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The thing you have to think about is that if a pattern of disassociation with the "community" and neglect for the product is established then customers, like myself, will seek out other ways to break their boredom. For some it isn't a matter of "This is the best baseball sim out there, so what else can I do but buy it?".
It's counterproductive if SI has Markus completely prohibited from updating v6 during office hours, considering that their goal in this whole deal is to make money and sell games. Happiness with version 6 creates more buyers for version 7. Some, granted, will stick with v6 due to this happiness, just like the transition from every new version of OOTP. However, come v8 those customers will be back again for another go-around. Most people who wait out versions can't go more than one installment without getting the new one. With that being said.. most happy customers are eager to open their wallets yet again.
Yes, Markus is allowed to make mistakes. However, generally admitting a mistake is the best way to go about mending fences. Had there been a post that said "Sorry guys, H2H is a giant pain and I don't think I'll be able to code it into the current design." I doubt the "backlash" would be this severe on that topic. I haven't seen such a post. Aside from which.. a lot of people don't care about H2H, and are more concerned with the major update to the game not being given any attention, or even the illusion of attention. It just so happens that it was set to coincide with H2H, and therefore it's mentioned as well. Most people find it more than just coincidence that this all happened after SI came into the mix. Personally, I find it a sign of things to come.
It's the communication that keeps a lot of us interested in OOTP, and now we're reduced to reading completely unprofessional potshots like "I hope you don't raise your kids this way" from some people, and absolutely nothing from others. The customers, like it or not, don't have to act professionally. When we opened our wallets we also bought the right to whine about every little thing.
As for oversimplification.. I don't think the majority of people are doing that. However, programming isn't all that complicated. I'm not saying that I could whip out a game such as OOTP in any reasonable time frame, however it's not my area of expertise. It isn't as if Markus just started, though.
When we bought version6 we took it for granted that the same level of communication would be maintained, and that simply hasn't happened. It was foolish of us, that much is for sure. However, using the excuse (and that's all it is) of version 7 and thinking that it will quiet the onlookers is ridiculous. I may be alone when I say this, but I don't care about version 7. I haven't bought that yet - nor will I. It's like if I wrote a series of books, and the last book was only a hundred pages.. and I said to my readers "Sorry guys, but I'm sure you understand.. I'm working on some haiku for my new project, so you can't complain because of course you're all going to buy the haiku and we'll all be better off in the end!". (I love run-on sentences.)
Yes, other games we would have no right to expect updates. Yes, we're lucky that there is a game where we can have those expectations. Hell, that's part of the reason that a LOT of customers bought the game. I wouldn't doubt if the thought of the community here on these boards, and the updates and patches we were accustomed to getting, was a thought in the mind of 80% of those who bought version 6.
Personally, I'm of the thinking that this will continue. Version 7 will come out, and then Markus will be chained to his desk for 40-60 hours working solely on that. Perhaps that's not true. Maybe this is just a solitary incident since SI doesn't make money directly off of v6, but indirectly it certainly will. If they aren't smart enough to realize that then I don't see why I should trust in SI the same way I've trusted in Markus for the past five years.
...and now I hush. =)
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