Earlier, I wrote that they were sending out the call for additional beta testers for Gods & Heroes:Rome Rising, and that this request was causing an outcry of “This game is doomed!” on the various forums scattered liberally around the internet for your convenience. I then went on to explain that this didn’t necessarily mean the game was in trouble, and that everyone should give the beta a try.

Never mind.

However, this is an interesting development if you stop to think about it. For quite some time, there has been a groundswell of complaints from MMORPG players about games being released unfinished, with too little to offer in terms of captivating gameplay to make it worth subscribing to, and feeling “rushed”.

What I personally find interesting is, as best I can remember, this is the first major planned MMORPG that has been put on “indefinite hold”. There have been some hiccups at times, but how many other companies have actually stopped working on a game after putting time, money and effort into its development to the point where it was in beta?

For whatever reason, the folks at Perpetual have decided that it’s better to take the PR hit with an “indefinite hold on development” (translation: “Chubby chance you’ll see this again in the near future“) than release a sub-par game. While I feel for the folks that put the effort into G&H, I have to give a tip of the hat to Perpetual.

Now, despite a move that could be viewed as showing Perpetual’s desire to “get it right”, the screams of “They’re going to ruin Star Trek Online!!!” shall begin (or, in some cases, continue), proving once and for all that there is absolutely no way to please everyone.

Only time will tell if Perpetual can pull it off…there are some troubling signs at the moment, but “wait and see” is the only option.