Gran Turismo 5 delay explained

For gamers who have been waiting since 2005 for Gran Turismo 5, yesterday's delay was yet another metaphorical pothole in the game's long road to release. Today, the makers of the long-in-the-works racing title, which appeared to have had an ironclad November 2 release date, tried to explain the reasons for the latest postponement.

Sony Computer Entertainment America's Taku Imasaki, the North American producer for Gran Turismo 5, told the New York Times, "We're really close, but this was an executive decision that was made yesterday. Realistically, we thought we had a good date. We're not happy over here." He reiterated that Sony "is shooting for it to be out by the holidays. You won't see too much more delay."

Meanwhile in Japan, Polyphony Digital head Kazunori Yamauchi used his Twitter account to apologize to fans and offer a very brief explanation. According to a translation by Japanese gaming blog Andria Sang, Yamauchi said the delay was because the developer wanted to put the finishing touches on some of the game's more "complex systems." When asked by a fan if the game would be delayed until 2011, Yamauchi said, "I believe we won't keep you waiting until then."

First teased at the PlayStation 3's unveiling at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Gran Turismo 5 will feature close to 1,000 vehicles on more than 70 tracks in 20-plus locations. With a massive budget of $60 million, it is also an official licensee of several major racing circuits, such as NASCAR and the World Rally Championship. A sample of the PlayStation 3 exclusive, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, was released in April 2008, garnering decent reviews.