Word on Sierra's open world action game, Prototype, being delayed until April 2009 originally came via online retailer GameStop, but the firm has since confirmed the news as true. See, these online retailers don't always make things up.

"Sierra Entertainment and Radical Entertainment have made the decision to shift Prototype to launch in 2009," a company spokesperson told IGN in the US. "Since its announcement, Prototype has been regarded by many as groundbreaking and taking the open-world genre in new directions, and in the simplest explanation possible, we need more time to deliver the game the team initially set out to create."

The game was recently on show at Sierra's Spring Break event in Spain. But with Prototype's recreation of NYC falling to close to what Rockstar's done with Liberty City, we can imagine why more time is needed.

As of last Tuesday our idea of what an open world game should play, live and breath like has changed forever. Check out the latest Prototype shots here.

Courtesy of CVG.

May 6, 2008