Well, this has all been very interesting. I believe that a great many of us who bought within the last several months (7 for me I believe) felt that they had purchased their last piece of gear for quite some time - a couple of years at least. Additionally, it did appear to be a "gift that keeps on giving" with new firmware being released regularly - firmware that improved and enhanced functionality and capability. The thought that our "best of the best" piece of gear would soon be 2nd best never entered our minds. It was easy to wave off current or announced offerings from the competition. All fine - and true for a bit. But to my knowledge, none of these things were ever promised by Cliff and FA. I believe it's fair to say that most of these expectations were set by us.
Additionally, I would propose that owning an Ultra and understanding it's capabilities gave many of us a feeling of being part of the best. Again, if true, a feeling we created pretty much on our own.
These frustrations and difficulties are about us in the end, not Cliff. I've seen nothing that makes me think that Cliff and FA are out for a quick buck, let alone taking advantage in any way. The Axe Fx II could actually be a risk for Cliff. Who knows his true sunk costs in this thing? With demand already exceeding supply, why such a radical redesign? Why not just continue selling the Ultra until he can sell to TC Electronic or some other larger company (which may still happen for all I know)? Why not go for the cheaper unit first that could be sold through big box retailers?
I don't know Cliff at all, but given what I've seen over these last several months, I'd guess that the answer to all these "why's" is that Cliff is a man on a mission to build and keep building the best guitar modeling device possible. I would put him in the same category as custom luthiers and boutique amp/pedal builders/designers. He's just doing it with digital technologies. It's pretty bold.
So while I too have been wrestling with my own expectations for the last 24 hrs, I've settled on the realization that Cliff and FA are doing the best they can with the resources at their disposal to continue on a mission they set out upon several years back. And what he has accomplished is remarkable. That is worthy of admiration and appreciation, not derision.
It is painful to have your expectations adjusted radically and without warning, but this does happen in life. Would I appreciate some kind of upgrade program - absolutely. Will the absence of such a program make me question FA's integrity? No. They are clearly not a big company and must make different decisions than Digidesign or Apple or any number of large cap digital hardware companies. Will it prevent me from buying the Axe-Fx II. No. I will be buying one as soon as I can order one.
Mike