Hi Riverboy,
Sorry to hear you’re still having trouble with add-on compatibility.
We do work with third-party developers before a major version of ExpressionEngine is released. For about a month before release, we have what we call a “developer preview” where add-on developers get the chance to test out their add-ons with the latest version of ExpressionEngine. They also have the opportunity to speak with us directly about any problems they encounter and work with us to find a solution, and we make sure the issue is taken care of before we release. We had developers do this and their add-ons were ready to go at launch.
As for why some add-ons haven’t caught up to 2.8, it isn’t very clear. It could be that not all developers choose to take advantage of the developer preview, or they did not have the resources to devote to testing their add-ons during the preview. Either way, if there are further compatibility issues or problems with the developer preview process, we aren’t aware of them unless they are communicated.
For the add-ons you’re still waiting on, it may be a good idea to encourage them to contact us for help in resolving their problems, or let them know about the developer preview program so they can take advantage of testing time before release. We’re always open to feedback on both compatibility issues as well as our developer preview process, and we want to make sure we’re doing what we can to make the transition between feature releases as smooth as we can.