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Dragon Quest IX Pushed Back In Japan

Zach Lott — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:14:16 -0600

Originally scheduled for a Japanese release on March 28, Dragon Quest IX has been delayed until July 11, according to Joystiq (via NeoGAF).

It seems like Square Enix discovered some major bugs in the game's code and delayed the game as an emergency precaution, since they have been advertising the game heavily throughout Japan, which has traditionally been where the series sells the most units.

There's still no news on a North American release date, but we'll keep our eyes peeled. Could there be an announcement at E3, perhaps?

Sony Delays Skype for PSP in Japan, Cites Microphone Issues

Shiva Stella — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:20:00 -0600

News is now hitting the Web that Sony has delayed its Skype PSP update announced earlier this month at CES 2008. The company is citing compatibility issues as cause for the delay in Japan, claiming that the feature is on-hold until the microphones Sony designed for its use earn Skype's approval.

You can view the full press release (it's a quickie) at the jump.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN TO POSTPONE THE RELEASE OF MICROPHONE PRODUCTS FOR PSP® (PLAYSTATION®PORTABLE)

Tokyo, January 23, 2008 Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ), a division of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) responsible for business operations in Japan, today announced that it would postpone the release of two microphone products for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), SINGLE PACK (with one microphone, PSPJ-15010) and TWIN PACK (with two microphones, PSPJ-15011), scheduled to be released in Japan on Thursday, January 24th, 2008.

SCEJ planned to release the microphone along with the introduction of Skype features for the new slim and light PSP (PSP-2000). However, it was found that the microphone did not meet the Skype specifications in part to obtain certification and SCEJ has determined to postpone the release of the microphone. New release date will be announced as soon as decided.

With this, SCEJ has also reached a decision to postpone the introduction of the Skype features and services in Japan, scheduled in late January as part of the system software update for PSP. Solutions to enable users to start using Skype features and services on their PSP are being sought for and will be announced in due course.

New Prince of Persia Confirmed, Haze Delayed (again)

Shiva Stella — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:19:17 -0600

Maybe I'll see you in 2008. Just maybe...

Following Ubisoft's announcement of its 2008 schedule, the company also confirmed that a new Prince of Persia game is in the works and should ship "within the next fiscal year" - that's April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009. Don't be surprised if some of the awe-inspiring mechanics from Assassin's Creed pop up in that one, only this time we might get a real, complete game with a real, complete ending.

As for Haze, which has suffered various delays, delay-rumors, and delay-hints, the game has again been officially delayed and could release during the company's 2008 fiscal year. In other words, it's possible that Haze won't see store shelves until 2009, though when it does launch it could be a major hit for the PlayStation 3, something the console desperately needs.

Fingers crossed.

Frontlines: Fuel of War (PS3) Only Almost Canceled

Shiva Stella — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:27:28 -0600

According to FiringSquad, recent reports that the PlayStation 3 version of THQ's Frontlines: Fuel of War has been canceled are in fact incorrect and the game has only suffered a delay.

The title is currently being developed by Kaos Studios and should release for the PC and Xbox 360 in February (latest estimates are at Feb 25); meanwhile the PS3 version should launch sometime in 2008.

Frontlines: Fuel of War is a first-person shooter with a heavy emphasis on multiplayer action, something the PlayStation 3 desperately needs a strong dose of. Here's hoping everything goes just swimmingly.

Haze Releasing in August 2008 for PlayStation 3?

Shiva Stella — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:20:00 -0600

Here's a little something interesting if you've been watching Ubisoft's development of Haze for the PlayStation 3.

While other sources (including GameStop) list Haze as shipping on January 15, 2008, Ubi's own shop listing has the game set for launch sometime in August 2008 - quite a leap ahead from January. No word from Ubisoft on the possible delay.

Army of Two Isn't So Awesome, Says Xbox World

Aaron Dunlap — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:59:50 -0600

At E3 2006, the biggest show in the history of the event, I was shepherded through the thumping mosh pit that was the EA booth by a company rep and led behind a rope and up a flight of stairs into their media demonstration area. It was there that I first saw Amy of Two.

I didn't get to play it; rather, I watched it being played in a room outfitted with two televisions and four Xbox 360s (a debug and retail version for each TV). The small, unventilated room was like a furnace thanks to the heat-machine 360s, but despite the involuntary sauna treatment, I absolutely loved what I saw. Army of Two is a game featuring two protagonists, the secondary character can either be controlled by a buddy in co-op mode or controlled by AI following voice commands given by you.

The voice command feature rocked my socks. The player would speak into his Xbox Live headset commands such as "shoot those guys," "cover me," "help me up," "I need ammo, and so on. I wanted that game so badly and I wanted it to be good.

Xbox World, who had a chance to play around with the code that would have shipped this month, says that what they saw was absolutely horrible.

The game received many release pushbacks, including a recent release-change from November/December 2007 to first-quarter 2008. The extra few months will have to be spent doing some serious fixing, Xbox World says.

They say the two characters are supposed to seem "rebelious" but actually come off as completely unlikeable, and that the entire story is chock full of a ridiculous amount of violence and swear words and comes off as adolescent. Hmm, that sounds like another game I played recently. Unlike Kane & Lynch, though, Army of Two isn't being shoved out the door and the delay may actually give the developers a chance to straighten things up.

Midway Has Figured Out The PS3; No More Delays, Says Them

Aaron Dunlap — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:01:47 -0500

As the collective PlayStation 3 continues to search for a title that will sell systems, Midway has stepped up to the plate and promised that its future PS3 releases will be better and have fewer delays.

Delays have been many and perpetual for PS3 games. Though they'll rarely admit so in public, developers have been having a hard time developing for the system and the few games that have hit shelves on time have felt a bit "incomplete" or may need patches just to operate.

"For our first wave of next-gen games... lead development has been on the Xbox 360, due to its earlier introduction and larger installed base. We ran into some technical issues developing for the PlayStation 3 that have taken more time to finalize than we expected," said Midway boss David F. Zucker in a company conference call.

"We do believe that these technical issues are now complete at a core level in our engine. Looking ahead to 2008, we expect the PS3 versions of our titles to ship day and date with the Xbox 360 and other SKUs."

PS3 bashing aside, it is pretty historically consistent for a new system to see disappointing titles for around a year until developers have had a chance to get a feel for the new hardware and software platform. For the last two PlayStations, it took a Metal Gear Solid game to truly show what the system was capable of. Of course, no previous MGS game has had as many delays as the PS3's MGS4, so who knows?