I've been tracking a game since November of 2007. The release date was in less than three weeks. Two days ago the release date was pulled and changed to TBA!

That the heck is going on? I want my game!


Minor rant. Feel free to resume normal programing....

What game???

...Moondark's game, ..I think..

Sims 3

EA has always had a problem trying to get Sims games out on time. Heck- "Spore" took MUCH longer than expected, and (if memory serves me correctly) they had to SCRAP a good part of code because their dev servers ended up getting compromised.

So yeah- you're probably gonna be in for a wait to see if Sims 3 actually does come out.

EA is currently working on another Crysis game, and as Crysis is a top seller for them, they are going to get those out first.

Completely different programming teams.

EA is not the actual company that develops the software for most of there games. They farm that out to 3rd party companies and they handle the distribution and marketing.

If its not a distribution snafu or marketing scheme, then its not EA's fault.

Maybe the economy?

Maybe, game markets can be good, or disastrous for a game launch, but I cant see them sitting on a good product too long, or the software will be dated before it even launches.

However sims is pretty established name, so who knows, I am certainly no marketing guru.

Ah, the plight of the gamer. I know it well.

Meh, I remember when I was all hyped up about Star Trek Legacy. The initial release for that game was to be September '06. Then they pushed it back to mid-October. Then late-October. Then three more delays in November, followed by another delay in early-December. In between, there was one or two sudden TBA postings...At one point, every site I went to had a different prospective release date. By the time Legacy was finally released in mid-December, I had bitten my nails to the bone.

It doesn't matter if the economy is good or bad...It might have an impact, but basically the state of the economy has very little to do with the million and one things that go into the production of a game. Games were being delayed long before the drought, and I suspect will continue to be delayed long after.