OK, hold onto your hats and duct tape your socks on, Sony Computer Entertainment of America tells us that Gran Turismo 5 is going on sale in North America on Nov. 24.
Honest to goodness, cross their hearts and hope not to have to delay it a forty millionth time.
Why do I sound so doubtful? Because in the world of video games, to misquote Mark Twain, there are lies, damn lies and Gran Turismo release dates.
For those of you willing to believe in this, the latest release date for the latest Gran Turismo game, you get a prize: Another apology from the game's creator. YAY!
"Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Program!" Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc., said in a prepared statement. "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. 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. 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."
We shall see Yamauchi, we shall see.