After an solid showing at E3 this year (we were impressed enough to give it our Best Multiplayer of E3 award), the guns in Raccoon City have gone silent. At least for a brief while. The game was nowhere to be found at last week’s Tokyo Game Show, which raised more than a few eyebrows. In answer, Capcom spoke with Kotaku and explained that the game had been delayed, but that it was “definitely locked in for winter.”

Technically the game was always scheduled for “winter,” but it was winter of 2011. Still, the move isn’t a major surprise. Games are delayed all the time, and better a brief delay than a glitch-filled title. It also may help Capcom to avoid the upcoming murderer’s row of games that will flood the market in the coming weeks.

Besides, if you are craving some Resident Evil action, an HD version of Resident Evil 4 is now available on Xbox Live and PSN, and an HD update for Resident Evil: Code Veronica is due out on September 27 (look for our two-in-one review then).

Although Capcom has not yet given a definite date, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will be released on PC, Ps3 and Xbox 360 early next year.