[Gabriel]

I'm pretty sure that Joe doesn't make the decisions when it comes to the marketing of the game. That's up to the Shrapnel Grand Poo-Bahs. Personally, I have to fall back on what other gaming companies do. Aliens Vs. Predator added several multi-player maps and an in-game save function, all in a free game patch. Black Forge is producing another expansion to Icewind Dale and is going to make it free to people who already have the game.
I guess the entire debate will be if any enhancements Joe makes are large enough to be a "New" game or just an expansion. He could include all the things we asked for, and more maps, and call it AC4.0. If so, then he could sell it as a new product.
If shrapnel goes that route, I would hope that they would offer it at a reduced price for former customers. Personally, I still think the original price I paid for this was a little high, so that route would actually kind of tick me off, and I don't think I would pay more than $10 for it.
If he just makes the changes/additions we asked for, then I think that would be more of a patch situation. Look how many things they changed on Space Empires IV...over a thousand, it looks like (from AI, to bugs, to additions) and yet they put it out as a patch. I would appreciate Shrapnel a LOT more if they did that for AC3, and would be more likely to buy more of their products in the future. Just my 2 cents.