As sure as Christmas comes in December, game publishers announce delays in October. This week, we've already heard that Two Worlds II and NBA Elite 11 would miss their projected release dates, and many analysts believe that Nintendo's releasing the 3DS in March of next year indicates a delay for that platform. Today another game has joined the parade of titles that we'll have to wait even longer for, this one being Epic's Gears of War 3.

Originally scheduled for a worldwide release in April of next year, GoW3 has now been given a release window of "fall 2011". Microsoft is denying that the delay is due to any problems with the game, but is due to the publisher and developer hoping to take advantage of the increased sales at holiday time.

Epic's executive producer Rod Fergusson issued the following statement on the game's official website for fans of the series who may be saddened by the news:

"I know fans are going to be disappointed with the new release date, but rest assured that this is a business decision between partners, and not a quality issue. Gears 3 was on track to be the most polished Gears of War game ever when it released in April, and this additional time allows us to polish it that much more before it hits shelves next fall. Next week we have a major multiplayer press visit at Epic HQ, and I'm really looking forward to the fans seeing and hearing about Gears 3 versus multiplayer for the first time. Lots more exciting news to come."

Personally, I feel like Gears 3 could drop on any of the 365 calendar days and be one of the best-selling games of whatever year it releases. I wonder how many more publishers are now thinking about delaying their holiday 11 titles in order to get out of Epic's way.