planecrazy242 wrote:I'm sitting here with an NXT Gladiator that I love, but just makes my TWCS throttle piss me off all the more. It's too bad we can't get any info
Logic table. Rows: It's scheduled soon, it's scheduled much later. Columns: They tell us way early of 'plans', They wait to tell us until it's guaranteed (already in stock). 3rd Axis (because why not, I can think cubic!): The time prediction is accurate, or the time prediction is inaccurate (unforeseen circumstances, supply problem, last minute redesign, asteroid strike, worldwide pandemic...).
- Row 1 Column 1 Height 1 (intended soon, they tell us, they're right): Happy customers!
- Row 1 column 2 Height 1 (soon, they don't tell us until last minute, they're right): Happy Customers! Worst case is you got no notice it just popped up for sale. Word of mouth would fix this for them very quickly. Maybe a very few would gripe "But I just bought XXXX instead! I hates you forevers!!"
- Row 1 Column 1 Height 2 (soon, they tell us plans up front, they're wrong): Extremely unhappy customers! Might provide the push to actually turn people off. Pitchforks, tar, and feathers rule the message boards. Dogs and cats living together. Total chaos. When it finally is available they've burned bridges and the tiniest little production error will be magnified out of spite.
- Row 1 Column 2 Height 2 (soon, don't tell until near last minute, and something goes wrong along the way): We remained in the dark, ignorant, but they didn't tease us and piss us off too early. Leave opportunity to reevaluate and move to a new box. Customers might jump ship on their own but were not pushed.
- Row 2 Column 1 Height 1 (scheduled later, they tell schedule early, they're right): We knew something, perhaps that helped you 'choose' a temporary alternative or plan to nurse something else along. But made no effective difference to whether you could get it, or your satisfaction with their eventual product. Just helped you perhaps buy a competitor. Or stop thinking about it for a while. This might be seen as the 'did no harm' choice but I see this as the 'satisfy the mob' trap option, because THEY HAVE TO BE RIGHT.
- Row 2 Column 2 Height 1 (later, don't tell until much later, right): They did no harm, the announcement would obviously come when it was no longer "later" and was truly available. People speculate and rant and wonder in the meantime. But VKB didn't risk pushing you to a competitor, although it could very well have happened. I suspect this box is the reality we are living, now.
- Row 2 Column 1 Height 2 (later, told us a later date but up front, something went wrong along the way): Now the pitchforks and torches come out. Anyone who jumped ship during the wait crows with glee and smug satisfaction, but VKB really burned their bridges with anyone who loyally stuck it out only to be now "betrayed" by events once again. Worst case scenario.
- Row 2 Column 2 Height 2 (later, didn't tell until fait accompli, and something went wrong so actually that was even later than they thought): This might imply a total failure to complete the design, but at least they didn't exacerbate the situation by providing an incorrect earlier prediction they had to visibly backpedal from. Probably lost some customers during the interminable weight but they didn't PUSH anyone.
Best possible outcome for them: don't tell anyone until your certain.
Worst possible outcomes all hinge on an incorrect announcement, with the absolute worst being telling you it's a long way away and
still being wrong. But telling you it's soon and being wrong is still bad.
I don't blame them for waiting at this point. If anything they probably already regret the early reveal but there's no logic tree axis for "turn back time and do over" that's worth visiting. I think their
RECENT track record of announcement timing and availability (and production rate and product quality) have all been positive trends since that early reveal. They have continual stock, improved products, and both boutique and 'easier access' lines running (the Euro shipping container periodicity being a separate issue).
I don't see them going back on the 'wait until certain' recent mentality, it can only do harm.
