I read this evening that Gran Tourismo 5 has been delayed "indefinitely".

Admittedly, the delay so far only applies to the Japanese launch specifically, which was supposed to hit in March.

It's three years overdue, isn't the game ready to launch yet?

Maybe Sony don't want to release it into Japan's economic downturn? I find that unlikely as entertainment businesses (gaming, movies, etc.) do better during economic downturns than they do during economic booms. People look to escape from their misery.

Having played Prologue, I would lean towards the idea that the game isn't ready to launch yet. Sure, the cars looked good, but the plasticy scenery and average handling was a real turn-off for me. The cars felt disconnected from the asphalt.

In my opinion, as a racing game fan, Prologue was mediocre.

Gran Tourismo PSP also hasn't set the world on fire, producing pretty average reviews from the mainstream press.

For the sake of the fans, I hope Sony gets it right and these two aberrations are not part a trend. I know a couple of people who are waiting on GT5 to hit to decide whether they'll be getting a 360 or a PS3... Prologue did not inspire confidence. If GT5 fails to live up to expectations, it'll be the cheaper console plus games like NFS:Shift and Forza that take the racing prize.