The rest of Take-Two's slate, including BioShock 2, Red Dead Redemption and Mafia II appear to be sticking to their regularly scheduled dates. But Max Payne 3 is now penciled in for a fiscal Q4 2010 release, giving the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game an August to October release window.

The rest of Take-Two's bad news is financial. The company expects fourth quarter and fiscal year 2009 to be below guidance due to "the performance of its Major League Baseball titles in the fourth quarter" and "lower than expected initial performance of several of its key holiday releases."

Take-Two's 2010 is also expected to be loss-heavy, thanks to Major League Baseball losses and the "movement of one triple-A title out of the fiscal year."

Strauss Zelnick, chairman, says the company's quarterly financial woes "were partially offset by the performance of our catalog business and a number of our holiday titles, as shown by the successful launch of Borderlands and the leading ratings and market share of NBA 2K10."

With the publisher's full fiscal year guidance expecting a loss, even with the release of BioShock, Red Dead Revolver and Max Payne sequels, it sure doesn't sound like Rockstar will have a new Grand Theft Auto on store shelves—at least not before November 1, 2010—to help put Take-Two in the black.

G4's new video preview of Brink ends with a bit of bad news. The Bethesda Softworks-published game is now apparently due in the fall of next year, thinning the spring 2010 crowd by at least one.

While disappointing, after our positive impressions of the game from QuakeCon and E3 helped illustrate what makes Brink interesting, we're always happy to see a game given a bit more time to incubate in the name of getting it right.

Exclusive Brink Playing Smart Freedom of Movement Preview [G4]

The third entry in the Fireteam Bravo series of PSP games was originally scheduled for a release next month, but the rest of the world wasn't quite prepared. According to a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony's global marketing team only recently acquired new assets for the game that they will use, I am assuming, to market the game globally. Apparently the game will be sufficiently marketed by January 10th, at which point it will be released into the wild. The SOCOM team's Mark Rogers tries to make fans feel better:

I understand that this move is disappointing to some in the community, however as a result, you will be seeing a lot more of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 in the following weeks! – stay tuned.

In essence, they are sorry you won't be actually playing the game, but hey - there'll be plenty of advertising and marketing available in the coming weeks to help you remember that you aren't playing it! See? Everybody wins.

Update: SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 [PlayStation Blog]

According to listings from GameFly and GameStop—typically the quickest retailers to react to delays—the Wii, PlayStation 2 and PSP game has been moved back about a month. There's some disagreement about exactly when the game's various incarnations are due.

GameStop says every version hits December 8, originally scheduling it for a November 3 release. GameFly says the Wii version arrives November 26, but puts a more ominous December 31 on the PS2 and PSP versions. Walmart.com's release dates for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories are closer to GameFly's, with the PlayStation versions arriving Christmas Day.

Maybe Konami feels the horror game could capitalize on a bit more Christmas cheer or it's finding new awards to paste onto the game's cover. Regardless of their reasons, we've asked about the slipping date, but have not yet heard back.

Thanks to Manuel for the tip off.

While Sega still hasn't responded to our multiple requests for confirmation on the delay, the publisher's official web site is typically a good resource for this kind of information. The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC versions are all listed loosely for "Spring, 2010" but earlier today, some of those dates were for a more solid May 6, 2010.

We'd put that release date in pencil on your personal calendars, not pen. Just to be on the safe side.

Alpha Protocol [Sega]

If you were among the PlayStation 3 owners looking forward to a lazy holiday season spent playing with your fuzzy new EyePet friend, prepare to be terribly disappointed. GameStop and Amazon both shifted the listed release data for the EyePet from November 2009 to April 2010, and now Gamervision has received the official word from Sony.

"The North American territory has decided to take additional time to focus on the EyePet product and can confirm it will not be available this holiday. EyePet is an innovative and exciting new IP to the PS3 platform and SCEA marketing will spend additional time to continue educating consumers and retail channels, setting the table for a successful product launch. We will provide more details on an updated launch timeframe very soon"

As Gamervision points out, the delay comes at an odd time, as review copies of the game have already been handed out to major outlets, whose reviewers are even now, as we speak, experiencing the sort of fuzzy goodness that the rest of us will be left without during the cold winter months.

For now we can only hope that the April release date listed at GameStop is simply speculation, and that Sony won't keep the warm fuzzies from us for too long.

EyePet Delay Official [Gamervision]

Electronic Theatre says it has no official reasons for the delay, and speculates that "manufacturing constraints" may be to blame, perhaps to "counteract piracy issues."

Presently, Amazon, GameStop and GameSpot all have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 listed with a Nov. 10 release date.

We've contacted a spokesman for the game to ask for comment. Should there be any clarification, it will be added here.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Delayed on PC [Electronic Theatre, thanks MasterDex]

Recently updated ship dates from GameStop and Amazon.ca list Alpha Protocol for June 1 and June 30, 2010, respectively. Most online retailers still show the game due the last week of October of this year, but if two independent retailers are showing a delay, don't be surprised if others follow suit.

If those retail listings are accurate, it wouldn't be the first time Alpha Protocol has been pushed back. The game was penciled in for a release as early as February 2009. Perhaps Sega took some of Sony Computer Entertainment America's rumored comments about the game to heart?

Whatever the reason may be, if Alpha Protocol has indeed slipped, it will join the recently delayed Blur as one of the many titles that will miss the typically heavy fall release schedule.

We've reached out to Sega of America to verify that change, but haven't heard back yet.

It's all in the name of multiplayer, according to the Activision press release announcing Blur's move into next year, a move that will give the development team "more time to enhance the game's innovative and distinctive online multiplayer gameplay". In other words, the online isn't quite finished yet.

"We are committed to making Blur a great new racing franchise, and we are very encouraged by the game's design," stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing. "The additional time will allow the studio to fully optimize the vision they set out to create for Blur including a distinctive and groundbreaking multiplayer mode that will appeal to a broad audience."

It remains to be seen when in 2010 the game will be released, with the company only mentioning the year without any specific month or season or even half. Here's hoping it's early in the year, for the sake of anyone who might have been really looking forward to it. Anyone?

Fans will still be able to get their hands on the PSP remake of the original PSone Persona, as long as they are willing to make a trip to their local game store or wait for delivery from a reputable online vendor. Those who were hoping to download the game from the PlayStation Network will have to wait another week or so, as it won't be available for purchase until the 1st of October. See? I said it was very early, didn't I?

Atlus reminds fans that the physical version of the game comes with the full 2-disc soundtrack as a bonus, while the delayed PSN version comes with you not having to leave the house or pay shipping charges.

BioWare told IGN: "Dragon Age Origins will be released on November 3rd in North America and November 6th in Europe for Xbox 360 and PC. The Playstation 3 version will follow later in November."

This came a day after immediately refuting the rumor by saying they were still targeting an Oct. 20 release.

Is it just me, or has this been a year unlike any other for AAA title delays?

Dragon Age: Origins Given New Release Date [Update] [IGN]

Activision Blizzard's reason for the delay of StarCraft II is reportedly tied to the relaunch of its upgraded Battle.net service, which handles multiplayer for all things Blizzard. In a statement to the Blizzard community, the developer writes "Over the past couple of weeks, it has become clear that it will take longer than expected to prepare the new Battle.net for the launch of the game."

Blizzard calls the new Battle.net an "integral part of the StarCraft II experience and will be an essential part of all of our games moving forward." Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said during an investor call today that the new iteration of Battle.net will likely be ready "early next year."

While disappointing, it's not surprising. Blizzard staffers have indicated a need for a four to six month beta period for StarCraft II, one that has yet to kick off, eight months into 2009.

Blizzard had previously planned for one "frontline" release this year, largely presumed to be the first entry in the StarCraft II trilogy, a goal that it doesn't appear it will be meeting. Your best bet for going hands-on with StarCraft II in 2009 is either a trip to BlizzCon or (possibly) during Gamescom in Cologne.

Watch for new details on StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty in the coming weeks at Kotaku.

EA Sports head honcho Peter Moore says that the sports label is focused on getting the already announced expansion pack for EA Sports Active out before the holidays. That means the powers that be are pulling Grand Slam Tennis staff off the PS3 and 360 versions to make sure the fitness game add-on doesn't slip.

It's a rare case of a Wii release taking higher priority than the hi-def console versions, part of EA's new Wii-skewed master plan. Considering EA Sports Active did 1.8 million in sales during the publisher's last quarter, we'd wager it's the right move.

Moore didn't offer a new date for the tennis game, previously slated for the fall, but we've pestered EA Sports reps to get clarification.

Update: And how quickly that clarification came! An EA Sports rep said that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Grand Slam Tennis have been "delayed indefinitely." However, that same rep said that EA still plans to release those products, despite the dire sounding delay.

Dungeons & Dragons Online was set to become DDO Unlimited next week in North America, morphing from subscription-based game to a new free-to-play model, but it seems that Turbine isn't quite ready to make that leap. The transition is now scheduled for September 9th, 2009.

"We've had a tremendous response to DDO Unlimited from the players and press who are participating in our beta program," said Fernando Paiz, Executive Producer of DDO Unlimited. "We've been holding a series of live events as part of the beta program and have seen an unprecedented level of participation from players. While we are very pleased with the performance of the game and are excited about the response from the players, we are committed to delivering a high-quality experience. We feel that more time is needed to deliver on this commitment. As a result, we are delaying our launch to ensure that we can support the massive increase in players that we are expecting and deliver them a free to play experience like none other."

As an aside, 9/9/09 is also the date that will see many hopelessly devoted Sega fans praying for a new Dreamcast console. It is a day for fantasy roleplay!

At this point, January through March of next year is going to be the biggest first quarter in gaming ever, as an increasing number of games originally slated for fall and holiday 2009 releases get shunted into next year. Capcom dropped us a line to explain the reasoning behind the delay.

Dark Void is moving into Capcom's fiscal Q4 in order to get the game out of the crowded fall game season and to allow the development team more time to polish and enhance the game experience.

One of those two excuses doesn't really hold up, but we'll take a more polished game at a later date over one rushed to market any day of this year or the next.

Splinter Cell Conviction and Red Steel 2, two of the breakout titles from this year's E3 Expo, won't be making their original 2009 release dates, according to Ubisoft's first-quarter 2009 sales report. The two titles are now slated for release in the 4th quarter of 2009, which in Ubisoft's case places their release sometime in the window of January to March 2010. Two additional titles, I am Alive and Ghost Recon, have been pushed to fiscal year 2010-2011, which kicks off in April of 2010. From Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot:

"We are disappointed that we have to postpone the release of several major games but we consider that this choice is the best one in the long-term interests of Ubisoft. Lastly, we are having to adjust our full-year targets to take into account the fall in business over the first half. The excellent response to our games at E3, as well as the high buzz generated for titles such as Assassin's Creed 2, Splinter Cell Conviction and Avatar, reinforce our belief that the company can achieve strong growth in the second half of the fiscal year."

During the conference call, Yves furthe rexplained that the team working on Red Steel 2 requested more time to polish all of the maps, and that the demo shown at E3 didn't reflect the quality of the rest of the game in its current state.

On the bright side, we should have plenty of money to buy presents for other people this Holiday season, right?

Both GameFly and GameStop are listing the title for release during the month of January 2010. Those retailers were expecting MAG on November 24 of this year as of a week ago. When the PlayStation 3 game was being shown at E3, Sony Computer Entertainment America pegged MAG's release date more vaguely, as a "Fall 2009" title.

Earlier this year, Sony named MAG, along with God of War III, as one of the PS3 titles that would ship during its fiscal 2009, a window that extends to March of 2010.

While Sony hadn't yet applied a firm release date to the online shooter, it's looking less likely that the game will make that Fall window, if retailer listings are correct.

Update: A Sony Computer Entertainment spokesperson said "We haven't made any announcements in regards to the launch date, the retailers are just speculating."

Thanks to Kev for the heads up.

Why? According to an Activision spokesperson, the delay was made "in order to facilitate a simultaneous global release window for id Software's Wolfenstein."

Activision has therefore "realigned the game's release date for the week beginning August 17th." We're sure that goals were realized to some degree of synergy.

That two week delay for Wolfenstein is the second bit of bad news from Raven and Activision this month. The developer's original time-shifting shooter Singularity was recently pushed into Q1 2010, supposedly to distance it from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's November release.

While the game was previously slated to hit European store shelves on October 30, 2009, just squeezing into the company's fiscal 2009, the company has now moved the title to a more vague "fiscal year 2010." The sequel was expected to arrive on these shores November 3rd, a few days after its ship date in Europe.

Now, BioShock 2 could very well be pushed into calendar 2010, missing the holidays completely.

Officially, Take-Two blames the delay on the need to "provide additional development time for the title."

Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two called the delay "the right decision for the product," but calls the impact on its revised financial outlook a "disappointment."

"The decision to shift a release date is never an easy one, especially with a product as highly anticipated as BioShock 2," Take-Two CEO Ben Feder said in a financial release. "We felt that it was essential to invest the additional time to ensure that this title will deliver what its fans expect and deserve."

Take-Two announced delays of Red Dead Redemption and Mafia II in May, both of which are expected to ship in the publisher's fiscal 2010.

The day after Activision pushed back sci-fi first person shooter Singularity, Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia believes that the signs that StarCraft II will be ultimately be a 2010 title, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

We've already braced ourselves for the bad news, considering Dustin Browder, the game's lead designer, told us the developer needs four to six months of public beta exposure to get the game in tip-top shape. Still a possibility, as Blizzard released StarCraft: Brood War at the end of November 1998, but looking less and less likely as the days progress.

Blizzard has never officially dated the game, only saying the highly anticipated StarCraft sequel would be released when the game "meets our standards and the expectations of our players." And those expectations are, well, kinda high.

Activision Seen Delaying Two Big Games [WSJ]