September 12, 2016September 12, 2016

An Update on The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian development team is fast approaching major milestones in production and has made the tough decision to delay the release of The Last Guardian a few weeks. The Last Guardian will launch on December 6, 2016.

Fumito Ueda, gen DESIGN and JAPAN Studio have a wonderful vision for The Last Guardian’s touching, emotional journey of friendship and trust, and we want to deliver the most polished experience possible for our fans who have supported us for so long. A delay is a difficult decision, particularly with this game, but we have encountered more bugs than anticipated while in the final stages of development. To ensure that The Last Guardian delivers on the experience that the game’s creators have envisioned, we need to take the extra time to work on those issues.

Our development continues to push itself to the fullest and we look forward to revealing new content toward launch.

We appreciate your continued support.

Comments are closed.

164 Comments

liumidsun
September 12, 2016 at 5:04 am PDT

Take as long as you need :)

I have plenty of games to play waiting for this.
- Meleemasta10
  September 12, 2016 at 5:11 am PDT
  
  Was scared when I read the headline. As long as it’s 2016 I’m fine.
- OnelShot
  September 12, 2016 at 5:34 am PDT
  
  It’s been almost 10 years, I’m well past the whole be nice and say “take your time” thing.
- philacio2331
  September 12, 2016 at 11:46 am PDT
  
  @onelShot do you want another No Man’s Sky? Cuz rushing devs is how you get another no man’s sky…
- notyourbuddy
  September 12, 2016 at 1:51 pm PDT
  
  @philacio2331 Wrong. That is NOT at all what happened with NMS. It wasn’t a failure due to being rushed. It failed due to lying about what it was and what it included.
- TJ_Solo
  September 13, 2016 at 12:42 am PDT
  
  @notyourbuddy The only lies going on with NMS is the people like you lying about NMS.
Bowen83
September 12, 2016 at 5:04 am PDT

So. Many. Delays.
cubbielovr
September 12, 2016 at 5:07 am PDT

It’s fitting that this game see one more delay. For old times sake. :) Seriously though, I am just happy that it’s still this year.
- supermoc10
  September 12, 2016 at 6:33 am PDT
  
  Seeing this literally made me nostalgic for the days when this was vaporware. I’m fine with this. I’d rather wait one more month (which is nothing in the grand scheme of things) and have the game be uncompromised than getting a version the creators aren’t proud of.
- Major_Lag14
  September 12, 2016 at 9:11 am PDT
  
  For now it is….
- cusman
  September 12, 2016 at 10:33 am PDT
  
  Yup still this year, and hopefully released in polish form without any defects that harm the experience. I have waited long time, so I will wait a little more. Hopefully this doesn’t hurt the financial success of the game releasing so late into the holiday spending season.
- aceofspadesfg
  September 13, 2016 at 3:22 am PDT
  
  Until its not…
thunderbear
September 12, 2016 at 5:08 am PDT

Can any developer keep its dates? The last few years have been ridiculous. Of course a great game is better than a game released too early but I don’t understand what’s so hard about scheduling properly. How often do you see movies delayed? Not often.
- BritishGolgo13
  September 12, 2016 at 5:16 am PDT
  
  I view release dates as suggested time periods instead of street dates. If you do the same, you will alleviate all of the frustration when something gets delayed. It sucks, yes, but this is where the ever-growing backlog comes into play.
  Games should follow the Blizzard rule of “it’ll be ready when it’s ready” mentality.
- ECR-85
  September 12, 2016 at 5:39 am PDT
  
  And with this statement we now, you’ve never programmed
- TheAntiSanta
  September 12, 2016 at 6:04 am PDT
  
  A movie doesn’t suddenly become unwatchable, if there’s a single hard to find and fix mistake, making it impossible to watch any further in the movie. Movies also don’t need to worry about being fun or easy or hard or what have you to control.
- cusman
  September 12, 2016 at 10:35 am PDT
  
  Movies get slated and delayed all the time. It is only after they are already shot that they get firm on the release dates. Static content have static pipelines, games are dynamic content and far more complicated than something shot to be presented in static format.
- renofheavens766
  September 12, 2016 at 11:42 am PDT
  
  It would literally take hours to explain all the things wrong with your statement.
- philacio2331
  September 12, 2016 at 11:48 am PDT
  
  Movies get their dates set when they finish post production. They have massive ad budgets that keep people enthralled right up til the release date. If games waited until they go gold to give a release date, some of them might never release, and others would be forgotten about. We brought this on ourselves by demanding release dates and screaming for info and details so far in advance…
- ABTBenjamins
  September 12, 2016 at 5:00 pm PDT
  
  Announced schedule delays are a consequence of the long sought after “transparency” in game development that gamers have been demanding for the last couple generations.This isn’t a new phenomenon by any means.
- TJ_Solo
  September 13, 2016 at 12:47 am PDT
  
  Any developer? Yeah, lots. Just look at all of the games the release without delays instead of only paying attention to the few they do get delays. Gaining a objective perspective helps with this.
DanteMerfi
September 12, 2016 at 5:10 am PDT

Shuhei, please let us change our names.
- ZanFear
  September 12, 2016 at 10:04 am PDT
  
  I never understood the obsession with this. If it’s like Steam though (how you can have more than one name), that would be cool though.
MachineHero09
September 12, 2016 at 5:10 am PDT

South Park, Gravity Rush 2, Final Fantasy XV and now this.

you trying to kill me? o_0
OnTheBus666
September 12, 2016 at 5:12 am PDT

Really worried about this one. Definitely going to wait to see the reviews before purchasing. Sorry Sony but having so many delays gives me the feeling that there are some deep flaws with this game that the developers just can’t iron out. Hope that is not the case but this doesn’t look good
- ZanFear
  September 12, 2016 at 10:05 am PDT
  
  …. Which is why they’re taking the time to fix the flaws before it actually releases. Let’s hope they get all of them by the new release date, but if not, that’s why we have patches.
Wickemic
September 12, 2016 at 5:12 am PDT

What’s one more delay? Get it to where it needs to be.
- Major_Lag14
  September 12, 2016 at 9:13 am PDT
  
  I think it’s obvious this game will never get to where it needs to be. No matter what they put out it will never live up to a decade of expectations.
- ZanFear
  September 12, 2016 at 10:07 am PDT
  
  Well, everyone’s expectations are different. Don’t expect something as amazing as or better than Shadow of the Colossus in our current (or even PS3) era. This game seems to be in-between Ico and SotC in gameplay to me, but if it’s better then that’s great. The story though is what major fans are looking forward to.
TomatoDragon
September 12, 2016 at 5:16 am PDT

Oh man. Well..October was incredibly packed. I have like 4 preorders for that month, so in that reguards this works out.
Still disappointing, but understandable.
- Major_Lag14
  September 12, 2016 at 9:15 am PDT
  
  What is understandable about a decade long dev cycle? They’ve invented consoles faster than they’ve developed 1 game.
Bloodios
September 12, 2016 at 5:22 am PDT

Bring ICO and Shadow of the Colossus to the PlayStation 4, please. I would love to be able to easily access all of Mr. Ueda’s games by having all of them on one single platform.
- four24twenty
  September 12, 2016 at 5:37 am PDT
  
  Both games are on PS4 through the PS Now service.
- Bloodios
  September 12, 2016 at 5:50 am PDT
  
  @four24twenty I wish for proper ports with improved graphics and performance on the PS4. Otherwise, I would rather plug my PS3 back in and play my PS3 copies of those games in instead of wasting money on cloud gaming with compromised visual quality and added control latency.
- dkarlowicz10
  September 12, 2016 at 12:01 pm PDT
  
  @ four24twenty. Some people don’t want to “rent” games through now, they would like to “own” them even if it is a digital purchase. I like owning a game knowing that I can play it at any time that I want. Plus, not everyone has a good consistent connection for Now.
cleversignin
September 12, 2016 at 5:24 am PDT

I have waited this long, a few more weeks is nothing. take your time and do it right.
EmperorKorea
September 12, 2016 at 5:26 am PDT

Has it become some sort of a sick and twisted tradition to delay first party PS4 games? Also how is the studio behind this game still operating without having released a game in 10 years?
- Krillinfan
  September 12, 2016 at 7:03 am PDT
  
  Yes, a “sick and twisted tradition” to make sure the games are polished as possible and run great.
  
  How evil.
- F4r0_Atak
  September 12, 2016 at 9:08 am PDT
  
  Well, just so you know, the studio behind this game have released multiple games in the past years across PS3, PS Vita and PS4. Games they either produced, co-developed or even developed on their own. Just to name a few, they released Folklore, Siren Blood Curse, Demon’s Souls, Rain, Tokyo Jungle, Puppeteer, Gravity Rush, Knack, Bloodborne, Freedom Wars and Gravity Rush Remastered. As for the upcoming announced games we have The Last Guardian and Gravity Rush 2, both scheduled for a December release.
  
  What you should ask instead is : ” How is the team who made Ico and Shadows of The Colossus still operating without having released a game in 10 years? “
- F4r0_Atak
  September 12, 2016 at 9:11 am PDT
  
  The only answer I have to that is Team Ico have a really small team last time I checked (20-25 people). There is reason why so many high level devs (producers mainly) left during the project. Most of the team who is working on this game are migrating to Fumito Ueda’s new studio, called gen Design (an independent studio, not SIE related). There is also a reason why this team didn’t want to grow any bigger when developing this game. It is easier for certain people to handle a project of that cake when you have a smaller team. That and it would have raised the development cost dramatically. Hence why it was not cancelled so far, since it must have been cheaper to develop this game than other games produced or developed by Japan Studio.
- F4r0_Atak
  September 12, 2016 at 9:13 am PDT
  
  P.S. I meant “scale” not “cake”. :/
Destinys_Memory
September 12, 2016 at 5:31 am PDT

Stop announcing release dates for games.
- Krillinfan
  September 12, 2016 at 7:04 am PDT
  
  Yes, because as we all know, they should just drop a game unannounced and tell people to go buy it.
  
  It’s not like coding or programming can lead to unforeseen problems popping up, or you find a bug that had been previously hidden that can cause some big problems.
SessizTepe
September 12, 2016 at 5:32 am PDT

It sure is taking long.
TrueAssassin86x
September 12, 2016 at 5:33 am PDT

Lol i was about to pre-order oh well. I had a feeling this was gonna get delayed till 2017 like GT: Sport but to Dec is more like it but damn my December is packed Gravity Rush 2 and The Last Guardian a week a part from each other. Though now i have a feeling Gravity Rush 2 will be delayed till next year . On a positive note the delay gives me more time for Mafia 3 and TitianFall 2. Yes i am 1 of the few PlayStation users excited for TitianFall 2.
- TrueAssassin86x
  September 12, 2016 at 5:34 am PDT
  
  TitanFall 2*
four24twenty
September 12, 2016 at 5:34 am PDT

December 6th is the first Tuesday of the month. Can we assume this game will be free on Plus since we have been waiting for like 7 years? Please?
- UghRochester
  September 12, 2016 at 5:44 am PDT
  
  It’s not going to happen. Hell, Knack isn’t even a PS Plus game, yet.
UghRochester
September 12, 2016 at 5:40 am PDT

Well, damn. I’m just happy I haven’t told my boss when I want to take my week vacation, yet. I was going to use the week of Oct 25th, but that changed today.
- darkgodspot
  September 12, 2016 at 5:46 am PDT
  
  Kinda on the same situation here… I was gonna take november for mine but I might try and get december now. At least I’ll be good for both TLG and FFXV too. Too bad I don’t know for sure if I’ll be able to do that.
eaglefan129
September 12, 2016 at 5:42 am PDT

Sony, this game has been in development for 10 years… you’ve had studios being Naughty Dog that has released 4 (3 of them game of the year quality), high quality games during that time span. Just release the darn thing already. Hell, I’m not even that interested in this game but this is beyond ridiculous.
- four24twenty
  September 12, 2016 at 5:50 am PDT
  
  Beyond!
testifytolove
September 12, 2016 at 5:47 am PDT

Granted, I haven’t been waiting as long as some, so I can’t imagine how frustrated and upset others who *have* been waiting so long must feel. But I was saving this for Christmas anyway, so in that way it works out better. Plus, they get the opportunity to make the game as polished as possible, thereby giving fans the best experience they can get with the game.

However, I feel as though developers should stay quiet on the topic of release dates until they are a few months out and are 100% *certain* that they will be able to make whatever date they announce. Yes, I know things come up unexpectedly; with a project as big as a game, it’s bound to happen. So I understand when sometimes projects need more time. But these days, a release date feels more like an empty promise than the (seemingly) solid guarantee it once was.
Skeetlejuice
September 12, 2016 at 5:48 am PDT

Delays Await

Delaystation 4 pro and delay station slim

What ps4 first party games have you shipped as promised?

It’s no longer defensible. With all due respect to Yoshida San.

When we get trolled by other users PC master race the “Sony Pony” brigade.

It’s super weak first party holiday after holiday. GT pushed no suprise this last possible holiday window. Ff15 issues. Seems like outside of from Japan can’t develop games on schedule full stop. And not just them uncharted, drive club, the order the list goes on and on and on.

Sad.
- four24twenty
  September 12, 2016 at 5:51 am PDT
  
  I’ll be sure to not say your name 3 times in a row…
- anszbd1
  September 12, 2016 at 6:01 am PDT
  
  I think it’s better the game delayed and become great game rather than released early and become buggy game. And just ignored that stupid master race thing.
- TheAntiSanta
  September 12, 2016 at 6:08 am PDT
  
  So you want to go back to the world where Devs just release completely unfinished games, and we have to wait 9 months to get a patch to bring it up to what it was supposed to be? Did you see the the sales numbers for Street Fighter V?
- TrueAssassin86x
  September 12, 2016 at 6:14 am PDT
  
  You forgot 1 thing
  
  The WhineStation 4 for the entitled whiners Smh i hate to see how u act outside the gaming world.
- frightwolf2005
  September 12, 2016 at 6:29 am PDT
  
  Why does it matter if the games come out during the holiday season? I’ve heard people say that there hasn’t been a huge holiday release like Horizon or Uncharted or The Order during the holidays, but I’ve quite enjoyed the busy Q1 and Q2s I’ve been getting. This year, I started with Gravity Rush Remastered, Street Fighter V, The Witness, Alienation, Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted 4 and Doom within five months. That’s quite a bit to begin the year.
  
  Last year, I received Bloodborne in Q1. It could have made a great holiday release, but if I can get it Q1, then awesome. Don’t worry so much about if the “holiday” window is strong when the year as a whole has been active and fun.
- Seluhir
  September 12, 2016 at 7:31 am PDT
  
  Your problem is that you look at a release date as a promise.
  
  That’s you misinterpreting.
  
  A release date is the day they intend to release it. It’s a statement of intent, conditional on no bugs/production issues being encountered. Sadly, the reality of the complexity of games nowadays is that there are usually more bugs present than they hope.
  
  You have nobody to blame but yourself for being upset.
  
  I’d rather Sony and their production partners keep us in the loop earlier, even if it means delays, rather than tell us nothing until it’s completely ready to release. But that’s just me.
fecks
September 12, 2016 at 5:52 am PDT

No problem with a delay
anszbd1
September 12, 2016 at 5:54 am PDT

As long the game is good, delaying it is okay I guess. Since the release date is december so it will be supported on ps4 pro.

For a moment I though the game will be delayed to 2017, december 6 is just a months away.
Skeetlejuice
September 12, 2016 at 5:55 am PDT

How exactly do project managers and software managers of studios keep their jobs?

You have offered up an anemic first party lineup every year since launch. The only games you managed on time as I recall were killzone and knack.

I don’t understand how you expect any of us to preorder any of your games. At this point Uncharted and God of War is all I’ll preorder and $0 down on amazon with a discount.

If it wasn’t for all the 3rd party games you guys would be losing ground fast. I have no expectations for last guardian, gt or any of these delayed games to score any better than the 71 no mans disappointment got on metacritic.

Start following through with first party, not seeing the greatness.
- TheAntiSanta
  September 12, 2016 at 6:11 am PDT
  
  So… you’d rather they release the games on time, so that your pre-order is even more of a bad idea, because the day one version is total garbage?
- frightwolf2005
  September 12, 2016 at 6:32 am PDT
  
  This year’s first-party lineup has been a lot of fun and varied.
- Krillinfan
  September 12, 2016 at 7:07 am PDT
  
  lol they’ve released more first party exclusives than any other studio this year but ok
  
  Nice to see you have no idea how game design works though.
Skeetlejuice
September 12, 2016 at 6:00 am PDT

@four24twenty

Sure, says the guy with a username in tribute to being a prestigious stoner.

You don’t mind delays or mediocrity since that is the perpetual vape haze you thrive in.

I’d be surprised if you could remember what the name was after the second time.
- four24twenty
  September 12, 2016 at 6:18 am PDT
  
  This is exactly what I was afraid of.
agm4life
September 12, 2016 at 6:01 am PDT

It’s amazing that this game never got cancelled. Or should I say how it got brought back to life. Naughty Dog has released 5 games since Team Ico released its last game.
YorlecmNwahs
September 12, 2016 at 6:07 am PDT

This is fantastic news. The last thing we need is another No Man’s Sky or Steet Fighter V (in other words, rushed incomplete games).
rudetoy
September 12, 2016 at 6:15 am PDT

Games are delayed constantly and it still doesn’t seem to help…..bugs are still there, with the inevitable day 1 patch to follow. Oh well….
EmperorKorea
September 12, 2016 at 6:17 am PDT

inFamous Second Son – delayed
Driveclub – delayed.
The Order 1886 – delayed.
Bloodborne – delayed
Uncharted 4 – delayed.
Ratchet & Clank – delayed
Horizon Zero Dawn… delayed.
Gran Turismo Sport – delayed.

A NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES!

The Last Guardian – delayed.

Will Gravity Rush 2 be next? Tune in to find out!
- TrueAssassin86x
  September 12, 2016 at 6:20 am PDT
  
  Gravity Rush 2 to join GT:Sport next year. Gravity Rush 2 delayed till 2017.
- frightwolf2005
  September 12, 2016 at 6:33 am PDT
  
  I hope Gravity Rush 2 doesn’t get delayed. Then again, what the developers have said is the game has basically been ready, but they’ve been ironing out a few things here and there.
  
  So I’ll just assume it releases in December and if I’m wrong, I’ll be sad. =(
- Apollyon_Vice
  September 12, 2016 at 9:52 am PDT
  
  Bodied! LOL
  As long as this game really comes out I’m good.
- YorlecmNwahs
  September 12, 2016 at 4:34 pm PDT
  
  Didn’t all the games on that list you typed turn out great though? Ok Driveclub not so much but 7 out of 8? I like those odds. When games are delayed, it is usually an indication that they are not ready for release yet. Let them take all the time they need to work out as many of the kinks as they can.
caribb
September 12, 2016 at 6:26 am PDT

This game better not suck…
webdesigner
September 12, 2016 at 6:30 am PDT

Sorry..are people dumb ..all this games are geting delayed because playstation pro.
ps4 version is already finish,they are making the game ready for ps4 pro so when comes date launch you can play the game with pro options ready….
- THX1138
  September 12, 2016 at 6:33 am PDT
  
  Same thoughts a have. Back in PS3 days, Killzone 3 was delay to implement PS Move
THX1138
September 12, 2016 at 6:31 am PDT

Sounds like PS4 Pro update compatibility before releasing it.
stpfarms
September 12, 2016 at 6:33 am PDT

That’s a really tough week to launch a game after most holiday shopping dollars have already been spent isn’t it?
Skeetlejuice
September 12, 2016 at 6:33 am PDT

It’s been confirmed delay station

Where the ps4 pro requires a $1000 (demoed on $6k oled hdr)tv for up scaled 4K non native, does not support lossless 4K blu Ray, only improves patched aka new ps4 games. Does not support VR beyond frame rates / textures

Throttled down performance for multiplayer, no obvious value for 1080p tv owners frame rate textures for single player?

$70 PS+ cad = not renewing for indie games and multiplayer paywall.

Lack of quality in first party titles this year (multiple delays Uncharted excepted)

At Sony HQ *circus music plays*
- Krillinfan
  September 12, 2016 at 7:08 am PDT
  
  You really need to stop spamming, dude.
Skeetlejuice
September 12, 2016 at 6:42 am PDT

They would just patch it for pro if that was the case, delaying again makes them look stupid. They’re doing this because the game is broken and they need more time.

Saying we are stupid that it’s pushed for pro makes you look stupid. They have known about pro for likely years at this point, they decide this not us, the people at team ico are clearly incompetent and are not keeping timelines for pro or pleb edition, thus desperate for another 5 weeks. Frankly it could still be delayed, the game is gonna have problems.

If you preordered you have an opportunity to cancel and wait for reviews and the inevitable February / March price drop if it’s even out by then. That’s the only saving grace here.
drd7of14
September 12, 2016 at 6:43 am PDT

I will say this, I’m expecting more delays in the future, or perhaps just longer assumed release dates. Mainly because PS4 Pro means that there is more testing to be done for 2 different sets of specs.

I’m not complaining, cause it’s expected, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that has something to do with TLG’s delay. It’s easier to rework the game for another system, if it hasn’t yet been released.
Seluhir
September 12, 2016 at 6:44 am PDT

For a game like this where a single bug could completely shatter the experience… I’ll give you that time.

Also I doubt I’ll be finished with Trails of Cold Steel 2 by October, so I’m okay with this. ;)
Two-PacBACK
September 12, 2016 at 6:46 am PDT

Hey guys. What’s up?
NemoMcGregor
September 12, 2016 at 6:55 am PDT

#DelayAwaitz

But hey, takes as long as you need. Personally, i know this game from the get-go that it’ll be delayed. So i’m glad that i was right. But also sad becuz i was right too T__T
Azard300
September 12, 2016 at 6:56 am PDT

Is there any chance of releasing the E3 demo to tie us over till Dec? This is the only reason I bought PS3/PS4

Please anything…
Syrlis
September 12, 2016 at 7:15 am PDT

Well, in the meantime. Can you get Amazon to add more copies of the Collector’s Edition, so I can Pre-Order from them. That would be great!
JeRzYzFyNeSt
September 12, 2016 at 7:24 am PDT

damn Sony your games have Been mediocre at best even with Delays.. you guys need to step up. you been slacking in the last 8 months or so
- TJ_Solo
  September 13, 2016 at 12:55 am PDT
  
  They’ve been pumping out more 1st party games then any other console this year. They’ll be okay.
zombie9
September 12, 2016 at 7:36 am PDT

I just got one word for U Déjà vu….
wren-white
September 12, 2016 at 7:37 am PDT

we waited like 10 years, another month isn’t going to kill anybody
LpSquall
September 12, 2016 at 7:37 am PDT

I really hope this isn’t because of a ps pro patch.
KazeEternal
September 12, 2016 at 7:42 am PDT

No objection to the delay, but an objection to the date. Come on guys that is right on top of Gravity Rush 2! You’re going to kill that games chances of success. Ff15 on the 29 of november, tlg on the 6th and Gravity Rush stuck in the middle. I mean there is no way for me to have time to play either now and I’m likely to just get last guardian due to it’s CE. But it’ll sit there waiting a month for me to finish ff15.
NeoMahi
September 12, 2016 at 8:16 am PDT

I’m no business professional but, it’s probably best not to give a release date. I’d wait until the game has gone gold, and then announce a release date. This game had been delayed so many times that the hype it’s generating is going to do it in ending badly. If reviews are bad, consumers won’t buy the game and all the money invested in the product is a huge loss.

This game’s done just that. It’s generated a lot of hype. I hope the extra effort is worth it. Sony needs well reviewed games. If it launches to poor reviews, that makes Microsoft smile all the more. “We don’t spend nearly as much money on our games and they’re developed in a shorter period of time to great reviews.” Perhaps that’s why Sony has more first-party dev teams is their patience and maturing process of dev studios they own but, this has got to be making a lot of people nervous. Best of luck to you guys!
Pamelaine
September 12, 2016 at 8:18 am PDT

It’s ok, I mean, we’ve waited for too long now. :D So a couple months would be nothing.
Salmonefs
September 12, 2016 at 8:23 am PDT

The Last Delay.

What a **** development through the years huh?
jchill001
September 12, 2016 at 8:35 am PDT

still waiting for greatness
krae_man
September 12, 2016 at 8:37 am PDT

Birddog looks so sad you are delaying him in the accompanying image.