A few weeks ago we reported on LucasArts’ latest major project, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.  Although rumors first whispered that players would be taking direct control of Darth Vader himself, we were unfortunately “force-d” to tell our readers that this was not the case.  Still, the game looks both very ambitious and subsequently exciting, and as a result it’s been delayed again, this time until next year.  It may just be a sign of things to come, as developers come to grips with the latest in next-gen console technology.

While gamers won’t be taking control of the caped man in black himself, they will step into the shoes of a comparably interesting character.  Reports are that The Force Unleashed will give players control of a bounty hunter, a la Boba Fett, in an apprentice role under Mr. Vader.  The game was set to ship with this story by November, however it has now been pushed back to sometime during the spring of 2008.

So, what’s the deal?

Considering recent reports that game companies like Take 2 and Ubisoft are struggling, and other accusations that Sony’s PlayStation 3 is exceptionally difficult to develop for, it may be a dark omen for gamers.  Although game delays are hardly new, they seem especially frequent at this point in time; other setbacks include Half Life 2, Blue Dragon, and the highly anticipated Bioshock. 

The PS3, which some key developers note for its difficulty in working with, has seen some very notable games delayed recently.  The most blatant example may be Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2, which ships for Xbox 360 this week but will not reach the big black Sony box until at least June.

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