Army of Two in Training Until 2008

The team will use the extra time used to polish this first instalment in possible franchise.

Many people picking up games based on wholly new ideas likely think of them as just games, but for their creators, they're much more than that - they're the beginnings of franchises.

Of course, to make that jump requires that the lead-off game does well. Just ask EA, which this week has pushed back the release of Army of Two in an attempt to ensure that the first game opens the door as wide as possible to expansion.

"Army of Two has potential to become a lasting EA franchise - so getting the first title right is essential," EA's Frank Gibeau said in a statement reported by Reuters.

Rather than the November release EA announced in July, the game is now scheduled to come out during the first quarter of the new year.

Army of Two is a new action game being worked on at EA's studio in Montreal. The game stars two mercenaries embroiled in today's hot-topic of armies for hire. One of the big features is a heavy emphasis on co-operative play.

In an interview with 1UP, EA's Alan Tascan said that the team would use the extra time "to add extra polish to the game", mentioning, as an example, the hundreds of weapons that are in the game.

Tascan, who is executive producer on the project, said that he felt no pressure from executives at the company to push the game out early. Instead they asked him how much time he would need to get it into top shape.

"I think this is a new commitment of EA on a truly different level," Tascan said.

Army of Two is far from the only game to be delayed past Christmas. In the last few months, several publishers have pushed back games that were destined to be among the biggest sellers this year, a group that includes Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV and many others.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo