Finally: GT5 Releasing November 24th

I don’t usually write many news items like this, but for Gran Turismo 5 the date it’s coming out has become almost as much of the story as the game itself. After the game’s most recent delay, Sony has confirmed that it will be hitting both the US and Europe on November 24th (25th for Japan). You sure, Sony?

November 2nd was the most recently delayed date, which itself was a further delay from way back in Christmas of last year. On Sony’s PlayStation Blog, GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi called the game their version of the Apollo Space Programme because of its complexity and scope.

Yamauchi said that “satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game” and that he can “only apologise to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed.”

That, of course, is the question now. Has this game been over-hyped? Is it possible for a game with this much anticipation to be anywhere near as good as the fans expect? While Sony might have been a little irritated by the game’s continued delays, it has created lots of buzz and coverage, if not all of it very complimentary.

Whether Sony liked it or not, it’s put a lot of pressure onto the game’s developers who, at this point, better hope that that the extra work really made a difference. One thing I will give the GT team is their genuine passion for their creation. Let’s hope for their sakes the fans feel the same way.