GameStop mistakenly claims The Last Guardian cancellation

GameStop was left red-faced yesterday after it mistakenly informed customers who pre-ordered The Last Guardian that the PlayStation 3 title was cancelled.  Customers contacted by the retailer through its automated phone system were promised a refund on any deposit they may have already put toward the title.  If that caught gamers by surprise, you can imagine how Sony Computer Entertainment felt considering it never confirmed cancelling the oft-delayed Team Ico title.

The retailer later conceded that a system error in its database mistakenly labelled The Last Guardian as "cancelled" due to its lack of a specific release date.  No human error was involved apparently, which doesn't really soften the blow.  That's because the system even pulled The Last Guardian listing from the retailer website, meaning for the time being you can no longer find the title for sale at GameStop.  Speaking to Gamasutra:

"The Last Guardian has not been cancelled by Sony as we incorrectly stated in an automated call to reservation customers. Because the game did not have a specific release date, GameStop made the decision to remove the game from our system.  The Last Guardian will be reinstated for pre-order when a firm launch date is known."

SCE maintains The Last Guardian is still in development despite Team Ico recently losing key talent, namely the man behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus himself, Fumito Ueda, who reportedly will help finish the title on contract.  The developer has not yet put forward a firm release date for The Last Guardian in the meantime.