When's it due?

[Hibernian]

Hey TM, please note your C4 site says to expect arrival in 'Summer 2006', but your own site announces the arrival in 'Fall 2006'! Confusion in the ranks!

P.S. A European release date would be nice too. Even a European release Season.

:)

[Need_Help]

I don't know very clear the time of the season because im not in US and maybe put the release month will be better.For me, fall may be in September and Summer is at May or June.

Thanks:)

[Hibernian]

But Jeremiah is down as the C4 webmaster (as in www.ceasariv.com), and he's a TM employee. Maybe VU do have control, etc., but wouldn't it be TM telling them when the game will be ready to be released?

[Keith]

With sites like Amazon posting all the expected dates to be in September, it's probably going to be released somewhere near the middle of September. I'm guessing somewhere around the 15th of September.

[Hibernian]

How is it that Amazon have a more specific date than the game's (and the game developer's) own website? That seems very strange to me...

[MarkDuffy]

How is it that Amazon have a more specific date than the game's (and the game developer's) own website? That seems very strange to me...

Plausible deniability. ;)

Target/Amazon: "We need a release date for our advertisement."

TM: "OK, use September 15th."

Target/Amazon: "Is that your final answer?"

TM: "Today it is, yes."

BONUS smirk

If C4 is released later than September 15th, will I be upset?

Absolutely not!

What if it is 2007?

Absolutely not!

What if it is released before September 15th?

I will be worried. Release NO fine wine, before its time!

:)

[Yahya]

How is it that Amazon have a more specific date than the game's (and the game developer's) own website? That seems very strange to me...

Yes, per MD's info above, he is dead-on.

I am a product / project manager IRL, so my job in a sales office is to act as a liason between our Swiss engineers and our American customers.

Customer: When will it be ready?

Me: By the end of Quarter 3.

Engineer: When it's ready. :D

It's a function of project management. When people like TM set out to create something like this, they put toegether a 2 or 3-year time schedule, with every task that needs to be performed in order to achieve their objective (at least, I sure as heck HOPE TM does this :p ).

Some of those tasks can be completed almost anytime, but a lot of them are critical to the timeline. If any one of them slips, the project doesn't get completed on time, and this is more common that not.

If Amazon (the customer) presses for a date, TM will simply give them their currently planned completion date, which is September 15. Of course, they aren't willing to make that statement officially, because most likely there will be some delay that hasn't yet been foreseen.

[Need_Help]

Is this means that the game can be released on 2007???It is over a year when the game release on September and it can be postponed to 2007 or later??

Thanks:)

[Keith]

I don't think the game will be postponed. VUG/Sierra will want the game out before this coming Christmas, I am sure.

[MarkDuffy]

I don't think the game will be postponed. VUG/Sierra will want the game out before this coming Christmas, I am sure.

Yeah, pressures from all sides.

"We want it now!"

"It's not ready."

"Make it ready"

"We'll have to release it with bugs & drop a few things out."

"That is fine. Patch it later & forget about those extra things."

Sucks (AOE3 & especially online, anyone?)

[Keith]

There is no way to tell without them saying so, but it appears that Caesar IV is on track and on time. I'm hoping that the change from "Fall 2006" to "Summer 2006" is an indication of that.

[MarkDuffy]

Well put Mark, although did you have to bring AoE3 into the "picture"?! I don't mess with the online with that one but it is a good game none the less. Yes, it too needed to be updated, but what game hasn't had that issue of late?!

AOE3 was not just updated, Phil.

Terminal Problems is a much better phrase. It almost set records for the Need for Speed in patches.

But, I have to hand it to ES. They listened & did the followup work. They have not abandoned the game. They post on their Forum.

:)

[Need_Help]

C4 has so much time since they annouced that they want to make C4 and hope that they don't postpone the game and a bug free game released before September will be GREAT.

Thanks:)

[Hibernian]

I've never played online either - can't be bothered, mainly. I don't mind waiting if it is delayed though, closer to Christmas makes it a 'present to myself'!:D :p