While not always 100% accurate, retailer release lists often contain gems of information on game delays or unannounced releases. As the premiere videogame specialty retailer in the United States, keeping an eye on their release lists is at least worth the giggles.

Obtaining GameStop retail release lists doesn't require top-secret espionage tactics. As reserves are one of the companies key indicators of performance, employees are more than happy to waste reams of paper on providing customers with lists of upcoming releases.

Don't want to leave your house? We hear you. We don't like getting up off of the couch either, but we'll do it for you. Introducing our new monthly feature, "Sorted by Release," where we take a monthly look at any changes or oddities on GameStop's retail release list. 

Hit the jump for our initial observations. Feel free to peruse the scans on your own, and let us know if you see anything that we might have missed. Oh boy -- this should be fun!

[These lists are "accurate" as of December 22, 2007 -- all dates represent ship dates from a warehouse, and not actual releases, unless otherwise noted] 

ACCESSORIES
For the most part, we'll skip over the accessory SKUs, but we're going to make an exception here. According to this list, the ship date for all of the individual Rock Band instruments (both PlayStation 3/PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360) is February 2, 2007. Given the cost of shipping such products, you're likely to see the accessories in stores a few days to a week after this date.

NINTENDO DS
Besides a mid-March release of Petz: Bunnies, the most interesting thing to note on this release list is the February 10 street date of Professor Layton and the Curious Village. Note that this is two days after the ship date; retailers with less scruples (and fewer prying corporate eyes) may sell the game earlier.

PC ENTERTAINMENT
According to this, Blizzard is hard at work next fall, with Starcraft 2 dated for October (the 10/1/07 usually indicates a very loose, very unconfirmed date for that month only) and the World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, shipping on November 3. It's likely that Lich King will eventually get a street dated release (as with the previous expansion), and even more likely it'll be delayed once ... or twice. 

Zombie fans should be disappointed by the June 18 ship date of Turtle Rock Studios' Left 4 Dead -- wasn't this game supposed to be out this year?

PLAYSTATION 2
We've already seen the listing online, but here it is again -- it looks like someone has told GameStop that Secret Agent Clank (the PlayStation Portable title) is coming to the PS2, as well. We guess the question remains: do you want to play it on or off the toilet? 

It looks like more of the Buzz! games are coming to the States, with Buzz Jr. Robo Jam and Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz dropping in March. You can purchase them with or without buzzer peripherals. Thank God.

PLAYSTATION 3
Xbox 360 and PC owners have already been subjected to it, so why let PS3 owners off the hook? The "not-so-much like Oblivion" role-playing game, Two Worlds (not yet officially announced for the PS3), finds a September release date on this list. We wonder if it'll contain any more content than the versions already on the market; bundling it with all of the upcoming The Temptations expansion content seems like a no-brainer, though.

Sony's Killzone 2 and Little Big Planet both have April 7 release dates, but we'll believe it when we see it. And what's up with Singstar not shipping until May 5? Come on, Sony -- we want to sing along to high-definition Britney Spears videos.

[The previously unannounced, as far as we know] Rapala Fishing Frenzy is set to represent the PS3 in 2009. Can we get a SIXAXIS fishing peripheral, please?

SONY PSP
Can we please mention that Gran Turismo has been on this list since the PSP launched in 2005? Apparently it's coming out in July of 2008 now.

Does this list seem a bit short to anyone else?

NINTENDO WII
At first glance, we're not seeing too much out of the ordinary here, save for the fact that My Horse and Me and No More Heroes will be release on the same day (with February 5 ship date). Why is Ubisoft sending Suda 51's game to die? There's no competing with your hourse ... and you.

Rapala Fishing Frenzy is also in the house for a 2009 release. Represent.

XBOX 360
It's interesting to note that this is the longest release list of all of the SKUs, although not by much. 

Ninja Gaiden 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV both have April release dates, according to this list. Unreal Tournament III (May 2008), Too Human (July 2008), and Halo Wars (July 2008) are also some noticeable releases that are probably incorrect. Place bets now.

--- 

That's all of this month's release lists. Feel free to pick apart the lists and let us know what we might have missed. Check back next month, when we'll take a look at what (if anything) has been added, and what date changes have been made. 

Oh, and ... RESERVE NOW, OMG! What, did you think we were going to let you off the hook without getting the full GameStop experience?