Gran Turismo fans have by now no doubt heard of the release delay for the latest iteration of the realistic racing sim series, Gran Turismo 5.

It’s news that, while unwelcome, is certainly not unexpected. We’ve been waiting for the release of Gran Turismo 5 since its unveiling four years ago, and during that period we’ve heard many release dates and windows announced for the game, all of which have come and gone without a single physical copy hitting retailers.

But a delay so close to the final release date of November 2nd and 3rd around the world? Maybe that is a little unexpected after all.

No real reason was given for the delay when it was announced yesterday, but today, series creator and head of developer Polyphony Digital, Kazunori Yamauchi, commented on his Twitter feed regarding the postponement of Gran Turismo 5’s delay:

“Apologies for the delay. It’s because time and labor were spent ironing the kinks out of [the game’s] complex system. I’m really sorry. Everyone, it’s inexcusable… Wait a little longer.”

This tweet was followed up a little later after a fan asked whether or not we would have to wait until 2011 to get our hands on Gran Turismo 5, to which Yamauchi replied:

“I believe we won’t keep you waiting until then.”

Hopefully he ‘believes’ correctly.

Source: Kazunori Yamauchi on Twitter and Andriasang