Xbox Halo slips, admits developer

Gamers hoping for the sequel to sci-fi shoot 'em up Halo this year will be disappointed, the product's developer has admitted.

Games software developer Bungie Studios acknowledged that Xbox fans had been expecting the game's release in 2002, but said that building work had been too complex to achieve this timescale.

"We're still not ready to pick a specific release date, but we do want to state for the record that Halo 2 will not ship in 2003," Bungie said on its website.

"This game is a vast undertaking, considerably more complex than any of our previous efforts, and there is just no way to squeeze all of the necessary work into this calendar year."

However, the developer went on to promise that it would be previewing "exciting stuff" in the latest Xbox version of Halo later this year, together with releasing versions of the game in PC and Mac formats.

"Of course, you'll be able to get a small taste of the glories we have in store when we show Halo 2 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May," Bungie said.

"And there is Halo for Mac and PC, still on track for a 2003 release, with several new features and content. There is lots of exciting stuff on the way for Halo fans."