to 9,5 years in average. For such a visionary project it is alright. For Squadron 42, I am estimating a release between 2018 and incl. 2019. Update 2: Due to an interview of our German Content Creator Crash Academy, it seems that Squadron 42 could be released end of 2017. Erin Roberts is still targeting this milestone. So I change my assumption about the SQ42 release to end of 2017 until mid of 2018. Now it is your turn to start the discussion. I am looking forward for a factual and non-emotional discussion :slightly_smiling_face: