Media Molecule's cutesy and customizable PlayStation 3 platformer LittleBigPlanet is now expected to arrive in October, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe revealed at an event today.

SCEE had previously slated the game for a September debut.

When reached for comment, SCEA told Shacknews that no North American release date has been formally announced, though a global fall release of the Blu-ray title was provided at this year's CES.

At a press event today, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe announced that Guerrilla Games' long-anticipated PS3 shooter Killzone 2 is slated for a February 2009 release in the UK.

Though Sony Computer Entertainment America told Shacknews it has yet to confirm a North American release date, such major PlayStation 3 releases have been marked by near-simultaneous releases in North America and Europe.

Earlier this year, SCEE tentatively dated Killzone 2 for a September 2008 release. At the time, SCEA and developer Guerrilla both claimed that they had yet to make any announcement regarding the game's release.

Publisher Gamecock has confirmed to Shacknews that Wideload Games' politically charged party game Hail to the Chimp (PS3, X360) has been delayed, aiming the title for a new June 24 release date.

Hail to the Chimp was originally slated for a release. A Gamecock representative said the delay was aimed at granting Wideload more time to "put the final touches" on the party game.

Radical Studios' open-world action title Prototype has been delayed to an unspecified 2009 release date, GameSpot reports.

The game was originally scheduled for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC this coming fall.

"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," said publisher Sierra Entertainment.

Publisher and localization house Atlus mysteriously delayed two of its upcoming titles today, with no reason provided for either postponement.

Once due out on May 20, Flight-Plan's stylus-driven action-RPG Summon Night: Twin Age (NDS) is expected on stores on June 3.

The release of Idea Factory's Xbox 360 strategy title Spectral Force 3, meanwhile, has slipped from May 27 to July 29.

The PlayStation 3's online social interaction software Home will not enter the open beta stage until this fall, Sony Computer Entertainment has announced. The free service had previously been delayed until this spring from its expected launch last fall.

In advance of this fall's open beta, the company will be expanding the breadth of the closed beta, which has been underway since last summer. Beta tester feedback is said to be playing a heavy role in the title's continual refinement.

"We have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today," explained SCE president and CEO Kazuo Hirai.

"Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation tradition."

Update: Konami has revealed the new Metal Gear Online beta launch as April 25 at 11:00 PM PST.

Original Story: The North American public beta test of Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid Online (PS3) has been delayed to an unspecified date, publisher Konami announced today.

The company cited "extraordinary levels of traffic from all around the globe" as impetus for the delay of the Metal Gear Online beta, which was originally scheduled to go live today. Konami also noted that further information regarding the beta's new launch date would be announced Tuesday night.

In light of the delay, Konami has extended the beta's operation by five days, setting a new closure date of May 11 for the test.

Developer CD Projekt today announced that its translation-improved, bug-lacking version of The Witcher--dubbed The Witcher: Enhanced Edition--has been delayed beyond the original release window of May.

Explained the company in a release: "CD Projekt RED is dedicated to a simultaneous worldwide launch, and is taking the extra time to polish each language version to meet the high standards of the global games market."

CD Projekt also mentioned that the final release date of the PC title will be announced within the next few days.

The release of Valve's co-op zombie shooter Left 4 Dead (PC, X360) has been delayed until this fall, according to a press release from Eastern European publisher Akella.

Valve had previously told Shacknews that the title would arrive in late summer, most likely in August or September. The autumnal season begins on Tuesday, September 23, providing Valve with the opportunity to still deliver the game within the previously established timeframe.

In the announcement today, Akella revealed that upon the Left 4 Dead's simultaneous worldwide release this fall, it will be publishing the title in Russia and other CIS territories. For more on L4D, check out the Shack's hands-on impressions.

"We will be working closely with Akella as we prepare the launch of Left 4 Dead in one of today's fastest growing gaming markets," said Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi.

"Left 4 Dead is Valve's attempt to fill gamers' desire for a dynamic and engaging co-operative action experience," he continued. "This has been validated... Read more

Publisher Gamecock today announced that Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball, the self-described action title for Xbox Live Arcade, has been delayed to a release period of "later this Spring."

As penance, Blazing Lizard has added a new traditional dodgeball mode to the game, allowing for multiple balls and all sorts of nostalgic, kindergarten-type fun. Lead developer Chris Stockman also took some time to talk about the game in a short video.

Tired of developer-laden pseudo-trailers with all talk and no substance? Well, this one has a dog.

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The PC edition of Mass Effect has been pushed to May 28 in North America and June 6 in Europe, developer BioWare has revealed. Co-developed by Demiurge Studios, the Xbox 360-to-PC port of the sci-fi RPG was originally slated to arrive on May 6.

"A few more weeks in the studio will ensure we deliver the quality that our fans deserve," BioWare community coordinator Chris Priestly wrote on the developer's forums.

"The additional time will allow us to incorporate more play-testing feedback, add extra polish and tune the additional features so that Mass Effect is a natural and outstanding PC gaming experience," he continued.

Gas Powered Games' RTS-RPG hybrid Demigod (PC) has been delayed into 2009 and will be published by digital and retail distributor Stardock, the two companies announced today.

Previously expected to arrive in fall 2008, Demigod was pushed to February 2009 in order to integrate feedback from the forthcoming summer public beta test. The game puts players in control of a massive golem, tasked with destroying an opponents army before the same fate befalls their army.

As with Ironclad Games' Stardock-published RTS Sins of a Solar Empire (PC), Demigod will not sport any type of on-disc copy protection. The companies also noted that the game has been budgeted for "many months of free post-release feature updates."

"Not only do we have a proven retail publisher, but we get to partner with a pioneer in the digital distribution space...a company that totally understands what kind of experience our customer wants and the quality game they demand," said Gas Powered Games founder and CEO Chris Taylor. "The whole proposition is truly refreshing.”

Atari has confirmed to Shacknews that Eden Games' Alone in the Dark has been delayed again, pushing the reimagining of the classic survival horror franchise back to a June 24 release in North American and June 20 in Europe.

Alone in the Dark had been previously slated for a May release, which itself was a result of a delay from a March release window. Publisher Atari said that the delay was enacted to "allow the development team at Eden Games to polish the game to an even higher standard and deliver the best possible experience to gamers."

The delay applies to the PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC versions of the title, with the PlayStation 3 version of Alone in the Dark due out late this year.

Publisher Atari has dropped a boggling 38 screens from the PSP edition of Silverbirch Studios' physics-platformer N+, which is now due out in July alongside the Nintendo DS version.

A portable revamp of Metanet Software's popular PC freeware platformer N, N+ features enhanced graphics and new levels. The PSP and Nintendo DS ports of will include multiplayer as well as the ability to download user-made levels via an internet connection.

Originally slated for a spring release, the DS and PSP versions of N+ were pushed back to July to polish the promised online functionality. A version of N+, co-developed by Metanet and Slick Entertainment, was released as a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade title on Xbox 360 last month.

Developer EA Mythic has revealed that the release of its oft-delayed PC MMO Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, which was previously slated for Q2 2008, has been pushed back until this fall.

Alongside the delay, the studio announced plans for a bonus-filled Collector's Edition of the game. Limited to 60,000 units in North America, the $79.99 Collector's Edition will pack an exclusive miniature, a 128-page graphic novel prequel, a 224-page art book, 12 bonus quests, 12 additional in-game character heads, and an experience-boosting item, which is restricted to three uses of 60 minutes each.

Furthermore, EA Mythic noted that those who pre-order the Collector's Edition from a participating retailer--a list that includes Best Buy, GameStop, GameCrazy Amazon.com, GoGamer.com and EAStore.com--will receive guaranteed access to the open beta, early access to the live game, and two more exclusive in-game items.

Speaking of the delay in the Warhammer Online Forums, studio manager Mark Jacobs declined to provide an exact launch date, but noted that the company is still planning to release the title simultaneously in North America and Europe.

"Given the highly competitive nature of the MMO industry right now, we feel it is best not to establish a set launch date at the present time," Jacobs wrote.

"We've always told the community that when a delay was necessary we would tell them right away, and we’re doing just that," he continued. "I wish I could say all other developers do this but the fact is that they don't."

The Xbox 360 version of the Gas Powered Games' RTS Supreme Commander (PC, X360) has been delayed to the early summer, publisher Aspyr announced today.

The delay was announced by Aspyr marketing manager Eric Duncan, who could not announce a firm date for the port's release but said that Supreme Commander will be "on store shelves later this spring or early summer."

"The benefit of having independent companies such as Aspyr and its partners working on a project of this magnitude is that decisions like this can be executed quickly," added Duncan. "While the game will be hitting shelves later than originally expected, the additional time put into development will result in better gameplay and more fun for gamers."

The Xbox 360 port of Supreme Commander is currently in development at Hellbent Games. For more on the title, check out our hands-on preview.

The Wii edition of Clover Studios' wolf-tastic adventure Okami will not hit stores until April 15, publisher Capcom has confirmed to GameSpot.

While Capcom had yet to officially announce a date for the PlayStation 2-to-Wii port, which is being handled by Ready at Dawn Studios, a tentative schedule issued by Nintendo earlier this year indicated a March 25 release.

Originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006, Okami was announced for the Wii last year despite the closure of original developer Clover shortly after the game's initial release.

Outside of the obvious Wii Remote control tweaks and some technical improvements, such as 16:9 widescreen and 480p progressive scan support, porting studio Ready at Dawn has vowed that it will not modify the actual content of the game.

Pandemic Studios' Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PC, PS2, PS3, X360) has been pushed back yet again, with the destruction filled open-world game now set to release in publisher Electronic Arts' next fiscal year.

EA's 2009 fiscal year runs from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009; that broad release time frame was not narrowed down, but the game is likely to ship this year.

At last official word, Pandemic expected the game to appear in "early 2008," though retailer listings recently hinted at another delay. Today's news was contained within financial documents released by EA.

"We wanted to time it more closely to the movie," Pandemic co-founder and president Josh Resnick said when the game was first delayed last year. "But then we realized that we don't have a movie, so we just said, 'Aww hell, let's just make the game better.'"

Janco analyst Mike Hickey has some bad news for those anticipating Will Wright's next ambitious title.

"We now expect [Spore in the second half of 2008], versus management guidance for March/April," said Hickey to Gamasutra. The prediction comes as an explanation of recent disappointing Electronic Arts share performance.

Publisher Electronic Arts had previously expressed a firm release period of spring 2008 for the game, which will allow players to create a lifeform and follow it from the single-cell level to an advanced stage of starship travel.

"We have the game fully playable at this point and it's in final testing," said developer Wright in October.

Potential news of a delay would be announced this Thursday during Electronic Arts' conference call.

Rockstar product development VP Jeronimo Barerra has revealed that technical issues with the PS3 were partly to blame for last fall's delay of Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360).

"It's really no surprise to anybody that the PS3 was definitely a contributing factor to that," Barerra told MTV. "Now, we're neck and neck. That's not an issue anymore. But back then that was something we were taking into account."

Grand Theft Auto IV missed its original release window last fall and is now scheduled for release on PS3 and X360 April 29. The Xbox 360 version of GTA4 ... Read more