True. I think it's just that Bethesda has a habit of being obstinate and uncommunicative, so every new example (even when not entirely unreasonable) just makes me think "oh yeah, typical Bethesda." Were they more open in other areas, I have to wonder if matters like this would generate so much attention.
There are a lot of advantages to only releasing information you need to...especially when it comes to software. Most software projects I've worked on have started as "pie in the sky" design documents that were gradually pruned down as the realities of development and budget issues began to crystallize. It doesn't do any good to tout features to non-stakeholding users that you might not be able to deliver. In my experience people are more forgiving about being kept in the dark than they are about being "promised" something and not getting it. For some reason people seem to
really dislike things being changed on them. I totally understand being tight-lipped, as it's a policy that has made my life easier as a developer.
As far as financials go, I'm not sure what would motivate Zenimax to release any information they're not required to. The only way that information seems useful to me is to say, "look how many copies we sold...it must be good!" Outside of that, digital entertainment is a competitive business. Although I can't necessarily see how it might be used against them, I also don't see why any business would tip their hand regarding any business data they aren't required to disclose. :shrug:
thank you all for pointing out the obvious - and here I was waiting for the police to close in on Bethesda and make them release the data :facepalm:
Ok. In that case, can you explain what kind of obligation or compulsion Zenimax has to publish this information? I don't see why it's so unusual that a private company would choose not to disclose financial details to the general public. It seems pretty reasonable to me. :shrug: Sure, they could choose to release that information simply to satisfy their fanbase's idle curiosities, but they can also choose not to.