Ratchet and Clank delayed, demoed

Earlier this week, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominated Insomniac's widely admired lombax and robot duo in two categories for their PlayStation 3 debut, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Though the winners will be announced on October 23, the heat-packing duo, should they win, won't be on hand to accept the award as originally anticipated. Posting to Sony's PlayStation Blog, line producer Greg Phillips has revealed that, yes, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction has shipped to manufacturers, but it won't arrive on retail shelves until October 30.

Slightly offsetting the bitter side of today's news, Phillips offered an extra helping of sweet with word that a Ratchet and Clank demo should arrive on the PlayStation Network on October 11. An optimized version of the demo shown at this year's E3 Media & Business Summit, the free trial lets players tool around in the futuristic city of Metropolis. (A similar demo is now available to preorderers of the game at GameStop.)

As detailed in GameSpot's previous coverage, Ratchet and Clank's maiden voyage on the PlayStation 3 kicks off a new multi-installment story arc in the 3D platformer. True to past installments, the game features a healthy dose of over-the-top weaponry and tongue-in-cheek humor. Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is available exclusively for the PS3 and will retail for $59.99. It has not yet been rated.