This “launch hype” is built into the very marketing strategy for Blizzard games. What this does is help to create a wave of momentum for launch day: one that maximizes sales right out of the gates.
Blizzard announces their games generally two to three years before release. The key is to strike a balance between having the conceptual groundwork for the product established & the final product. Hitting this mark enables Blizzard to showcase & preview the game well before it’s complete, allowing ample time for hype to grow & momentum to build. By the time their product is ready, there is a long waiting list of customers ready to buy.Tons of previews, screenshots, videos, developer interviews and you name it: all work to build momentum and hype for the release of a big Blizzard game.
Its any wonder this “launch hype strategy” is rarely applied to new software products. You just don’t see too many startup companies maximizing their product launches on a Blizzard scale.
I think that true breakthroughs are made in business by taking successful ideas; principals; concepts & strategies prevalent in other industries: and applying them to your industry. To your product.