World of Warcraft expansion delayed until '07

Lo, it was rumored and lo, it has come to pass! Originally scheduled for release this November, Blizzard Entertainment -- developers of the massively popular MMO World of Warcraft -- have announcedThe Burning Crusade expansion will be delayed until January 2007, missing the lucrative holiday shopping season. They didn't have much to offer in the way of an explanation, citing their desire to "extend the closed beta test and further refine the new content that will ship with the game."

While this announcement, coupled with the eternally delayed Starcraft Ghost project, brings us closer and closer to tossing around pejoratives like "3D Realms," Blizzard has an incredibly strong property they'd be wise to be protective of. Releasing shoddy expansions to what is already the #1 PC game isn't a wise strategy ... but why wasn't it ready in time? And, considering the frequently patched nature of the game, would a holiday release, and a future patch, be out of the ordinary?

Speaking of patches, they're not leaving you empty handed this year. A new content patch promises "a brand new honor system, as well as new talents and abilities along with dozens of other changes and improvements." There, feel better? Or has WoW ruined your life?

[Via WoW Insider]