South Park - Delayed to March 2014

Ubisoft announces that South Park: The Stick of Truth is delayed to March 4, 2014. It joins the ever increasing amout of games being delayed this month.

Why the new delay? Well, when Ubisoft picked up the game, we thought: Easy. We’ll put some marketing muscle behind Stick of Truth, toss some additional development resources at it, then take it to the finish line with Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The game’s almost done, anyways – so what more could we do?

Apparently, quite a bit more. “Within three weeks after acquiring the game, we sadly realized we had to turn this thing upside down if we hoped to deliver the experience everybody wanted,” says Ubisoft North America’s president Laurent Detoc. “It’s been such a major overhaul to get to the point where we are that we couldn’t let it go, even if that meant missing December.”

South Park’s creators wholeheartedly agree. “We always wanted the game to feel like you’re actually in an episode of South Park,” say Matt Stone and Trey Parker. “Getting the game up to the crappy standards of the show has been a real challenge and we’re excited to say it’s taken way longer than we thought it would.”

Here is a video to go along with the announcement.





More information.

I wonder what state the game was in? THQ and Ubisoft have some very different opinions on what makes a game ready for release apparently.

Either way, a major bummer.

The response from Ubisoft to me sounds like a backstab at Obsidian. I'm curious how much of a mess the game is. It's already a year overdue.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
The response from Ubisoft to me sounds like a backstab at Obsidian.

Likewise that from the South Park guys, sounds like everyone is beating on Obsidian.

Also looks massively QTE-tastic.

Can't wait

Originally Posted by kalniel
Likewise that from the South Park guys, sounds like everyone is beating on Obsidian.

Dunno about this, the South Park guy does say "Getting the game up to the crappy standards of the show has been a real challenge"

If they wanted crappy standards, it must mean that the game was quality. No?

Originally Posted by kalniel
Likewise that from the South Park guys, sounds like everyone is beating on Obsidian.

They were being sarcastic.

Also looks massively QTE-tastic.

QTE? I didn't see any of it. You probably mean FMV sequences, which usually is a big part of most trailers to show a bit of the story..

Trailer looks great

Haven't seen any interview where they are "beating on Obsidian", everything i've read they've said they're very happy to work with Obsidian. Also good to know both M&T are big rpg nerds…

Another game developed by Obsidian runs into development troubles..hardly a shock. I jusr hope it won't harm them too much

Pretty silent on the Project Eternity front lately, too, until recently. I wonder if Obsidian didn't shift folks to South Park for a bit…

Originally Posted by bjon045
They were being sarcastic.

You think?

Originally Posted by vurt
QTE? I didn't see any of it.

The ability usages all look like QTE. Circle the pad then press blah. Hit blah then at the peak hit blah again.

Originally Posted by kalniel
The ability usages all look like QTE. Circle the pad then press blah. Hit blah then at the peak hit blah again.

Looked like any other RPG in this genre, nothing unexpected. Wouldn't call that "QTE".

I initially had zero interest in this, then I was surprised that the combat system actually looked pretty solid and I thought, maybe I will pick it up.

Now that it has slipped to 2014 though it's shifting back to a probable no buy, there are just too many games that I want that also got pushed to 2014 and I don't think this would get any play time over the other games.

Originally Posted by vurt
Looked like any other RPG in this genre,

I admit I have no experience of animated comedy RPG conversions, so I'll bow to your wisdom on that one

Originally Posted by azarhal
Dunno about this, the South Park guy does say "Getting the game up to the crappy standards of the show has been a real challenge"

If they wanted crappy standards, it must mean that the game was quality. No?

If you've watched much South Park, you'll notice they poke fun at themselves a lot for the crappy cardboard cut-out style animation they do. For example, in the movie SP: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, when the kids are first rejected going to the Terrance and Phillip movie, Cartman remarks that he didn't want to see it anyway because "the animation's all crappy" as they bob back and forth supposedly "walking" away from the theater -- animated crappily. Matt and Trey do this is a lot of their work. Team America was self-referencial in the same way, albeit with puppets movements.

Since their goal is to make the game mimick being inside an episode, they actually have to replicate the crappy animation too. I would imagine that is actually a little challenging.

Originally Posted by kalniel
I admit I have no experience of animated comedy RPG conversions, so I'll bow to your wisdom on that one

There isnt just comedy RPG's using that system though The game is inspired by RPG's such as Earthbound and Paper Mario.

Originally Posted by vurt
There isnt just comedy RPG's using that system though The game is inspired by RPG's such as Earthbound and Paper Mario.

Ah yes, the two great achievements in RPG genre. Doesn't mean I will not be buying this game through.