Acti Blizz explains Battle.net delay, points to "premier online gaming destination"

The upgraded Battle.net needs extra development time to be critical to Activision's vision for the service, according to a mailer just sent our way.

The service will now launch in early 2010. StarCraft II has now been delayed to match its release.

"Our mission is to develop games that deliver an epic entertainment experience," said Blizzard PR.

"As part of that commitment, we will always take as much time as needed to ensure that our games and services meet the expectations of our players and the standard for quality that we set for ourselves as developers.

"As we work to make Battle.net the premier online gaming destination, we’ll also continue to polish and refine StarCraft II, and we look forward to delivering a real-time strategy gaming experience worthy of the series’ legacy in the first half of 2010."