Champions Online console launch will be delayed
It would appear that Bill Roper has confirmed what many suspected might happen in terms of the release of Champions Online. According to an interview on Eurogamer, Champions Online will release to PC first, with the console release following at some time after initial launch. With other MMOs having the same apparent problems with regard to launching on consoles, it's no real surprise that this has happened with Champions Online. Most of the developers we've spoken to have discussed the difficulty of patching to consoles with the same speed that you can patch PC games; a crucial issue if you intend to allow all platforms the ability to play together.
In the interview Roper discusses the changes to the game's UI from the original console-friendly model to a more PC-specific variant. Apparently the plan now is to release both games with completely different UI models to take advantage of the different platform types. What this overall delay and reoptimization will mean for the eventual release date for Champions Online's console version - and the ability for console players to play with their PC friends - is anyone's guess. We're just hoping that it doesn't wind up in the (seeming) vaporware category like many of the other promised-and-not-delivered console MMOs to date.
