I can certainly understand a 2007 release. They haven't started beta yet so that's expected. But not being able even to commit to sometime in 2007 (here in May of 2006), after all these years? Troubling.

Personally I think it means the opposite Amathe.

Their engine is complete and pretty much bug free - and is now available to buy use of - and I think it was the head of Simu said something along the lines of "the bugs are out of the system and now we're just training GMs and creating more and more content with the tools".

So if they go into BETA in September or something, it may only be a few months of testing to find flaws in content, not to rewrite engine code etc.
Point being, I don't think the statement is meant in a negative way, and I don't see Simutronics going anywhere soon, not with the support they're getting for HJ.

Well here's hoping anyways.
That's the thing with MMOs. We're all so use to "it'll be out when we feel it's ready" as being a negative statement, when in fact it could just as easily be a very positive one.

Either way, 2007 or late 2006 even is way too long to wait for a worthwhile MMO to be release, seeing as the modern crop are shallow pieces of crap.
Thus why I am both upset it's so long away, and happy that Simutronics are doing it 'well and proper'. This genre needs a new roleplay-focused, customise-is-key MMO badly.
And if Simutronic's MUDs are anything to go by, this game will rock the genre hard.

Although I am also itching to try out this game, I must admit, I think it is a wise decision, especially after the DDO debacle, which gave me the stong impression Turbine launched a half-finished game.

Better they don't rush it. Annoyed and disapointed customers are hard to win back. What I have been reading they are aiming for a biiiig segment of the market, so they probably want to play it safe.

(wish I could get a place in Beta though....  )

I also feel that the delay in release is a good thing. I to have seen to many MMO come out to soon and be filled with bugs, inbalance issues with classes and lack of good content.

I have also played some of there mud's before particularly Gemstone III for many years and I have to say that it has been by far the best mud and mmo I have played. If Sim makes HJ like Gemstone which I think they are in the going in the right direction then this game is going to be great.

I to wish I could have a spot in beta