Gran Turismo 5 To Launch At Last On November 24

Sony and developer Polyphony Digital have at last confirmed a long-awaited release date for Gran Turismo 5. After multiple delays, the high-fidelity racing simulator will hit store shelves on November 24. "Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Program!" said Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi. Most recently, fans were disappointed to learn that a planned November 2 release date had been pushed back to a nonspecific "this holiday season", but it seems that they won't have to wait very much longer. "When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre. With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with Gran Turismo 5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans," says Yamauchi. GT5 was unveiled for the first time at E3 2006, with two years of time already behind it; by 2009, series producer Kazunori Yamauchi said Sony had invested $60 million in its development over five years. The game was shown at E3 2009, and then slated for Spring of this year before the November 2 release date was officially decided. In that regard, the announcement of yet another delay came as a surprise to many. "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 one which we did not take lightly," says Yamauchi. He's previously said that five years "doesn't seem like that long a time," given the console transition, and that "that's the amount of time it takes to get it right." "I can only apologize 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," Yamauchi says today. The racing franchise has long been defining to Sony's brand and platform, reputed for its special attention to graphical fidelity and vehicle simulation. From a marketing perspective, installments in the franchise have borne the implicit mandate to push tech and visual barriers since its impressive 1997 debut. As of December 2009, the franchise in total had sold 55.45 million units, solidifying it as one of gaming's top-selling properties.