May I remind you that, so far, they've only published the four price indices and AFIAK this, right here, is the first time it's been mentioned in this forum.
So far and right here indeed. New format was not established and settled yet... That is exactly what EyjoG said and what is obvious, your point?
CCP struggles with implementation, sure, they have good ideas, but when it comes to putting them into action all you get is the bare minimum effort such as the four price indices.
I'll be pleasantly surprised if I'm wrong, but for me, a QEN in the hand is better than a promise of raw data some time in the future.
As a part time industrialist in EVE that knows a few full-time industrialists I don't think that any of us have really looked towards the QEN as being useful for anything. Remember the data was always at least 3 months out of date and you could get a better and more uptodate idea of what was going on by looking at Battleclinic, eve-central, and several other player created indexes out there. So for the serious people who may find a use for something like the QEN they weren't looking at it anyway because it was already too far behind what they needed and often don't reflect the current economic state in EVE because of different conflicts or content patches.
So if anything the QEN was a good idea but really a failed implementation. Its the equivlant of trying to find a use for a 3+ month old copy of the Wall Street Journal. Some of the articles may be a good read, but in the end its still worthless.
For an industrialist it was completely worthless mostly because each region has it's own market. The QEN for me filled the role of an eve online industrialist coffee table book - an interesting fact book that would get people talking about the game, because the last thing a game (that's business amounts to social interaction between people) needs is people socializing over the game.
It's not really a question of change but that they are removing the QEN and don't have a clear idea of what they're going to replace it with. If they said they're removing QEN and gave us the replacement then I'd be less leery, but instead, we get a cancelled QEN for a not fully fleshed out alternative, which typically means it's going to be half assed...
I hope I'm wrong and we get access to all the stats and data that the good Doctor that writes the QEN has, but as you say, time will tell and I'll add that we shouldn't hold our breath while we wait for their alternative.
Just because they do not share their plans with you does not mean they have none. In fact, they obviously do have a clear idea but the form and extent isn't known yet thus you got all the information they got...still complaining though...
Things take time, especially in companies of CCP's size. Processes can be slow as it goes through numerous departments, hands, depends on many people and needs to fit into different schedules. Also, QEN is most likely very low on priority list...
If you find anything leery about it, I have to ask and doubt your age and life experience.
Sometimes try to see it from opposite perspective.
Here's what my age and life experience is telling me:
The good doctor that wrote the QEN is most likely a consultant and CCP is cutting the QEN in order to cut costs; which means the alternative, if they even have one, is going to involve minimum effort.
CCP, in the past few months, has been aggressively squeezing every dime they can out of eve online, and now it would seem that they're trimming the fat.
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For an industrialist it was completely worthless mostly because each region has it's own market. The QEN for me filled the role of an eve online industrialist coffee table book - an interesting fact book that would get people talking about the game, because the last thing a game (that's business amounts to social interaction between people) needs is people socializing over the game.
Here's what my age and life experience is telling me:
The good doctor that wrote the QEN is most likely a consultant and CCP is cutting the QEN in order to cut costs; which means the alternative, if they even have one, is going to involve minimum effort.
CCP, in the past few months, has been aggressively squeezing every dime they can out of eve online, and now it would seem that they're trimming the fat.