Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault For Vita Delayed Again

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault for the Playstation 3 released in November of last year. The game was planned to be part of Playstation’s Cross-Buy initiative, where buying the game nets you a copy for both the PS3 and the Playstation Vita handheld. The problem is that the Vita game did not make the release date. What’s worse is that the Vita game has been delayed, then delayed again, and now has a very nondescript release date of “Spring”.

There was no indication of trouble leading up to the launch of the game. The official Playstation Blog entry from exactly one month before the release date stated multiple times that purchasing the game would net you a copy for both the PS3 and Vita, whether you bought the game at retail or digitally. There was no mention of a delay for the Vita version of the game. It was not until the day of release that the Playstation Blog entry from Insomniac’s Community Lead mentioned that the Vita version would be available in “January 2013” to anyone who purchases the game.

January came and went, and Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault owners began to wonder if they were ever going to get the Vita copy of the game that they paid for. Playstation finally broke radio silence on Thursday of this week, bringing us the news that the game has been delayed once again. The release window is now “Spring 2013”. The development of the game was outsourced from Insomniac to Tin Giant, and it has not been said what exactly is causing the holdup.

In an attempt to calm the small, but vocal mob forming, Playstation has offered up a free digital copy of the PS3 HD remake of 2005’s PS2 classic, Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked. It will be redeemable upon the release of the Vita version of Full Frontal Assault, whenever that is. Worth noting is that there is not a definite release date for that game, either. For non-PS3 owners, there is no consolation for you as you will have to continue to wait to play the latest outing of the PS2-era darlings. And wait for a non-determined amount of time, you must.

This marks the first major breakdown of Playstation’s Cross-Buy program. We here at Fanbolt have touted the service in the past for its value, practicality, and convenience. Other Cross-Buy games like Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale and When Vikings Attack released without a hitch, and though it was initially delayed, the recently-released Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time released with both versions of the game ready to go on day one.

Are you concerned about Playstation’s treatment of the delays, especially considering that you have already offered up money for an incomplete product? Or have they quelled your anger with the promise of a free game? We are hoping that this is a one-time thing, and that the previous track record will be the future of Cross-Buy on Playstation.