Its fine, but when EVERRRRRRRRY game on that system is delayed, its really a very very bad thing

A lot of delays are because the development team is really struggling with the project. While it may be true that "the game gets better" due to the delay, that's only because before it was an unplayable glitch-fest--the delay does not make the project any more ambitious, fine-tune the gameplay, add content, etc.

And some delays are because the suits find it unviable to release the game at the original date. Maybe platform sales are below projections, or a big game got moved to the old street date. So a totally finished game gets pushed back a quarter.

Neither of these cases are really "good delays." I really only feel good about delays from perpetual innovators like Nintendo, Maxis, Blizzard, etc, because you know their games are going to be something special. They delay because they have the unusual luxery of sky-high quality standards, and they struggle making games because they are doing things no one has ever done before.

In the end, game companies have to release games. If delays make games better, maybe Duke Nukem Forever will be the freakin' GOTCentury. Or maybe the DNF team are in over their heads and have been for a decade.

Delays are good, at least somewhat, as that means that they caught something wrong with the game, and had time to fix it, instead of sending out a game that is buggy or incomplete just to make money (Assassin's Creed, I'm looking at you.)

I think it depends on the nature of the delay. Small delays are to be expected, it's the year long ones that raise issues with me. I remember far to many just average games that have been delayed long times.

AC was quite complete, and i only experienced one bug the entire 20 hours i spent completing it (fell through the floor and died... grr)

@ LTK

I mean, it wasn't horrible, but there were more bugs than that, the horse spawning with legs on it's side, or no front legs at all, Dual Assassin's, Flying glitch, etc. It was an ok game, but it was fairly glitchy.

I agree, maybe also because I belong to the (very enlightened) minority that almost exclusively buys games when they are cheaper... ehm, er... classics of the past

 I think there are other things. Mark Rein talked about a more complicated certification process in Europe, but of course all people in the UK would like games at the same time as US release. in the gen is not as important for Sony fans, as PS3 and PSP games are region free.

Anyway, it is all the more sweeter when a game comes out in Britain before the US, like WipEout Pulse or Pursuit Force Extreme Justice

 Same as you. By only problem was a massive framerate issue at the end of the game, just as I was running up the steps to the final boss.

Back on topic. Delayed games are fine, so long as devs tell you what is going on, I hate the fact that we have not seen or heard anything of games like the Getaway since announcement, for all we know it could have been cancelled

 Thinking of any system in particular?