Why do you guys think December is fall?

[Cosmic Janitor]

At least in Denmark, fall/Autumn in terms of the calendar year refers to September, October and November. The astronomical definition is rarely used if at all.

Same for Germany, if you say Fall you mean September, October and November here.

[exochaft]

ITT: People that don't realize that game developers tend to be literal when specifying release windows. Yes, regular people usually think of seasons in a less-than-literal way... but Blizzard developers speaking officially are not regular people -- they're a corporate entity. This sub knows what developers mean when they talk about Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, and you better believe that they know what they mean when they specify a seasonal release date.

It's a corporate CYA mentality, and considering how.... 'volatile' people are about the smallest and pointless things as of late, I wouldn't put it past Blizz to go full technically correct with their release window.

Let's put it this way: considering what's going on, I imagine Blizz probably cannot set a hard release date at this time for the expansion, but I'd surmise they're aiming for Oct/Nov to avoid early raid progression falling on holidays (which they're trying to avoid since the WoD fiasco). Due to any number of reasons, the release date could be on time or delayed, and saying the release date is slated for Fall means two things: the pre-order promise date of prior to Dec 31, 2020 would still be correct, and as long as something insanely bad doesn't happen the release date will technically occur in the Fall. If we're getting full technical, Blizz saying they expect to release SL in the Fall means they actually moved up the release date by roughly 10 days from what we already knew in the fine print of the pre-order.

I'll admit that the general populace (at least in the US) has been heavily focused on what 'feels' correct versus was is technically correct, especially when it comes with the news. Imagine that the news headline is "Blizz plans to release Shadowlands in the Fall!"... people automatically go with what 'feels' correct and assume that this means Blizz intends to release SL in Sept/Oct, but the technical reality is that it can happen anywhere as late as Dec 21. However in this case, I don't think Blizz is trying to be deceptive about it, more of (again) corporate CYA mentality.

[Seranthor]

I doubt when Blizzard said Shadowlands would be by the end of the fall, they meant 4 days before Christmas, most people don't even know about Solstices and equinoxes. I doubt he had Astronomical Seasons in mind when he said the end of the fall but instead was thinking Northern Meteorological Seasons like almost everyone does. Which would be Fall (autumn) runs from September 1 to November 30.

Are you guys just being pessimistic, trying to sound smart because you know when a Solstice is, or is it just a case of over predict and hope for sooner?

Because according to the science Fall ends on ~ 21 December in the Northern Hemisphere... Claiming 'most people dont know' is handwaving and science denial... I dont know about your level of education but in my case we learned things like this is primary school science.

[Doffen]

Yeah, I don't get it either, but apparently in America they go by date, and not the months, so that's fair enough. But I am wondering myself if Fall, Ion really mean up to Christmas, and not Fall as in September/October/November, worldwide known as the season Fall. But people say he meant up to christmas so I guess they are right lol.

Not wrong though OP, Fall is a season as well as the other thing they use in America. I got confused myself.

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Because according to the science Fall ends on ~ 21 December in the Northern Hemisphere... Claiming 'most people dont know' is handwaving and science denial... I dont know about your level of education but in my case we learned things like this is primary school science.

We don't learn that stuff in Norway :P We r special snowflakes.

Just seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter. 3 months each.

[MrTharne]

Yeah, I don't get it either, but apparently in America they go by date, and not the months, so that's fair enough. But I am wondering myself if Fall, Ion really mean up to Christmas, and not Fall as in September/October/November, worldwide known as the season Fall. But people say he meant up to christmas so I guess they are right lol.

Not wrong though OP, Fall is a season as well as the other thing they use in America. I got confused myself.

In France, we also do it using the dates and not the months.

[Arkthugal]

most companies don't say things that most people wouldn't know.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[WhiteWolf]

Most people refer to seasons in the traditional sense of Spring = March, April, May, Summer = June, July, August, Autumn = September, October, November, Winter = December, January, February.

Winter IS December, January, February. It starts December 21st

[Onikaroshi]

Yeah, I don't get it either, but apparently in America they go by date, and not the months, so that's fair enough. But I am wondering myself if Fall, Ion really mean up to Christmas, and not Fall as in September/October/November, worldwide known as the season Fall. But people say he meant up to christmas so I guess they are right lol.

Not wrong though OP, Fall is a season as well as the other thing they use in America. I got confused myself.

Yea, I have lived in the US my entire life and everything everywhere I've lived in the country, it's been the dates referred to, not the months. On the news they'd say "winter begins dec 21" and we'd look outside at the snow and be like "looks like it already started" lol.

[God Save The King]

I grew up in the US. It was always mentioned in class when the season changed on the calendar. Those dates are listed on every physical calendar I own and appear in my google calendar today. I honestly have found it odd as I've grown up that some people consider Fall to be September, October, and November. Like, why have two definitions for a season? Just use the ones that show up on the calendar.

The first day of fall is late September and the last day is late December to me.

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Yea, I have lived in the US my entire life and everything everywhere I've lived in the country, it's been the dates referred to, not the months. On the news they'd say "winter begins dec 21" and we'd look outside at the snow and be like "looks like it already started" lol.

Yeah that's the issue with the seasons. The weeks surrounding them 'bleed' into one another. It's easy to mistake the ending of fall for winter, especially if it snows where you live.

[Pohut]

Yet to see anyone refute my points on the first page. Its almost as if some of you folk stick your fingers in your ears and pretend you can't hear.

It is all about these mental gymnastics with these people. Using some obscure definitions of seasons to justify the delays, while in the same sentence pretending there is no delay.
Nobody in their right mind would ever say that a season starts on 21st of anything, but when it comes to game releases all of a sudden it is a thing.

[facefist]

Because.. it is?

I mean OP is right with his argument, but we cannot know what Ion meant unless they say it more specifically. Could be either way.

[Doffen]

Yea, I have lived in the US my entire life and everything everywhere I've lived in the country, it's been the dates referred to, not the months. On the news they'd say "winter begins dec 21" and we'd look outside at the snow and be like "looks like it already started" lol.

In France, we also do it using the dates and not the months.

Well, when not learning other countries definitions at school, learn it on mmo-champion!

As far as fall/winter go in Norway, it should start January/February here, because there ain't much snow before then usually so it kinda make sense. Anyway, in essence, its only 3 weeks difference, I guess that's not too much of a difference. I guess difference in climate is also making countries using, eh, different definitions on when summer/fall etc is.

[Nnyco]

Because autumn is 22nd sep -> 21st dec.

[Onikaroshi]

Well, when not learning it at school, learn it on mmo-champion!

As far as fall/winter go in Norway, it should start January/February here, because there ain't much snow before then usually so it kinda make sense. Anyway, in essence, its only 3 weeks difference, I guess that's not too much of a difference. I guess actual difference in climate is also making countries having different definitions.

I think meteorological is based off avg temperatures, on avg Dec-Feb is the coldest/hottest depending on hemisphere.

[literallysame]

Blizzard is a US based company. Fall ends December 21st here. End of story. Please Google it.

[Doffen]

I think meteorological is based off avg temperatures, on avg Dec-Feb is the coldest/hottest depending on hemisphere.

Yeah, winter is Dec. 1st to March 1st here. But it could be that they use your way in a more professional matter than just seasons here in Norway. That could be.

[Bigthumbb]

If someone from the US talks about "fall" in casual conversation, they most likely mean any time between September 22 and December 21. That's just what "fall" is for most Americans. Further, the way John Hight phrased it was more of a confirmation - not like revelatory news. As in, "yes, we can still confirm that Shadowlands is coming out this year," and not "WHOA guys guess what, we're moving up our release window by a month! Crazy!" If they considered "fall" to mean Sept-Nov, then it would have been a more exciting announcement.

I don't think it's being pessimistic to interpret it that way. It could easily come out in November, but yeah, I think it's reasonable to assume that the release date window doesn't end until December 21, based on the info we have now.

[Ragnarohk]

snip

That's why real objective definitions exist.

In the country I used to live in we only had 2 seasons per year. And it is in the northern hemisphere
Winter (rainy season): May-October
Summer (dry season): November-April

I had to learn the seasons once I moved to Germany. Point is, you can't just be like "most people think it's ABC because of reasons... then it must be true". I really don't care when SL launches, but I can't believe people are arguing about the definition of a season.

[Doffen]

Blizzard is a US based company. Fall ends December 21st here. End of story. Please Google it.

I googled it, and this was the top result:


Not saying you are wrong, since we clearly know what you mean now after several confirmations for us Fall non-believers, but to say end of story and google it when you can get another answer than yours isn't a done deal. Just to make a pun, it's literally(the)same anyway.

[Devonitar]

It's the same level of discussion as "2020 - new decade or not".