Narnia is PS2 console exclusive
Cube, Xbox held off till March.
With Disney's take on The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe due in cinemas this Christmas and games expected on a multitude of formats, Buena Vista Games has revealed that it's struck a deal to give PlayStation 2 European console exclusivity until 31st March 2006.
The deal will not impede the Chronicles of Narnia-based game's release on handhelds or PC, but while the PAL PS2 version will ship alongside them in November, it will not be joined by its GameCube and Xbox counterparts until a later date.
The pay-off for Buena Vista, it seems, is "significant TV and marketing support from SCEE, including online and PS2 bundles across all PAL territories".
Of course, this isn't the first time Sony's snapped up a multi-platform game exclusively on one format. Those with long memories may recall that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Beyond Good & Evil were PS2 console exclusives during their Christmas period on store shelves in 2003 - something we lamented at the time.
Although we're less concerned about the Narnia title in the run-up to such a busy Christmas season - with two new consoles due on shelves among a multitude of other things - it's still a bit unsettling.