Following word from publisher NCsoft that Guild Wars 2 would not be released earlier than 2010, the co-founder of Guild Wars developer ArenaNet has responded to the news on the game's official website, saying that the team "has never given a release date" for the game.

"On Friday, NCsoft released investor materials that showed a very broad release window for Guild Wars 2, with the explanation that release timing is still 'to be announced,'" said ArenaNet's Mike O'Brien.

"ArenaNet has never given a release date for Guild Wars 2 other than 'when it's done.' NCsoft's investor materials are a reflection of that philosophy."

Beta testing for Guild Wars 2 was originally planned to begin last year. In June, ArenaNet updated its official FAQ with news that the test would not start in 2008 as scheduled.

"I know some fans had hoped for a smaller gap between the launch of Guild Wars: Eye of the North and the start of beta testing for Guild Wars 2, but we communicated last summer that it would be some time before we could commit to any beta or launch dates," said O'Brien. "Guild Wars 2 is a large and ambitious game, and we're going to take the time to do it right."

Japanese publisher Square Enix today updated its financial forecast for the fiscal year ending March 31, cutting profit expectations by 62.5%.

The company now expects to see a net profit of $49.6 million, instead of the previously anticipated $132.4 million. Last year, the company posted a $101.4 million profit.

Net sales expectations were only slashed by 16.9%, to $1.5 billion.

In addition, Square confirmed that the Japanese debut of Dragon Quest IX (DS) has been delayed until July 11. The oft-delayed role-playing game was previously expected on March 28, with the push stemming from the discovery of several major bugs.

Square cited the delay of Dragon Quest IX and "the severe business environment" afflicting its offline games and Taito divisions as the impetus behind the cuts. Fellow Japanese publishers Capcom and Sega recently cut expectations due to lower software sales and the exchange rate of the weak dollar to the stronger yen.

No North American release date for Dragon Quest IX has been announced.

Activision has delayed its upcoming James Bond game until the 2010 calendar year to avoid competition with this fall's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, CFO Thomas Tippl revealed in a conference call with investors today.

The publisher is known to have a James Bond racing game currently in development at subsidiary Bizarre Creations. The title, described as "Mario Karts meets Forza," was previously expected to arrive on unspecified consoles in September.

However, it's uncertain if the James Bond racing game was indeed the title that was delayed, as Activision Publishing president Mike Griffith stressed that it was postponed to avoid competing with the next Call of Duty game, suggesting an action game.

The company noted that Treyarch's James Bond: Quantum of Solace and Call of Duty: World at War may have been hurt by releasing too close to one another last fall.

A new Aliens vs. Predator game will arrive in early 2010, publisher Sega has announced, with the company noting that AvP will hit before its other two Aliens games.

That means Gearbox's shooter Aliens: Colonial Marines (PC, PS3, 360) and Obsidian's Aliens RPG won't debut until 2010, at the very earliest. Colonial Marines was originally expected last year, and was recently listed as a Q1 2009 release by Sega Europe.

Rumors that Aliens: Colonial Marines was put on hold emerged amidst layoffs, but Gearbox president Randy Pitchford quickly clarified that it wasn't cancelled. Meanwhile, Sega has remained rather quiet about the Aliens RPG since it was revealed in 2006.

The new Aliens vs. Predator title will be developed by Rebellion, which handled the 1999 PC shooter Aliens versus Predator, but had no involvement in Monolith's 2001 sequel.

No further details or platforms for Aliens vs. Predator were provided, apart from a promise it will be "innovative," with Sega vowing that more details are due "very soon."

The first expansion for Ironclad's strategy title Sins of a Solar Empire has seen additional delays due to the incorporation of beta feedback, according to publisher Stardock. The Entrenchment expansion is now due out on February 25.

"The additional time will allow for Ironclad's development team to incorporate feedback to date and allow for another round of beta testing," said a company representative.

Added Ironclad's Blair Fraser: "It's of paramount importance to everyone that what we're releasing is the best and most robust content we can."

Entrenchment is available for preorder on Stardock's digital distribution service Impulse, for the price of $9.95.

The Xbox 360-only downloadable "Beneath the Ashes" episode for Tomb Raider: Underworld will not hit its February 10 release date, publisher Eidos has revealed.

"An unexpected technical issue means that Beneath the Ashes will not be available to download on 10th February as planned," Eidos told Strategy Informer.

The $10 expansion takes place after the conclusion of Crystal Dynamics' action-adventure game, packing a new levels and new enemies. The second promised Xbox 360-exclusive add-on, "Lara's Shadow," is apparently still slated for March 10.

"We apologize for this delay and we are doing everything we can to bring you this exciting new content for Tomb Raider: Underworld as soon as possible," added Eidos.

Bethesda's next two downloadable PC and Xbox 360 expansions for Fallout 3, previously expected to arrive in February and March, have been delayed by a month.

"The next DLC for Fallout 3, The Pitt, will be out in March," Bethesda marketing VP Pete Hines told GameSpot. "Broken Steel will be out the following month, in April."

The Pitt has players exploring a post-apocalyptic version of Pittsburgh, while Broken Steel picks up after the main game concludes and raises the level cap to 30.

The first batch of DLC, Operation Anchorage, arrived in late January, allowing PC and Xbox 360 owners of the action-RPG to experience the liberation of Anchorage for $10.

GRIN's new Bionic Commando game will be released for PS3 and Xbox 360 this May, publisher Capcom has announced. The game was previously expected in March.

As we noted before, the PC version will trail the console release with today's announcement saying it will be available "in the following months."

Originally expected February 24, Electronic Arts has delayed the release of The Godfather 2 (PC, PS3, X360).

In announcing its financial results today, the company noted the game is now expected during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2010, which runs from April 1 until June 30.

Update: During its call with investors, Electronic Arts CEO John Rictiello said that the delay was due to marketing, but that BioWare will continue to polish the PC release.

Ricitiello further stated that the RPG will arrive in the company's third quarter, which runs from October 1 to December 31.

Original: Once slated to arrive in early 2009, the PC version of BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins will now arrive alongside the console versions in the second half of 2009.

BioWare did not specify if the PC version was being held back until the console editions were completed, or if the PC release simply needed more development time.

"I'm really proud of our team, who are working very hard to make Dragon Age: Origins the biggest and most exciting BioWare game yet, and we will work to ensure it not only meets, but exceeds the expectations of our loyal audience," said CEO Ray Muzyka.

Following word that Electronic Arts was "evaluating the launch window" for The Sims 3, the publisher today revealed that the PC lifestyle game has been delayed to June 2.

The anticipated sequel was previously expected February 20.

"The June launch combined with the break-through game the team is building gives us the perfect runway to create awareness for The Sims 3," said EA marketing VP Russell Arons. "The Sims 3 will be the original IP summer blockbuster of 2009 as we build off the success of the best-selling PC franchise of all time to create awareness."

No stranger to turning frowns upside down with its humorous delay announcements, publisher Atlus today revealed that four of its upcoming Nintendo DS and PSP games have been delayed as its central super computer has attained sentience.

The new release dates follow below:

• Tokyo Beat Down (DS) - March 31 (originally March 10)
• Hammerin' Hero (PSP) - April 7 (originally March 3)
• The Dark Spire (DS) - April 14 (originally March 10)
• Steal Princess (DS) - April 21 (originally March 24)

Atlus further noted that the self-aware super computer now has "a hunger for manflesh" and is "plotting to take over the world," with an unnamed engineer adding that "every working day for us passes in constant fear, terror, and paranoia with the knowledge that our primary computer is now plotting to destroy us."

Update: Electronic Arts has confirmed the delay with Shacknews, writing that developer DICE deemed it necessary in order to provide "a completely smooth experience."

The $10 Pure Time Trial Map Pack is now expected to hit PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in February, with the free PS3-exclusive "Synethesia" map still coming tomorrow.

Original: Once expected tomorrow, the downloadable content for Mirror's Edge may have suffered a slight delay, according to a PlayStation.Blog post by producer Tom Farrer.

A free PlayStation 3-exclusive map for the parkour game will be released tomorrow, he wrote, noting that the full "Pure Time Trial Map Pack" wouldn't hit until early February.

Publisher Electronic Arts had previously specified a January 29 release for the $10 pack, which adds seven maps and nine races to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.

Publisher Atlus has delayed the release of Legacy of Ys: Books I & II (DS) by two weeks in order "to magically transform [each launch copy] into a premium boxed release."

The boxed set will pack a soundtrack CD, originally intended as a pre-order bonus. Only first-run copies of the title will sport the fancy box and included soundtrack album.

"No one cares because boxes releases are awesome," reads the announcement. "Atlus quickly slips new release date of February 24th, then deftly avoids questions."

Based on the Nihon Falcom-developed PC originals, the Interchannel-helmed DS remake adds new graphics and multiplayer modes to the top-down hack 'n slash RPG.

Originally expected to launch on February 4--and prior to that, in late 2008--the upcoming Sins of a Solar Empire expansion "Entrenchment" will instead launch a week later on February 11, according to publisher Stardock.

Stardock also sent along some new screenshots of the expansion, showing off the Starbase defense platforms and other weaponry that will entrench the game's races.

Entrenchment is available for preorder on Stardock's digital distribution service Impulse, for the price of $9.95.

Though The Sims 3 was initially set to ship on February 20, publisher Electronic Arts tells Edge that it's "evaluating the launch window," suggesting a possible delay.

The official UK site for the anticipated PC lifestyle simulation sequel now lists a "TBA" release date, with the official US site promising that it's "coming in 2009."

While retailer listings are often an indication of a delay, online retailer Amazon.com shows both versions arriving during the week of February 15, with GameStop and Best Buy likewise indicating a North American release in the days following February 20.

Ubisoft today revealed that Assassin's Creed 2, Splinter Cell Conviction and a new Ghost Recon game, among others, will be released across its next fiscal year, which spans April 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010.

Though the company only yesterday said that Darkworks' first-person survival game I Am Alive would arrive in March, the game has been delayed, with Ubisoft noting that it "will require further development time and will now bolster the line-up for 2009-10."

Overall, 2009-10 will see Ubisoft deliver 7 titles in existing game franchises, launch 3 new brands (including I Am Alive), release 4 license-based tie-ins (including James Cameron's Avatar and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and provide additional entries in the Petz, Imagine, My Coach and PlayZone casual game series.

The first of Crystal Dynamics' two Xbox 360-exclusive downloadable levels for Tomb Raider: Underworld, originally expected "in time for the holidays," will finally arrive in the online Xbox Live Marketplace on February 10, publisher Eidos announced today.

Titled "Beneath the Ashes," the episode picks up after the main game, with protagonist Lara Croft exploring "never-before-seen" caverns underneath her ruined estate. Six new costumes and 125 gamerpoints worth of new achievements will be included as well.

The second episode, "Lara's Shadow," will follow on March 10, bringing... Read more

Midway's upcoming Vin Diesel movie tie-in title Wheelman will now hit on March 20, several weeks later than the expected February 16 launch date of the driving-centric action title.

Wheelman (X360, PS3, PC) was set to serve as a prequel to the Hollywood film of the same name, with the two projects planned for a simultaneous launch. Midway offered no word on how this news will affect the release date of the movie.

The publisher did note that a demo for the game will now be made available on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network prior to its ship date.

After getting shot somewhere in the neighborhood of nine times, rapper 50 Cent has learned the value of taking cover in a firefight--knowledge that will be imparted to players of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Who said that video games can't teach life lessons?

Some new screenshots and a trailer help drive the message home, preparing you for the February 24 release of the Swordfish Studios-developed PS3 and Xbox 360 title.

Yes, February 24--publisher THQ has delayed the game past its prior January date.

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