Blue's News has posted a press release they received from Microsoft announcing that Dungeon Siege, the upcoming Diablo-style RPG from Total Annihilation creator Chris Taylor and Gas Powered Games has been pushed back into next year. No specific day, month or even quarter is named, only that the game will be released at some point in 2002. Here's a clip from the press release:

August 16, 2001 – Redmond, WA -- Microsoft and Gas Powered Games have made the careful decision not to release Dungeon Siege in the fall of 2001. Both companies remain extremely excited about the game and are committed to completing the title and bringing the highly anticipated game to store shelves in 2002.

“Our decision to delay the release of Dungeon Siege is one of the toughest we’ve had to make, but we firmly believe that this is the right choice given that one of the most critical steps in creating an RPG is the tuning and balancing stage,” said Chris Taylor, Lead Designer, Gas Powered Games. “We’ve made a promise to build a game that delivers an over-the-top experience, and we’ll do whatever it takes to deliver on that promise.”

No doubt this announcement will be disappointing for fans of the game who were hoping to get their hands on it later this year.