SOE has always been the most passionate company in the MMO world. They do MMOs because they love them. Many hate them for the SWG fiasco and the cancellation of both, SWG and Matrix Online, but I understand it was Lucas Arts calling the shots on SWG NGE and have many reasons to believe the cancellation of Matrix and SWG were both out of their control.
I will have to read more on the Pirates stuff, but I think it was not entirely under their house. Maybe the current owners cant afford running it any longer, must shut down and SOE will save it? Because the line of "SOE will shut it down to relaunch it in February" sounds just odd.