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Singularity delayed to Q1 2010

Activision says greater than anticipated interest in Modern Warfare 2 has led it to push back the time-shifting action adventure from Raven Software.

Each year, all first- and third-party game publishers play a massive game of chicken by releasing all their top titles during the holiday quarter. With consumers' dollars limited, the massive pre-Christmas retail dump leaves several major titles high and dry, with new properties being particularly vulnerable to tried-and-true IPs. This was the case last holiday season, when Electronic Arts saw the launches of new IPs Mirror's Edge and Dead Space outpaced by blue-chip franchise entries, such as Microsoft's Gears of War 2 and Activision's Call of Duty: World at War.

Time keeps on slipping...into the future...

Time keeps on slipping...into the future...

With the stakes so high, many companies blink and shift their titles out of the holiday season. Now, with the fourth quarter's start less than three months away, one major publisher has decided one of its new IPs would be crushed during the period---by another of its games. This evening, Activision confirmed that it is delaying Singularity, the all-new time-shifting action title from Madison, Wisconsin-based studio Raven Software (Wolfenstein, Marvel Ultimate Alliance) until the first quarter of next year. The reason? The insane amount of interest in Modern Warfare 2, the hotly anticipated--and heavily hyped--sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which has sold over 13 million units.

"The level of excitement for Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 coming out of E3 well exceeded our expectations and therefore we have decided to move Raven's upcoming sci-fi first-person action title, Singularity, from 2009 to Q1 2010," an Activision spokesperson told GameSpot. "We believe that the March quarter will provide a better opportunity to establish the new cutting-edge action IP as a 'must-have' title and clears the way for Modern Warfare 2 to dominate this holiday season."

In Singularity, gamers play as Nate, an Air Force pilot who, in the early parts of the game, is scrambled to investigate some strange happenings on an island off the coast of Russia. After Nate's plane crashes, players must uncover the mystery of the island, while remaining alive in the process. When you toss in a time-travel complication that keeps flipping the setting from 2010 to the 1950s, massive complications ensue.

For a closer look at the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 game, check out GameSpot's stage demo of it during last month's Electronic Entertainment Expo, viewable below.

80 Comments

  • fadersdream

    Posted Jan 4, 2012 11:57 am GMT

    Good game.

  • TheoleDominion

    Posted Jul 12, 2009 8:07 am GMT

    Good call Activision, releasing two shooters around the same time isn't wise. However, I do agree with a poster about if you had another original AAA title in a different genre, this sort of thing could be avoided. Another thing is this game looks alot like "Timeshift."

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Jul 11, 2009 3:13 am GMT

    Nice to see devs using that 'grey matter' rather than simply churning out yet another 'generic' FPS.

  • Warghost2k

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 4:29 am GMT

    I'm glad to hear we're gonna be waiting longer for this game. Seriously, the more time a developer has to polish a game, the less it will suck. I am getting tired of crappy games that feel rushed out the door, so I'm hoping the extra time gives Raven the chance to make a better product.

  • loggens

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 2:24 am GMT

    Cant say iam not sad but MW2 is good too theres no really harm done..

  • ayanematrix

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 10:17 pm GMT

    I call shenanigans on Activision's call to push Singularity back to next year. It's not like everyone and their mother is going to go out and buy the same old Call of Duty game with a fresh coat of paint on it! Plus, from what I remember from Game Informer a few months back, there's only what, 6 hours or less of single player gameplay and the rest is multiplayer for COD:MW2? What do I want that? I can't even get my console online since broadband is too expensive in my area, so what good is it to have a game that's mostly multiplayer like Killzone 2?

    BS Activision, stop whining and make original stuff already!

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 1:45 pm GMT

    @XxTerryH15xX

    goto 17:42 thanks!

  • makemeweak

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 11:53 am GMT

    Activision always has it's eyes on the bottom line: Sacrifice everything for profits...

  • NoAssKicker47

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 9:31 am GMT

    Singularity seems that much more awesome than anything ever in a CoD game, so I guess that's a good sign.

  • zeroking420_666

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 9:19 am GMT

    Singularity delayed is a good thing now I can worry about MW2 for right now than .

  • hibikino

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 9:15 am GMT

    The interface looks a little like Bioshock but anything to do with time travelling is awesome!

  • D4NZEL-709

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 9:10 am GMT

    aaaaaaahhh now i can play all my other games without worrying about another coming in a week

  • XxTerryH15xX

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 9:00 am GMT

    pc and ps3 only yay!

  • raahsnavj

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 8:56 am GMT

    @ropumar : Oops, I read the 'Also on' wrong and didn't realize they were talking about the X360 edition. In that case, yep, just more polish would be awesome.

  • blackie8

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 8:44 am GMT

    and its as if activision is saying that singularity isnt good! the game looks amazing and maybe even better than modern warfare 2 probably because i am not a big fan of the call of duty/modern warfare series

  • NuKkU

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 8:40 am GMT

    The Game Informer cover story awhile back didnt really catch my interest but i understand there reasoning for the delay i mean what FPS can actually compete with MW2 hope the best for this game

  • ropumar

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 8:37 am GMT

    @raahsnavj
    Is already confirmed for the 360 and ps3. It was announced as a multiplat from the beginning for all next gen consoles.

  • Cicatraz_ESP

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 7:26 am GMT

    This is good, if I finish all my holiday titles I'll have something to look forward to during the drought.

  • raahsnavj

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 7:06 am GMT

    And here's hoping they take the time to polish the game dramatically. Every game can use more tweaks and it would be nice to have a really well made polished title show up in Q1, Q2. Either that or they can port it to the X360... I mean really it is already on PC, might as well throw it on the X360.

  • tolys

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 7:06 am GMT

    I dont think that singularity will be better with less bugs i just think that the time it will be released it will look like a bit old like many other games.

  • PixelHunter

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 6:57 am GMT

    Good! We need great games year-round, not just for the "holiday season".

  • Dgalmun

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 6:42 am GMT

    I guess they're trying to make it a better game and maybe they're fixing some bugs in the game...

  • dakan45

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 6:34 am GMT

    thats better, now they will develop he game and not rush it out with bugs.

  • ztron370

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 6:24 am GMT

    Oh well,ALPHA PROTOCOL and SPLINTER CELL CONVICTION are still coming out.

  • JJB03

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 6:03 am GMT

    THE most confusing kinda of game ever its like so what are we in 1950 or 2010 and wot the hell does the device do age stuff wtf...meh i like it lol

  • wolf0

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 5:43 am GMT

    MW 2 and bad company 2 will be all i need for a long time ....... and mass effect 2 man thats alot of twos

  • shkar

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 5:28 am GMT

    This means they r not confident of themselves......Because if u believe i what u do ,,,u don't have to be afraid of the challenges...
    And Yes MW2 is going to get all the interest and love especially from me....

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 5:24 am GMT

    That games needed time anyway

  • Lukemaneiro

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 5:04 am GMT

    @Gaara, you have NO idea what you're saying.

    Activision will sell a LOT of COD copies. They want to focus on that title. They delayed singularity because they want to focus in one game right now, a game that GUARANTEES money. This has nothing to do with bioshock.

  • shawn7324

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 4:34 am GMT

    I would even this year buy Singularity before I would MW 2.

  • Prosaver

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 4:22 am GMT

    Let's hope Singularity will better if the game have to be hold up like that.

  • Nihmmoh

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 4:19 am GMT

    this game reminds me of timeshift, but timeshift wasnt that great so i hope this is better

  • pamplinas322

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 4:10 am GMT

    Well i guess is for the better.

  • Gaara79

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 3:58 am GMT

    The competition for this game doesn't come from COD. But from Bioshock. It looks like Bioshock without Rapture and the TMD instead of plasmids. Even the little icon of the people communicating with you looks the same and has the same golden colour.

  • Melty123

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 3:52 am GMT

    If the game comes out better than I can wait.

  • robotghost

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 3:46 am GMT

    I wasn't too sure about their choice, but in the end it makes sense, though. In the next few months people are going to be playing MW2 like crazy, and anybody who doesn't have it by January will have either received it for the holidays or jumped on post-holiday shopping. By March, even the January owners people will be ready for something new.

  • handsomeboy1996

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 3:23 am GMT

    yeah, it would be bad for two FPS game of one company to battle each other

  • Stalker700

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 3:00 am GMT

    Good,I thought that September was too soon anyway.
    Let them work more on the game

  • gandalf_storm

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 2:48 am GMT

    after the aweful timeshift I wasnt looking forward to it anyway, give me mw 2 anyday

  • stubuz323

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 2:38 am GMT

    Nice little hammer and sickle in the background

  • Shanks_D_Chop

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 2:04 am GMT

    I think they're lying, using MW2 as an excuse when really the game just won't be ready. Which is nothing to be ashamed of, shows they're putting the work in.

  • bioghost

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 1:35 am GMT

    I'm starting to spend wise with my money, so in Fall I will be busy

  • Meises

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 1:15 am GMT

    Singularity looks amasing! Give me that instead of Modern Warfare 2

  • nerd_assassin

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 12:41 am GMT

    @assassinatur54

    And inFamous proved that a game can be released earlier than expected and still be polished. Great game, can't wait to have the bucks to buy it.

    Funny though, first they want to can out support for Sony, and then now they want to delay some games' release so that the one with dominant expectations can be released with less competition and more interest(internally speaking)...looks like Activision really wants some money in their pockets.

    But yeah,a good move nonetheless.

    And like TheTHCGamer I also love that quote...although I don't know who steve miller band is.

  • dewwy

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 12:25 am GMT

    This is the best worst news for Activision. They're basically saying they don't want to compete with the top FPS game to hit the market at that time... which is another one of their games! That's gotta be a pretty good problem to have if you ask me - right up there with having too much money.

  • punk_dis

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 11:58 pm GMT

    Lol exactly. The game sounds EXACTLY like 5th season of lost.. or lost in general. I mean, plane crash, surviving in a desert island (or is it?) discovering its mysteries, time travel between 50's and 2010... massive complications... Hey, this is LOST! sounds also like a game I'll be buying for sure, but MW2 comes first

  • themanofmanynam

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 11:24 pm GMT

    This might be just me.. but this kinda looks like it's taking a lot from Bioshock. Like, quite a bit. Minus the story.

  • TheTHCGamer

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 11:21 pm GMT

    i love the steve miller band quote-time keeps on slipping into the future.

  • assassinatur54

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 11:15 pm GMT

    If only all games could be pushed up earlier like when inFAMOUS came out.

  • boyd803

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 11:14 pm GMT

    activision and raven studios concern about their game, they tring not to put the release date around modern warfare 2's date, good decision, singularity is a thrilled game, saw the trailor, by the way i just heard Codemaster's operation flashpoint dragon rising got delayed too, the announced it was one month late, but i think it might be more

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