Jan 10, 2008

Release dates - like hearts, promises and Xbox 360s - are made to be broken. Games scheduled for next week invariably slide into next month, next month into next year, next year into next decade... and next decade into, well, never. We must resign ourselves to this rule or live in perpetual disappointment.

But indulge and imagine for a moment. What if those dates were always hit? What if developer and publisher promises were always kept? What if forum predictions were always true? What if every game that was, at one point, scheduled or rumored for release in 2007 actually had released in 2007?

Then last year would have been more than good... it would have been legendary. Our list of delayed and missing titles proves why.

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV

Originally scheduled right between Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4, this crime saga sequel would have easily spanked both to become the biggest and best selling game of 2007. Instead, fans were informed mere weeks before the October 16 release date that GTA IV was being pushed back five or six months. Even more shocking were the rumored reasons, from sinister sales strategy to PS3 difficulties to the publisher's financial ruin. 
(Now expected March-April, 2008) 

SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAWL

In retrospect, we were foolish to believe. Of course we wouldn't really get the new Smash Bros. at the same time as the new Mario and the new Metroid, no matter what Nintendo promised. December 3 was a dream. But considering the severe lack of substance on Wii last year - and considering the game was first announced as a launch title for 2006 - we still felt cheated.
(Now expected February 10, 2008)

METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOT

This one's simply embarrassing. Watch the last 15 seconds of the E3 '06 trailer below. Try not to cringe as the Coming 2008 is "humorously" scratched out and replaced by Coming 2007. Oops! Try to hide your bitter satisfaction upon hearing that the publisher's stock prices plummeted in reaction to the delay. Double oops!
(Now expected Q2 2008)