Game delays are a tough pill to swallow for both gamers and developers alike. Not only do they put a damper on the spirits of those hopeful fans who have been anticipating the release of their favorite game, but they could mean that a development team is having issues, technical or financial, releasing the game.

A couple months back it was announced that True Crime: Hong Kong , the third entry in the sandbox “one cop against the world” game was holding off on its release until some time in 2011 in order to give the developers more time to tweak a few of the game’s main mechanics. While not enough to completely give up hope in the game, the delay wasn’t exactly planting any seeds of hope in gamers’ hearts.

Luckily it didn’t take long before Activision, in a recent investor call, announced that said delay was paying off and that as a result the game’s mechanics, namely driving and shooting, were vastly improved.

It certainly is great news to hear of a game delay that didn’t end up as badly as some of the other recent delays (I’m looking at you EA Sports) and knowing that the delay has added more polish makes the wait  a bit easier to bare. All in all, it’s a win-win situation with the delay of True Crime: Hong Kong. The cluttered fall game season has yet another title lifted off its already heavy load and a game that should be an entertaining romp similar to Saint’s Row or Grand Theft Auto has been giving a fighting chance.

No longer under the Luxoflux development banner but with United Front Games (ModNation Racers), True Crime should deliver a familiar experience with a few twists that are inherent to a different developer. Similar to the previous installments, players assume the role of a street cop working to overthrow several levels of corruption. The original game had a looser style to it than what one might find in Grand Theft Auto but it was entertaining nonetheless and with a greater focus on the idea of the foot chase, True Crime certainly is high on our list of anticipated titles for next year.

What are your thoughts on delays that end up ultimately benefiting a game? How does True Crime’s delay and the news that mechanics are now greatly improved sway your feelings about the title?

True Crime: Hong Kong is set for release some time in mid 2011 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Source: CVG