GT5 delayed to "iron out kinks"

PlayStation 3 exclusive racer Gran Turismo 5 was delayed from 3rd November to "before Christmas" because the development team needed to iron out kinks, creator Kazunori Yamauchi has explained.

Polyphony Digital's long-awaited simulation driving game has "complex systems", Yamauchi wrote on Twitter today (translated by Kotaku).

"Apologies for the delay," he said.

"It's because time and labour were spent ironing the kinks out of [the game's] complex system. I'm really sorry. Everyone, it's inexcusable... Wait a little longer."

Yesterday evening Sony sent shockwaves across the gaming world when it announced yet another delay for the driving game that has been in development for nearly half a decade.

"We are sorry to say that Gran Turismo 5 will not be available on the previously announced release date of November 3rd, but the game will be released before Christmas," a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe statement read.

"We sincerely apologise to GT fans for the delay, however creator Kazunori Yamauchi and the team at Polyphony Digital want to make certain they are creating a racing experience of the highest quality.

"We are confident that this ambitious game will exceed expectations when it launches later this year. We'll have more information for you in the near future."

Tweeting again (as translated by Andriasang), Yamauchi responded to an exacerbated fan worried that GT5's delay meant the game would be released next year: "I believe we won't keep you waiting until then," he said.

In Japan, GT5 is now down for a general "2010 year-end sales season" time frame. Sony Japan cited "production issues" when explaining the delay.