The level of denial is so enormous it's not even funny. But in the end this exact psychological mechanism that drives you to the denial and excuses is very well documented, it always goes to the stage of making constant excuses to repress initial expectations to make yourself feel better. Make no mistake, from the get-go this has been marketed as the AAA title by both SEGA and Gearbox themselves, up until December 2012. And this was the expectation of majority of the fans as well. I mean, why else would they be waiting for more than 6 years?