Report: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. prequel slips

GSC Game World and Deep Silver apparently hit with manufacturing-related issues for NA edition of RPG-shooter add-on; Euro release still on for Sept. 5.

And here it seemed as if S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky just might have avoided the fate of its predecessor, the oft-postponed Shadow of Chernobyl. Last week, GSC Game World and Deep Silver announced the follow-up prequel to the hit PC role-playing game/shooter hybrid had gone gold. However, reminiscent of its forebear, the game would suffer a delay, if ever so slight, drifting a week beyond its initially announced August 29 release date.

Today, it appears as if GSC's Clear Sky will remain clouded over yet a bit longer. Shacknews is reporting manufacturing issues related to the North American version of the game have forced Deep Silver to put its release on hold "for a few days." The report notes that Europeans will not be affected by the delay, and the game will still be out in that region beginning September 5.

Deep Silver offered no specific date on the game's new North American release date, though, as noted by Shacknews, retailers now list the game for a September 15 release. The publisher also said that the subsequent release on Valve's digital delivery service Steam will "probably" also be pushed back.

Set several decades before the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Clear Sky once again drops players into the radioactive ruins of the infamous Chernobyl nuclear power plant. New parts of the Zone, including Red Forest, Limansk, and the Pripyat Undergrounds, can now be explored, and Clear Sky boasts a new animation engine, improved artificial intelligence, and a new upgrade system for weapons and armor.

For the latest on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, check out GameSpot's hands-on from this year's E3 Media & Business Summit.

70 Comments

  • Praxis

    Posted Sep 5, 2008 6:33 am PT

    I just saw this at Walmart here in Oregon. It was on the shelf, but when I took it to the cashier, the register rang up, "DO NOT SELL". They told me they could sell it on Tuesday the 9th.

  • Mist17

    Posted Sep 2, 2008 10:29 am PT

    Oh boy lol

  • R3DN1N3

    Posted Sep 2, 2008 9:13 am PT

    Brat_Killer They forgot to put the CD keys in the box. Thats why it was delayed. Not making this up btw
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Thanks alot for the heads up. Now that I know the EXACT reason for the delay I don't feel so frustrated anymore. Too bad developers don't practice this sorta stuff.

  • Brat_Killer

    Posted Sep 1, 2008 5:23 pm PT

    They forgot to put the CD keys in the box. Thats why it was delayed. Not making this up btw

  • R3DN1N3

    Posted Sep 1, 2008 4:16 pm PT

    I wish developers would just come out and state the EXACT reason a game is getting delayed instead of leaving us to guess.....

  • twink69

    Posted Sep 1, 2008 3:00 pm PT

    gbaturin: you telling us your a piratcopynerd leavin us with a steady income to suffer for you and your kind cheap thefts leaven the pc as a platform behind the nerd-box?+ its a reason your so called Russian copy is full of bugs and gafs*

  • Psycold

    Posted Sep 1, 2008 11:13 am PT

    Good thing I wasn't waiting for it

  • Thing2

    Posted Aug 31, 2008 4:48 pm PT

    c'mon! They seriously didn't know this was gonna happen? It JUST went gold and now it's delayed? They're not fixing any more bugs, they may be getting the first patch ready already but bugs are not the reason for this delay. It says right there that they're having "manufacturing issues".

    And I thought MY powers of estimation were bad, these guys can't seem to get a break....

  • gbaturin

    Posted Aug 31, 2008 1:09 pm PT

    Trust me, I've been playing the Russian version for a week (or trying to, at least). The game's great and improves on every aspect of the first part, but it's BUGGED, very very very bugged. After 5-6 hours of flawless performance it began to lag and crash :-((( Fallout 3, I need you...

  • pidow

    Posted Aug 31, 2008 9:51 am PT

    Since so much about bugs..and I hate bugs, I going to not buy the game(after tracking it forever), and buy Crysis Warhead...I'll think about Clear Sky later when playable and properly QC'd. I sometime still play the first and again I have NEVER had one problem with the game.

  • Aminal_basic

    Posted Aug 31, 2008 8:36 am PT

    Personally if delays mean less bugs I'm all for them. I'd rather have a game NOT need patching. If I have to wait for that then I'll wait. I do so hate a buggy game!

  • Reggie_p75

    Posted Aug 31, 2008 6:47 am PT

    I've got the game on pre-order n can only hope that it doesn't have the 'nested' mission bugs of the previous game. One particular mission bug that annoyed me was failure to help the crappy little motley crew defend their little warehouse. ME help THEM.. they ran around like headless chickens and rarely shot at anything worthy with their pea-shooters.. and constantly after that u were chastised for failing to help them.. EVEN tho that was one of the significant missions u did win and it cropped up over n over.

    Anyway, onto the 'improvements' over the original. Let's hope their are some as I've read 2 reviews that dont paint a good or damning picture of the game..

    Either way, take heed of this advice.. If u get the game, dont install it for about a month cos no doubt they'll make the cock-up regarding patches again, where ur previous saves wont be compatible with the newer patch..

    I'll be hopefully getting the game sept 5th but wont be installing it for a month!!!

    Happy gaming :-)

  • 69

    Posted Aug 31, 2008 4:54 am PT

    The original game was pretty hyped when it came out due to how long it had been in development. I thought the graphics were ok and the story was passable, but that was pretty much it. The "open ended" gameplay bored me, the combat wasnt that great, the ai wasnt very impressive, the money was nearly useless, the gun i had upgraded 2 hours in was still my preferred weapon by the end of the game, and i kept experiencing weird bugs like getting attacked by enemies in areas i could not attack back.

    This game tho, has flown under the radar much more, and i actually have higher expectations. At least they arent playing catch up with a huuuuuge delay this time.

  • lumeiwan

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 10:43 pm PT

    Just don't delay until i totally forget about this game. There's quite alot of other games on my list.

  • raptorlead1

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 10:01 pm PT

    the reason to gripe about this is apparently the reason for the "incident" is that they forgot to include the CD keys..... That is off the official forums. Also, the main reason the first one got delayed for 6 years was that they completely redid the game, SHOC is not the same game remotely by what the original plan was. the first plan was more going to be a generic shooter, not SHOC.

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 4:51 pm PT

    Oh - and every single open world game ever released on PC has come out with bugs - so can we stop getting annoyed as it is the same with every open world game like this! I mean, remember the first STALKER, but what about Oblivion and Morrowind and Arx Fatalis and Freelancer and The Withcr and Two Worlds and Boiling Point and evEry single Elder Scrolls game and..... Well, you gt my point!

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 4:47 pm PT

    10 days and you are comparing it to the first game's 6 year delay - are you morons or what!? Oh, hang on - this isn't Bethesda or Valve or EA is it - so insults can be made easily!

  • pratapbond

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 4:17 pm PT

    well if it was set several decades before the first game then that would put it smack in the time of World war II....come on call of duty and mefal og honor already covered that...heheh.

  • ctg867

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 11:52 am PT

    I love I how I get marked for respectfully voicing my opinion. I swear, some of you are such fanboys. Anything that doesn't exactly agree with what you think is "wrong".

  • gpvs

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 11:44 am PT

    ""Actually the reason for delay is due to the fact that they forgot the CD keys..
    So all NA orders have to be re-done and re-sent.""

    If this is the case, then I must say "STUPID Idiots"

  • andrew_ribbons

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 11:38 am PT

    This game was reviewed quite poorly by PCGamer-UK, the reliable mag i subscribe to. I really just don't think this development team have the skills to make a truely solid game out of the Stalker franchise, they should move on.

  • OgreB

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 9:38 am PT

    Actually the reason for delay is due to the fact that they forgot the CD keys..
    So all NA orders have to be re-done and re-sent.

  • jokerdk

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 8:56 am PT

    great game! it's a masterpeace. have been playing it for several days now.

  • Jason_Morris

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 7:58 am PT

    "Set several decades before the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R."

    Reeeeaaaaaallllyyy??

  • monty_4256

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 7:53 am PT

    first I've heard of huge bugs, we all know the game is gonna be buggy, but it tends to be little ones like AI of enemies not seeing you, or seeing you when they shouldn't
    or suicidal tendancies within the AI
    just that sort of thing, I never crashed once with SOC. And the reviews seem really positive about it, and didn't mention any major bugs

  • gbaturin

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 7:38 am PT

    It's not a manufacturing issue, it's a BUG ISSUE. The Russian version came out a week ago and it's bugged worse than the first game. There's already a patch out but it doesn't help much, as the game just crashes after several hours of play, and reinstalling doesn't help a bit. In other words, the US release is being delayed so they can fix the bugs, and that doesn't mean that there won't be any when it finally comes out. The Russian version's just a beta-test that people like myself pay over 20 dollars for :-( there's no crack...

  • Jeremyind

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 7:36 am PT

    not sure this is entirely accurate work at walmart just got it in last night.

  • raptorlead1

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 7:28 am PT

    Oh my ******* god, why the **** can't they ever do it ******* right the first time.....

  • pidow

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 6:23 am PT

    Maybe someone should do a better job of QC before shipping{the code were missing for playing the game}. Will this be the only thing wrong with the game or will their be other problems not mentioned until we try to play it.

  • Boggy_d

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 6:00 am PT

    pidow, if you realised how long european residents had to wait for some games and movies you would not be complaining. This game has only slipped a week, I'm sure you can find something to do for those seven days...

  • Epic_Oatmeal

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 5:35 am PT

    Arronaxxx, is it really THAT bad? I mean, are these bugs game-breaking, or just minor things similar to what Shadow of Chernobyl has when patched? If it's the latter, I may just wait on getting it. That'll give me time to purchase and familiarize myself with Windows Vista while waiting for some bug fixing patches.

  • Arronaxxx

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 5:16 am PT

    Got the russian version last week. The game is buggy like hell I hope European and NA releases will come with patches, 'cause if they don't - the game's gonna be a total flop.

  • pidow posted Aug 30, 2008 5:11 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    pidow

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 5:11 am PT (hide)

    This SUCKS....what next? How Europeans first and not the US? This might make me change my mind.

  • go5u

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 5:05 am PT

    Is Gamespot freaking stupid.
    What do they mean its set Several Decades before the 1st game WTF! lol that means its set in the 60's - 70's which is hard to believe since the Chernobyl accident only happened in 86.
    Come on Gspot get ur sheet together and your facts straight.
    lol

  • Slashgibber

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 4:56 am PT

    Haha, first time us Euros gets a triple A title before you yanks! Now you know how we feel most of the time.

  • Targzissian

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 4:39 am PT

    @NiteX, I noticed that too. Several decades before the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (which I believe was set in 2012) would likely be before the 1986 meltdown. Clear Sky is supposed to only be a year or two before the original.

    As for the delay, that will give them more time to work on a patch for the inevitable bugs that the game will ship with.

  • ColoradoKindBud

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 3:16 am PT

    If it's a "manufacturing issue", then why would the release on Steam be pushed back as well? That seems strange.

  • Paladin_King

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 1:38 am PT

    i honestly feel bad for these guys. they actually got their crap together this time and they STILL get hammered by delays that are probably outside of their control. ah well, i'm moving to the UK in september, so no problems for me.

  • themesmith

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 12:38 am PT

    What would be the damn difference between UK and US version?

  • brujos_corpse

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 10:55 pm PT

    Once again the delays happens just like the original....

  • Epic_Oatmeal

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 10:55 pm PT

    I can easily wait 'till the 15th or later, but it still really hurts to have the game get delayed less than a week before release. I got my fingers crossed that it will still become available on Steam on the 6th (it says the 6th on Steam, rather than the 5th for some reason). I also hope it's as good as the PC Zone review made it out to be, rather than how bad some people that already own it claim that it is... Aw, who am I kidding, I'll still enjoy the Hell out of it no matter what.

    BRING ON AUTUMN!!!

  • QualityJeverage

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 9:44 pm PT

    A one week delay is no big deal, especially when compared to the massive delays the first game had.

  • mrklorox

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 9:20 pm PT

    Aww... there go a few thousand NA copies to software pirates who won't have to wait on the EU torrent. A real shame.

  • ne0man

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 9:13 pm PT

    I thought this was just before the last game and it unfolded the events on the 1st one. and I think we won't be following a storyline which spans decades...such a huge mistake

  • aslag94

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 8:43 pm PT

    Not again!! Oh well, I'll have Mercs 2 and Oblivion Lost to help tide me over.

  • darkfox101

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 8:39 pm PT

    I had a dream I was playing this game..

  • NiteX

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 8:36 pm PT

    Several decades? I thought it was only 1 year?

  • blorg13

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 8:35 pm PT

    NOOOOOOO!!!!

  • core5

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 8:28 pm PT

    We all know it's hard to get stuff in and out of the zone. I guess the game is no exception

advertisement

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

Featured Stories

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!

Related Game

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Boxshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky

Game Stats

  • Rank:
    547 of 59,052
    (up by 19)
    PC Rank:
    205 of 11,435
    Highest Rank:
    1 in 2008
    Tracking:
    3,026 Track It»
    Wishlists:
    1,602 Wish It»
  • Users Now Playing:
    413
  • Number of Players:

    1 Player, 32 Online Online Modes: Competitive, Team Oriented

  • Top 5 User Tags:
    1. clear sky
    2. stalker
    3. s.t.a.l.k.e.r.
    4. gsc game world
    5. stalker clear sky
  • Mature Rating Description

    Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. Learn more

Full Game Details »Close

Related Games

Site Blogs