Dragon Age: Origins, Sims 3 Delayed

Scratch two games off the (short) list of high-profile titles hitting stores in early 2009. EA has revealed that Sims 3 and the PC version of Dragon Age: Origins have both been pushed back several months.

Sims 3, once expected in February 20th, will now ship in June. The delay was hinted at a week ago, when EA admitted they were "evaluating the launch window" for the game. EA Vice President of Marketing Russell Arons explained in the press release that the delay allows them more time to properly market what should be a huge earner for EA: "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. 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 with both loyal Sims fans and new players.”

Fantasy role-playing Dragon Age: Origins was slated to debut on the PC this March. EA CEO John Riccitiello revealed in a call with investors (via Shacknews) that it will now arrive between October 1 to December 31, the company's third quarter. That's the same period the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are expected in stores; it seems like EA thought it would be more efficient to market all three versions at once.

It's tough to argue with the logic of either decision. EA wants to ensure that both games live up to their enormous potential for sales. Still, it sure does suck ass to have to wait all these extra months. We're talking about a potential nine-month delay for the PC version of Dragon Age, here. What's more, it's now going to be released smack-dab in the middle of yet another over-crowded holiday release season.