Sega's Bayonetta Moved To 2010 Release

Sega says PlatinumGames' upcoming PS3/Xbox 360 action title Bayonetta won't make its Fall 2009 release window in North America, and is instead slated for January 2010. The Japanese release date will still be October 29th as planned, and it seems Sega was concerned primarily about the visibility and sales potential for the game amid a season customarily packed with high-profile releases. "Bayonetta is an extremely important new IP for SEGA and adds a new level of depth to our growing portfolio," said Sega West president and COO Mike Hayes in a statement. "As a result of market analysis, we have taken a Publishing decision that January 2010 is the optimum release time in the Western Markets to maximize this exciting new title's potential." Despite the fact the Fall-holiday season is crowded with the best releases from numerous publishers, marketers and analysts have generally held the position that the rising tide lifts all boats. Rather than games stealing revenue from one another, the packed shelves at attract consumers who might not otherwise have purchased anything. But amid the economic downturn and what some publishing execs cite as continuing retail conservativism on initial sell-in volume, it's possible other publishers may buck the trend toward seasonal rush and move their higher-profile, costly releases into less crowded release windows in the hopes of selling more units.