Alpha Protocol officially delayed to 'Spring 2010'

Nearly one week ago, retailers began listing Alpha Protocol as being delayed until mid-2010. Now, on the day it was supposed to ship for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, Sega has confirmed the postponement. On its official Web site, the publisher now lists the game as arriving in "Spring 2010" on all three platforms.

Alpha Protocol's exact launch date remains unclear. GameStop is listing the game as shipping on June 1, 2010, toward the end of the second quarter. Amazon's Canadian store has it as arriving in North America on June 30, 2010, the last day of Q2.

As recently as August 27, Obsidian staffers were saying that Alpha Protocol was still on schedule. The delay marks the second time Sega has drastically altered the release plans of a game developed by the Orange County, California-based independent studio. In February, the publisher indefinitely delayed Obsidian's unnamed role-playing game based on the Alien film series, before canceling it outright in June.

Alpha Protocol weaves a story not unlike Robert Ludlum's popular Jason Bourne novels. The RPG's plot follows Michael Thorton, a secret agent who has turned rogue after being disavowed by his government. However, given that the game accommodates a branching storyline a la BioWare's sci-fi RPG Mass Effect, players can assume a variety of undercover personas, ranging from a suave James Bond-style spy to one like the maniacal Jack Bauer of 24 fame.