If there is one thing I hate, it's constantly hearing about the upcoming Fall lineup. Television networks are notorious about bragging about their upcoming Fall lineup, even mentioning them in the early Spring. As if we don't already have to wait through the entire summer for their programs to come out, they have to tease us ad nauseam during the late Spring months too.

And when Fall finally comes along, where are the new shows? They still aren't on.

Fox in particular is a huge culprit. For some reason (and yes we know it's because of the World Series) they think the Fall season starts the last week of November!

And what is the result of the delays? Shows they hype to no end get canceled after just one or two shows. And there is the common occurrence of shows being pushed to the beginning of next year, especially after the result of the Writer's Guild Strike of 2007-08. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was a victim of such a change.

And now we see it happening in the game industry too! I thought that when we saw the lineup at E3, that we would be checking out all the new games for this upcoming Fall and Holiday season? At least I thought that I would be expecting a lot of games this holiday, but lately it seems that is starting to change.

Just today, Capcom announced that they will be delaying Dark Void until the 1st Quarter of 2010. Capcom's excuse? They delay is done "in order to get the game out of the crowded fall game season."

What crowded Fall season?

We've already seen delays to Bioshock 2, Red Steel 2, Bayonetta, Lost Planet 2, Sin and Punishment 2, Split/Second, Mass Effect 2, and Singularity. And yes, need I mention both Alan Wake and Splinter Cell: Conviction? The way these games have been constantly delayed, I really do not think they will ever be coming out, let alone by Q1 2010.

I don't get it. Why delay all these titles? Sure there are a good amount of titles I am looking forward to for this holiday season (Tekken 6 on 360, Modern Warfare 2, Beatles: Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5, NHL 10, and Forza Motorsport 3,) but still, for a holiday lineup this is far less than what I'm normally expecting. And what happens if some of these titles end up getting delayed to Q1 2010 as well? (And before you trolls decide to attack me on NHL 10 not being delayed, I'm not that stupid, so don't bother!)

But in the end these delays end up hurting the game publishers. For those who are hurting in sales figures, delaying games, especially in the busy holiday season, could spell disaster. Do we need to see more companies going the way of Midway? Or should I say, Warner Brothers Games Chicago? I certainly don't.

And unless Capcom has something to hide (such as Dark Void's development staff not being up to stuff,) they might want to reconsider delays like this one. I don't think that sales of Street Fighter IV are going to last too long.

Currently Playing: Tiger Woods 10 (360,) Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 (XBLA)

Waiting For: Madden 10 (360,) Turtles in Time Reshelled (XBLA,) Shadow Complex (XBLA)