I have a hard time believing they get this straightened out for release next year--perhaps they can if they sacrifice improvements elsewhere. That said, I already know I'll be skipping '13 even if they claim it is the best game ever.
As a personal aside, I am quite tired of hearing Ben talking about this game. I really think EA needs to put someone else in front of a camera. He comes off as too much of a used car salesman/
PR rep for my liking, and half the stuff he says lacks any sort of merit. I honestly trust nothing of what he says about the game anymore. I'd definitely prefer a straight-shooter (not that that is ideal for EA's image, I suppose). Retropyro said it well--this guy was "spin, spin, spin" but once all the issues came up, there's no one to be found.