The announcements allow the forum community the opportunity to collectively assess the new upgrades and pilot abilities and analyze them for game turning/breaking combos or unintentional rules interactions. We are the third level of analysis:

1: Designers use basic mock ups with rough upgrade cards to test ideas.

2: Playtesters get a couple of versions to test and play with and to comment on.

3: Forum looks at final product and nit picks any issues it sees and computes all the different variables looking for new and weird card/pilot combos. Cards can be changed before final printing or at least FAQ'd shortly after product is released.

It also give us the benefit of anticipation for when it comes out. Something to look forward to.

I have not forgotten about Rebel aces. I have planned out space for two aces contents when I upgraded my storage a couple of months ago. If that came out willy nilly without any beforehand info, I would have to scramble every couple of months to find storage for what I was going to add to my ever expanding collection.

I think FFG gets their analysis from events and tournaments (such as GenCon) more than they do from a bunch of anonymous people posting on the forums (trust me, that's a good thing).

The forums are more for the players then for the staff, it gives us a place to talk about X-wing and for those competitive people that do go to those events can share lists that are competitive and try them out for attending FFG staff to see and analyze.

From a business perspective, as others here have said, it makes most sense for them to announce it early.

The die hards get in their pre-orders and the company can evaluate the size of their original order as soon as possible.

Kids tell their parents about birthday, Xmas, Channukah, Kwanzaa and Festivus gifts as soon as their happy little hearts see that something is coming.

Stores can plan events to coincide with releases. The earlier they get the info, the bigger event they can plan, in some cases.

Just because I'm more excited about wave 6 doesn't mean I'm not still excited about wave 5 or aces. I'm probably more excited about aces than wave 5, but that's because I'm not a fan of the big ships. Scyks and star vipers and most wanted y wings however are right up my alley.

I know we all like getting new info about upcoming X-Wing stuff. But do you think the announcements come too soon? With the past few releases I've noticed that by the time something new is released, like Rebel Aces, most players aren't as excited about it anymore, since they've already analyzed it to death and are licking their chops for the Next Big Thing; in this case, Wave 5. By the time Wave 5 comes out, I suspect it's Wave 6 that will have been spoiled to death.

I wonder whether it might be more advantageous for FFG to hold new product info until just before a previous product is hitting stores. For example, now that Rebel Aces appears to be close to showing up on store shelves, what if we were just now learning about Wave 5? And then just as Wave 5 were about to hit, we'd hear about Wave 6, etc.

Obviously the Wave 6 announcement was timed for Gen Con this year, but what do you think of my idea in general?

GW actually did market research that pretty much proved if you announce stuff too early it negatively effects sales. Plus waiting for all the restocks and Wave 5 + 6 has been a bit of a chore. I would not complain at all if they chose to only announce new stuff 4 weeks before launch. Have 3-4 products per wave and highlight a different one each week leading up to launch.

But, they can't do that. Stores will know about the new product at the same time we currently are told about new product. So, the question comes down to, do you want to learn about new product as we currently do or do you want to learn about new product from a boring sales sheet?

(Let's not forget how it will screw up the Upcoming Page)

I know we all like getting new info about upcoming X-Wing stuff. But do you think the announcements come too soon? With the past few releases I've noticed that by the time something new is released, like Rebel Aces, most players aren't as excited about it anymore, since they've already analyzed it to death and are licking their chops for the Next Big Thing; in this case, Wave 5. By the time Wave 5 comes out, I suspect it's Wave 6 that will have been spoiled to death.

I wonder whether it might be more advantageous for FFG to hold new product info until just before a previous product is hitting stores. For example, now that Rebel Aces appears to be close to showing up on store shelves, what if we were just now learning about Wave 5? And then just as Wave 5 were about to hit, we'd hear about Wave 6, etc.

Obviously the Wave 6 announcement was timed for Gen Con this year, but what do you think of my idea in general?

GW actually did market research that pretty much proved if you announce stuff too early it negatively effects sales. Plus waiting for all the restocks and Wave 5 + 6 has been a bit of a chore. I would not complain at all if they chose to only announce new stuff 4 weeks before launch. Have 3-4 products per wave and highlight a different one each week leading up to launch.

Gw don't do market research they admitted as much in their last financial report.

It's a big reason why their business is circling the drain.

I know we all like getting new info about upcoming X-Wing stuff. But do you think the announcements come too soon? With the past few releases I've noticed that by the time something new is released, like Rebel Aces, most players aren't as excited about it anymore, since they've already analyzed it to death and are licking their chops for the Next Big Thing; in this case, Wave 5. By the time Wave 5 comes out, I suspect it's Wave 6 that will have been spoiled to death.

I wonder whether it might be more advantageous for FFG to hold new product info until just before a previous product is hitting stores. For example, now that Rebel Aces appears to be close to showing up on store shelves, what if we were just now learning about Wave 5? And then just as Wave 5 were about to hit, we'd hear about Wave 6, etc.

Obviously the Wave 6 announcement was timed for Gen Con this year, but what do you think of my idea in general?

GW actually did market research that pretty much proved if you announce stuff too early it negatively effects sales.

Can you quote this ? Because i have the GW's CEO stating they don't do market research, like at all.

I know we all like getting new info about upcoming X-Wing stuff. But do you think the announcements come too soon? With the past few releases I've noticed that by the time something new is released, like Rebel Aces, most players aren't as excited about it anymore, since they've already analyzed it to death and are licking their chops for the Next Big Thing; in this case, Wave 5. By the time Wave 5 comes out, I suspect it's Wave 6 that will have been spoiled to death.

I wonder whether it might be more advantageous for FFG to hold new product info until just before a previous product is hitting stores. For example, now that Rebel Aces appears to be close to showing up on store shelves, what if we were just now learning about Wave 5? And then just as Wave 5 were about to hit, we'd hear about Wave 6, etc.

Obviously the Wave 6 announcement was timed for Gen Con this year, but what do you think of my idea in general?

GW actually did market research that pretty much proved if you announce stuff too early it negatively effects sales. Plus waiting for all the restocks and Wave 5 + 6 has been a bit of a chore. I would not complain at all if they chose to only announce new stuff 4 weeks before launch. Have 3-4 products per wave and highlight a different one each week leading up to launch.

Gw don't do market research they admitted as much in their last financial report.

It's a big reason why their business is circling the drain.

I know we all like getting new info about upcoming X-Wing stuff. But do you think the announcements come too soon? With the past few releases I've noticed that by the time something new is released, like Rebel Aces, most players aren't as excited about it anymore, since they've already analyzed it to death and are licking their chops for the Next Big Thing; in this case, Wave 5. By the time Wave 5 comes out, I suspect it's Wave 6 that will have been spoiled to death.

I wonder whether it might be more advantageous for FFG to hold new product info until just before a previous product is hitting stores. For example, now that Rebel Aces appears to be close to showing up on store shelves, what if we were just now learning about Wave 5? And then just as Wave 5 were about to hit, we'd hear about Wave 6, etc.

Obviously the Wave 6 announcement was timed for Gen Con this year, but what do you think of my idea in general?

GW actually did market research that pretty much proved if you announce stuff too early it negatively effects sales.

Can you quote this ? Because i have the GW's CEO stating they don't do market research, like at all.

It was completely internal, and it definitely happened, because I worked for them when it happened, and I was at the meeting when they presented the findings and defended the new policy. I was skeptical too, but they were totally convinced.

Just keep the product coming. I know I'll catch them all!

I agree with OP Keoki.

Too soon and it's dissected before it lands... But hey, it's their company and they seem to be doing alright!

For me, the problem is not so much that the ship information is released early but that the ships themselves are released later, sometimes much later, than the initial announcement. e.g. I've been waiting for Rebel Aces since June 2014 but still haven't seen it at any local stores.

Im in two minds about this.

On the one hand knowing exactly what is in rebel aces means i've planned that i'll need two boxs and reserved them with my FLGS, i also plan on getting a decimator as i know it will fit my fleet. Likewise i probably wont get a YT2400 as im just not interested in it.

On the other hand its frustrating that some people who were able to get to gencon have been playing games and getting to grips with this stuff for a month whereas its just not in the UK yet in any shape or form.

Personally I'd like to see 75 per cent of a box revealed about a month or two before sale. Then is it goes on pre release at a show its not longer than a fortnight before its available world wide.