You would think that delaying a game is an awkward process. The game is closing in on its completion date. The studio needs to be finished. Ads are placed. The publisher wants to start selling the thing and making money.

You'd also think that Arkham Asylum game director Sefton Hill of Rocksteady Studios might have had butterflies in his stomach when, earlier this year, he and his team broached the topic to the games publishers that the game, which was planned for a late June release, could benefit from being pushed back.

He doesn't tell the story as if he had much fear at all: "We discussed it with Warner Brothers and Eidos and said, 'Look, we believe we have a really good game here.' What we all agreed to do at the outset was put the time in and make sure we deliver a game worthy of Batman. ... [We] said what we really need to do here is spend this additional three months to make sure we tidy the game and deliver the game that we all set out to do. To give Eidos and Warner a lot of credit, they backed that 100%."

For consumers, the delay turned out to be two months. Arkham Asylum slipped from June to late August, when it was released to rave reviews. It seemed such a short delay, in fact, that some gamers thought they sniffed out a different motivation. "I think there were some rumors that it had just been delayed for more sales, but that wasn't true. We were still working on it like crazy."

What did change in Arkham Asylum while the team labored for a couple of extra months? Hill was unable to specify any notable design changes, no new gadgets or altered levels. "Some of the things we worked on that aren't immediately apparent is things like the [data-]streaming times," he said. "You never see any loading screens when you're playing the game. And that's stuff that takes a lot of time to do." Hill said the delay also helped the team optimize the game's framerate.

Hill made the delay sound so easy. Surely it wasn't that simple? He said it was the product of a team confident in their potential, an attitude that would empower other studios to also get their publishers to give them the extra time their games might need. So to get that delay, he suggested, a development team must have "confidence in the game." They also need "to be able to show that [added] time is going to be well spent. I think if you can do that, any publisher is going to buy into that. I think where it becomes difficult is if you're arguing from a position of weakness, if the confidence isn't there."

It sounds like one of those things that's easier said than done. It sounds like one of those things that requires a publisher and a developer to be working together happily, which is not at all a given. And it sounds like something that, as a gamer, would be awfully hard to take.

It also sounds like something that gets forgotten, because as 2009 recedes what lingers about Batman: Arkham Asylum is how good it was. Not how late it was.

The sales-tracking firm was scheduled to release today its listings of U.S. video game hardware and software sales for September. The report would have provided a glimpse of how the likes of Halo 3: ODST and The Beatles: Rock Band have been faring, along with the price-cut PlayStation 3.

But the report won't be released until Monday, October 19 at 6:30 p.m. eastern, 4:30 p.m. Kotaku. In a statement sent to the press, NPD spokesman David Riley blamed "last minute processing requirements."

We'll have our usual NPD coverage on Monday.

First our fall games are delayed. Now the sales reports too. What's next?

Why? EA's John Riccitiello says that its moving to Q1 of the company's 2010 fiscal year, which runs April to June, to give The Godfather II "a better launch window and more time for longer lead marketing."

More specifically, Riccitiello voiced his concerns during today's conference call that the game would be launching into a "a very cluttered, price reduced, excess inventory channel both in North America and Europe in a heavily competitive environment."

He wants consumers to have the opportunity to get more "excited" about the title.

John and company are probably right, considering The Godfather II was, until today, planned to hit stores within spitting distance of Killzone 2, Halo Wars, Street Fighter IV and Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned.

The game details, per Square Enix Official Jump Festa 2009 site:

• Demyx and Luxord have been made playable in the demo
• Luxord: scatters cards around as an attack, high magic stats but low mobility, low jump
• The Heartless have an attack that freezes you from attacking back for a moment.

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days - Delay Confirmation [Go Nintendo]

Citing "unexpected technical difficulties," which is starting to sound like a Fable II tradition, the Knothole Island expansion will instead ship "late January 2009." It was originally planned for a mid-December release when it was announced in November. Obviously, that means the Download and Win contest associated with its release has also been temporarily suspended.

It's OK, Lionhead, I'm always late for everything too. We're sure everyone will find something else with those 800 Microsoft Points.

Fable II Knothole Island [Xbox - thanks, Craig!]

This just in - you will be surprised to hear that the MMO/FPS game has had its Western PC release pushed back until "the first half of 2009". The promised Xbox 360 version is even deeper in the mire - no release date has yet been suggested.

The massively multiplayer shooter is loosely (extremely, I would have though) based on the visionary SciFi novel "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. The challenge now for Webzen is to ensure a release date before the novel's fictional timeline begins in 2540 AD. Not long now, chaps!

No Huxley US launch in 2008 [Big Download]

Fortunately, that's what it sounds like Midway is planning to do, as reps told us at Comic-Con tonight that the title, originally scheduled for a release this year will get more time in the development incubator. Now planned for a Q1 '09 release, Wheelman will still beat the movie of the same name to the theaters, it will arrive just a bit later and hopefully be the better for it.

We also hope they'll rewrite that pedestrian car dodging logic. Far too many suicidal Barcelonans in this game...

"The Nintendo 1st & 3rd party Software lineup release schedule which was distributed by Nintendo on Thursday 6th December confirmed launch dates for Nintendo titles launching in Q1 2008...Nintendo also included some titles which were fixed for release beyond Q1 2008 such as Mario Kart Wii. All Nintendo software titles launching in Q2 2008 have not been finalised or confirmed to date."

Does this mean the game isn't shipping after June? Well no, technically it doesn't say that at all. It simply means that they don't know exactly when it is coming out yet, and it could very well drop sometime in the April to June Q2 window. Or later. Glad we got that all cleared up.

Nintendo clears up Q2 '08 schedule [CVG - Thanks Serebii!]

We're going to give a firm date when we are utterly convinced that we have it and that isn't right now...we're not in the business of disappointing investors.

Asked about reports that Sony Online had shifted from co-publisher to solely a marketing role with Gods and Heroes, representing a backing-off the project by Sony, McKibbin called it a "non-story that people spun a little." He clarified: "There was no change in our relationship with Sony... part of the confusion comes from the difference between online games and packaged goods games. Perpetual has always been the financer and creator of Gods and Heroes. What [Sony was] doing initially versus what they are doing now is the same; marketing and distribution, and that's it. We have a great relationship with them, and there hasn't been any change with that."

McKibbin didn't put a date on Rome Rising's ship date, saying only they are aiming for an early 2008 release.

Perpetual Announces Gods and Heroes Delay, Layoffs [Gamasutra via Worlds In Motion]

That's why Orange Box PS3 is going to come out a few weeks late. Now you know.

Valve explains PS3 Orange Box delay [eurogamer] [image]

Blake Snow over at GamePro.com has written an article that explores this tactic, citing the famous example of Twilight Princess for the Gamecube, delayed in order to move more Wii's at launch. He speaks with industry analyst extraordinaire Michael Pachter on the subject.

But even though quality is a major reason for game delays, it's far from the only reason. "Delays occur for both strategic and quality reasons," says analyst Michael Pachter. Contrary to what you may think, publishers are just as likely to delay a game for strategic reasons as they are quality ones.

The Real Reason Behind Game Delays [GamePro.com]

I mean, not for me. I got into the Beta. Just for you suckers.

From the press release:

IRVINE, Calif. — Blizzard Entertainment today announced that the release date for World of Warcraft : The Burning Crusade , the highly anticipated expansion for World of Warcraft, will be in January 2007. By adding a few extra weeks to the development cycle beyond its original target date, Blizzard will be able to extend the closed beta test and further refine the new content that will ship with the game.

"We appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, and we're excited about putting the finishing touches on all of the new content," said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We feel confident that the extra time spent polishing the game will result in the high-quality experience that our players expect and deserve."

Blizzard began the closed-beta phase of testing on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade earlier this month. The January 2007 release window will allow extra time for current beta testers to participate in the final stages of development and continue providing valuable feedback..

Right. Beta testers like me. You remember that in January 2007 when a level 70 blood elf mage in full epic gear flies out of the skies on his flying mount to slaughter every single one of you guys in the Draenei starting area. The poncy blood elf will be me. Florian Eckhardt

Still, some Euros appear concerned that the PS3 might be delayed even later than March, 2007. Rumors flew after Spanish site Meristation claimed that Kutaragi had warned there'd be a shortage of PS3s in Japan and North America, sticking it to Euros.

Anyway, in case you care, it's denied by Sony, for what it's worth:

"Any reports of a further delay to the launch of the PS3 in Europe are categorically not true.

"We are still fully committed to a March 2007 launch date. Ken Kutaragi has not done any media briefings since the Tokyo Game Show, and the story is not true."

Whew. What a relief. Delay it much longer and the PS3 might get cheaper thanks to massive currency deflation when North Korea starts flinging the nukes. Florian Eckhardt

Sony denies further PS3 delay [Eurogamer]

Oh, for fuck's sakes...

According to the Argos website — probably best described as a sort of UK and Irish Wal-Mart where you order everything by catalogue and then sit on your ass for half an hour, waiting for it to emerge from the warehouse — the Wii release date is going to be March, 2007.

Just a few days ago, though, the banner apparently read 'Winter, 2006'.

Before panic commences for us Euro-types, this is really the equivalent of any retailer's random prediction for console or game release dates: highly suspect.

What makes Argos' speculation so troubling is it comes a mere 16 hours before the UK Nintendo presser, when the Wii's Europe launch date and price will be announced. Worse yet, it essentially mirrors the disappointment gamers got earlier this month when it was announced that the PS3 would be delayed in Europe for an additional 4 months.

As soon as we hear one way or another on this rumor, we'll let you know. If true, though, man... Microsoft's just going to own Europe this Sinterklaas. Florian Eckhardt

Despite being Kotaku's "Associate Editor, Europe", I don't read Swedish. Oh, I can bork bork with the best of them, but when it comes down to parsing them in diareses, umlauts and those funny bisected Os, I'm clueless.

So I will have to take Kotakuite Andre's word for part of his much appreciated tip. I can neither confirm nor deny that the page also contains "evil rumors" saying that the game may very well be delayed until 2007 because of "quality problems." If true, I wonder what those quality problems might be? Problems nailing the Wiimote control? Post E3 reports were so promising that they'd fixed its loosey-gooseyness.

Delaying a Wii launch title also seems ominous. The line-up just doesn't look nearly as good without Red Steel in it. Florian Eckhardt

Red Steel Screens and Evil Rumors [Game Reactor]

I'm an Unreal Tournament man. I like the speed, I like the weapons, I like playing an extraterrestrial bovine with a bazooka on my back. I haven't like Quake style deathmatch since Quake 2 ruined it and never looked back.

Still, early impressions of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars have been very positive, so I've been looking forward to giving it a spin later this year. Alas, Babylon. It is not to be, says Lead Game Designer Paul Wedgwood. The title has been pushed back to 2007, giving Unreal Tournament 2007 a bit of a leg-up on its most obvious competitor. Florian Eckhardt

Paul Wedgwood's Developer Diary [Gamespy]