The demo of the upcoming first-party Microsoft game Crackdown has been delayed from its release on Wednesday, January 17 to a vague "several days" from now. The demo is still expected some time this month, with the retail version of the game still set to land in stores on February 20.
The delay is coming as a result of the game’s development going more slowly than expected through Microsoft’s arduous certification process–a process which has, historically, been the cause for releases of Xbox Live Marketplace content to be pushed back.
Crackdown has garnered a significant amount of attention recently, after it was announced that buying specially marked versions of the game was one of the few–and frankly, the only feasible–routes to get into the highly anticipated Halo 3 beta. Since it was first announced, the game’s cel-shaded graphics and Grand Theft Auto-style gameplay has been met with mixed reactions from the press. Many have speculated that the inclusion of the Halo 3 beta invite is nothing more than a way to cash-in on a sub-par game, while others see it as a move to help a new franchise get mainstream attention it might not otherwise get on its own. Regardless, gamers will be able to decide for themselves when the demo is released on the Marketplace.
