Kotaku: Delays

Midway Delaying Wheelman to Q1 2009

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:40:41 MDT

When we played the Vin Diesel vehicle Wheelman at E3 last week, we were mostly surprised to learn that the game was coming out in the Fall. "What, this game?" we thought. While enjoyable junk food and technically impressive in parts, Wheelman felt like a game that was six months out, in need of a bit of polish before it went public.

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...

Haze Delayed Again

Mark Wilson — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:20:24 MST

Free Radical's drug-friendly FPS Haze has been delayed yet again. Now it's been pushed back for a vague release within the 2008 fiscal year, meaning sometime between April 2008 and March 2009, for any and all platforms. Yes, that's quite a wide range, but the news came out in a financial report, not a press release packaged neatly for gamers to devour. I blame my own, nasal, not-so-kind impressions for destroying the team's progress. Apparently even Crecente's more positive take couldn't balance out the jarring to Free Radical's studio.

Haze PS3 Delayed Again [shacknews]

Nintendo Vaguely Clarifies Euro SSBB Date

Mike Fahey — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:20:13 MST

Yesterday we reported that Nintendo had confirmed a Q3 release date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl in Europe, and fans across the continent got more than a little upset. As the torch and pitchfork wielding mob bore down on Nintendo's European castle, a new spokesperson appeared high atop the ramparts to deliver a slightly more acceptable explanation for SSBB's absence from the list of releases distributed Thursday.

"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!]

GTA IV, You'll Get It When You Get It

Mark Wilson — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:40:45 MST

In a recent conference, Take 2 chariman Strauss Zelnick refused to be more specific on a release date for GTA IV than the vague February to April 2008 time frame offered following the game's delay. He explained:

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.

And it makes sense, because unless Zelnick can promise GTA IV by December, Take 2 won't be looking any better to investors or fans.

Take 2 refuses to pinpoint GTA IV release [gamesindustry]

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising Delayed (Again)

Maggie Greene — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 21:40:55 MDT

Gamasutra reports that Perpetual Entertainment has announced God & Heroes: Rome Rising is being delayed again, this time citing the need for more beta testing. In the same interview, Perpetual CEO Chris McKibbin said that Perpetual will be laying off 30-40 employees (the last delay of Rome Rising coincided with more layoffs) and clarified the company's relationship with SOE. As reported back in August, sources cited a changing relationship with SOE (with SOE moving from a co-publisher to a purely marketing role), but McKibbin clarified what he termed a 'non-story':

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]

Orange Box PS3 Delay Not Because of PS3, Really!

Mark Wilson — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 12:40:27 MDT

We told you yesterday that Valve's Orange Box would see a delay on the PS3 platform. But Valve wants to make sure everyone knows that's it's not the hardware, oh no. It's a commuting thing. While PC and Xbox 360 work is done by the core team in the states, the PS3 version is handled by an EA UK group. And that's like, thousands of miles away. Maybe tens of thousands. Maybe millions. No one knows for sure. So it takes longer. Especially when all communication is transfered by letters being transported by boats. Old ones. With sails. And masts. And poop decks.

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]

The Strategy of Game Delays

Mike Fahey — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:20:36 MDT

Who hasn't experienced the frustration of calling or going to a game store to see an eagerly anticipated game has arrived, only to find it's been delayed for days, weeks, or months? While game delays are often caused by developmental issues, sometimes the cause for delay are less flukes and more strategic marketing maneuvers on the part of publishers.

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.

An interesting read, which would have been much more interesting if all but one of the game companies he contacted hadn't declined to comment. He at least got David Karraker from Sony, who would probably punch me in the gut before even giving me the time of day, so that's something. I suggest you check it out without delay. Michael Fahey

The Real Reason Behind Game Delays [GamePro.com]

Burning Crusade Delayed!

kotaku.com — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 07:40:57 MDT

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

Further Euro Delays Pish-Poshed by Sony

kotaku.com — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 07:40:19 MDT

You know, Sony, you can delay the PS3 as long as you want in Europe as far as I'm concerned. In fact, maybe you can delay it until it drops a couple hundred euros in price... in which case, I'll definitely be there at launch!

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]

Rumor: Wii Delayed For Europe Until 2007

kotaku.com — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 14:43:02 MDT

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

Darkly Ominous Yet Unsubstantiated Rumor: Red Steel Delayed Until 2007

brownlee — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 10:40:15 MDT

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]

Quake Wars Delayed Until 2007

brownlee — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 14:40:02 MDT

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]