Yeah, I totally hear everything you are saying and I am now one of those "hopeful" ones since I had recently updated my XL+ to the Ares and I was really digging the new tones there BUT I was also missing all of my dialed in Q10 tones.
They are just two different sounding beasts and I don't really believe the Ares is better but I would like to have the option of installing Ares in the AX8.
I never had an AX8 until Monday and I just found there is a LOT of super cool things about the AX8 and reasons why I can see myself using the AX8 instead of my XL+ and an MFC-101
I agree with your other statements as well especially about having to pay for any updates (none of us would want to start that idea, lol) but I can understand having to pay for a firmware update to a discontinued device after a certain period of time.
I had posted the Go-Fund-Me as a partial joke but also with hopes of maybe Cliff saying something about it and showing a little interest.
Personally, I believe that it would actually "financially" benefit Cliff to add the Ares amp tones to the AX8.
If people were loving it that much on an AX8 like on the AXE FX II's then it would generate even more interest/desire to get the latest product with it "fully" integrated into the system (and get the FM3) and there would be a lot of people really happy with their AX8 for live playing (but want to purchase the AXE FX III for recording).
I have owned the AXE FX III (twice) but I didn't feel it was really better than my XL+ since my XL+ had my dialed in tones based upon the Q10, however, I have come to really like the Ares for certain things (I could totally see myself going back and forth between the two versions of the firmware), so I just purchased another AXE FX III.
I know that the AX8 can be the replacement for those Q10 XL+ tones that I am missing but I think it could still be pretty cool to have a choice between Q10 and Ares for it just like my XL+.
If I was the programmer behind the AX8 then I would want to give that option to my customers and really let it go out on a high note.
Also, if there was an issue with the Ares limiting the number of effects then I would just provide a disclaimer saying "You got the Ares amp tones but it will limit the number of effects and ......." and a lot of people would still be grateful for it.
Many of us frequent this forum hoping that Cliff will stop by and read something about it and decide to say "I'll do it" and blow us all away