Really good info. I'd love (and even prefer) to release my game today so I can get feedback earlier. But in its current state (shitty graphics, no tutorial, 50% of the intended features implemented) I'm lost as to if that would be good or bad. Common sense dictates the best way is the "big launch" you're talking about.

I think I can make a good/great game eventually given a long enough time with many feedback cycles, but I'm not sure if the user base for games ever grow that way. It seems that you get your one chance to be amazing from the start or you wasted all your time.

My plan is to get to a point where I can have people in coffee shops try it before I make it public or have a very tiny private beta eventually. But I wish there was a way I could get feedback sooner from more than friends and family.