Now the cat is out of the bag, how about periodic dev diary videos/livestreams?

[Alec Turner]

Really? Why not? By the amount and detail of things that were leaked, the leaker would likely have to be someone pretty senior in the company, management at least... seems unlikely someone at that level would risk their career to create a stir for no reason.

This looks like an orchestrated thing to me, it's actually a smart move because it keeps the playerbase interested for a long-period of minor updates (the longest in the live game's history) while at the same time they can change their plans at any time as they themselves have not officially announced anything.

It's also strange that Fdev have not put out any kind of statement or clarification about the leak, which by itself implies that Fdev are happy to let it run - this does make it seem that the leak was allowed intentionally.

Bottom line - it seems, if not 100% dishonest then, at the very least, somewhat dishonourable to formulate something that (not remotely ironically) looks like a genuine inside leak if in fact it was just a marketting stunt. Not only do Frontier not strike me as dishonourable but the subtext of a leak like this (that their security and/or honesty of their staff re: non-disclosure acts that have no doubt been signed by all employees is less than perfect) is damaging to their reputation and I can't see Frontier risking that coming out into the open for the sake of a bit of free (possibly beneficial, possibly not) viral marketting.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

The accuracy of what was included combined with the vagueness of what was omitted (you can perhaps read it to hint at Arx if you like, but not Fleet Carriers) suggests to me:

• probably a genuine leak by a real employee, and accurate so far as they knew
• probably by a low-level employee not on the Elite Dangerous team
• quite possibly therefore wrong in important aspects concerning Elite Dangerous

This was my reasoning for not completely trusting the leak, but then we got the website error that included cosmetics for buildings. That sounds suspiciously like player bases/homes to me. If that part is true and is looking more likely, then it is likely that the Elite Feet part is true too.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Actually I'd say the omission of fleet carriers from the leak actually gives strength to the idea that the leak was intentional - there was no need to leak that info because they were getting announced within the next few months of the leak. It's actually strange that the leaker would not have mentioned fleet carriers had it been a genuine breach of trust.

Ah, but then the inclusion of Planet Zoo in the leak (announced officially about a week later) would give strength to the idea that it was unplanned, because there's certainly no need to leak that. Similarly everything else in the leak which has happened or been announced so far, mostly within a couple of months of it.

Or is it a classic unfalsifiable theory you've got going here?
- not included: no point since they're announcing it soon anyway
- included: needed to build credibility of the document as genuine
- actually wrong: gives plausible deniability that it was genuine
All contents and omissions therefore give strength to the idea that David Braben personally wrote and approved the leak.

 

[Phoenix_Dfire]

Judging by the CM's reactions when the news of the leak hit when they were at the Elite community meet in Manchester, it was not done on purpose (otherwise give them all an Oscar right now).

The metadata tags which were exposed, could have been a genuine mistake, as there are buildings in all the other games, one simple cut and paste and pages and pages of speculation. Remember those cut scenes which the community convinced itself meant mission packs were coming?

 

[Han Zulu]

Which cat?
So many freed moggies

Flying Cats. That's what FC stands for? Right?

...

Hmm... Gives me an idea. Name my carrier "Rat Hunter" or "Rat Catcher"... no more free fuel for y'all!!! Muahahaa!!!

 

[VR SenseiMatty]

I've always suspected that FDEV is spying on us

 

[Riverside]

Not enough links in this thread.

Or cat pics.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Bottom line - it seems, if not 100% dishonest then, at the very least, somewhat dishonourable to[...]

I don't think those concepts really carry much weight in marketing in general, FD's or otherwise. In any case, I suspect its a 'genuine leak' that will turn out to be right in some ways and wrong in others. The ED stuff is irrelevant to them; its not as if they suddenly started working on space legs this summer because people responded positively to the leak or anything. Either they were already working on, or they werent and still arent.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

You've not reached peak Elite until you get a David Braben like.

Still waiting on one of those. Had a number of MoM likes in the past though.

 

[Midian Cabal]

Not enough links in this thread.

Or cat pics.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Note who liked this post.

Yep, I have.

 

[Dutchman141]

So we're getting space kittens? Since they're out of the bag now.
Always wanted a cat in my cockpit!

 

[Riverside]

Note who liked this post.

Someone wishing all their customers were such a pushover?

Spill the beans FDev, why the delay? What's going on?

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Spill the beans FDev, why the delay? What's going on?

Hold on. What's been delayed?

Also, free the cat!

 

[zimms]

whispers LEP content.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

whispers LEP content.

Wouldn't that have actually required FD to announce some LEP content before it could be delayed?

 

[Stealthie]

Plan A: FDev reveal future plans, giving people plently of time to form the opinion that their ideas are terrible and criticise everything about them.
Plan B: FDev keep their plans to themselves until the release date, at which point people discover huge amounts of bugs and flaws, causing them to form the opinion that the update is terrible.

This is the future and it is immutable.

 

[insanephoton]

Who put the cat in a bag in the first place and why? Why are cats placed in bags? What happens to all the poop while they’re in the bag?

Unscrupulous farmers, that's who. It's all part of an old con. A farmer would go to market and claim to be selling a suckling pig in a bag, the unfortunate mark would buy the sack and find that instead of a suckling pig there was a cat or sometimes a puppy instead. It's where you get expression like 'not buying a pig in a poke' 'getting sold a pup' and 'letting the cat out of the bag' come from.

As to the poop, that's the unfortunate victim's problem.

 

[Rat Catcher]

Flying Cats. That's what FC stands for? Right?

...

Hmm... Gives me an idea. Name my carrier "Rat Hunter" or "Rat Catcher"... no more free fuel for y'all!!! Muahahaa!!!

Mt Alt is Rat Catcher

 

[Rat Catcher]

Unscrupulous farmers, that's who. It's all part of an old con. A farmer would go to market and claim to be selling a suckling pig in a bag, the unfortunate mark would buy the sack and find that instead of a suckling pig there was a cat or sometimes a puppy instead. It's where you get expression like 'not buying a pig in a poke' 'getting sold a pup' and 'letting the cat out of the bag' come from.

As to the poop, that's the unfortunate victim's problem.

"Letting the cat out of the bag" comes from the Navy - in the times punisment was meted out with the "Cat 'o 9 tails"