Mass Effect 3 Won't Arrive in 2012

Mass Effect 3 never had an official release date, but it was assumed the game would arrive by the end of this year. Now Bioware has announced that the game will be on hold until 2013--sometime in the first three months, specifically.
With Mass Effect 2 turning a solid series into a blockbuster, Mass Effect 3 has absurd expectations. It's probably for the best then that the developers at Bioware take as long as they need to get it right.
Many fans considered Dragon Age 2 to be rushed and repetitive. If Mass Effect 3 suffered the same fate, especially now, it could be a disaster for the company.
Casey Hudson, executive producer at Bioware, offered the following: “Mass Effect 3 will be released in the first three months of 2012. The development team is laser focused on making sure Mass Effect 3 is the biggest, boldest and best game in the series, ensuring that it exceeds everyone’s expectations.”
With such a vague release window, could the game be delayed again? It's certainly possible. The earlier months of the year haven't proved very profitable for games, especially compared to a pre-Christmas release date. At this point, though, the focus is more on perfecting the game and hoping the quality leads to sales.