Of all the PC games in the fourth-quarter release avalanche, few were as awaited as Half-Life 2: Aftermath. Though it only had a tentative November target window, it had the cachet of being the expansion pack to Half-Life 2. The top-rated and best-selling shooter was among the most anticipated games of 2004, namely because it had built up hype and expectations by being delayed for over a year.

　　Now, it appears the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Today, fan site halflife2.net published part of an e-mail exchange it had with Doug Lombardi, director of marketing at HL2 developer Valve Software.

　　"Just wanted to give you a quick update on Aftermath, specifically its ETA," Lombardi told the site. "We're working very hard to finish this new episode for HL2, however, it's going to take us a bit more time to get it into top shape. As such, the target release for this one is now Feb/March of next year."

　　[UPDATE] When contacted by GameSpot, Lombardi confirmed the delay, calling the halflife2.net story "accurate. "

　　For more on Aftermath, check out GameSpot's Q&A with Robin Walker, one of the expansion's lead designers.