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Gran Turismo 5’s release window has just been set to March 2010 for Japan, according to Kazunori Yamauchi at the TGS press conference.  This, unfortunately, runs directly counter to everything that we’ve heard so far from a wide variety of sources for nearly an entire year:

November 30, 2008 – Sony executive in Europe mentions GT5 will “arrive at Christmas” during an interview with a financial magazine.

June 4, 2009 – Kazunori Yamauchi states: “We can release Gran Turismo 5 whenever we want.” during E3 interview.

August 2, 2009 – GTPlanet acquires internal company documents which clearly outline the date that Sony expects to release the game (and it was well within 2009).

August 22, 2009 – Kazunori Yamauchi states that “GT5 will be released shortly after this date [October 1st]” during an interview.

August 23, 2009 – Printed material distributed by Sony at the GamesCom 2009 conference clearly indicate the game will be released during the fourth quarter of 2009.

Needless to say, everyone – including myself – are pretty surprised by the most recent turn of events. Was there a problem during the game’s development? Did criticisms of the damage engine shown off at GamesCom send Polyphony Digital back to the drawing board? We may never know for sure.

Spotted in the first game play footage from the show floor at the Tokyo Game Show, a white Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4!

Here we go again! After the keynote address a few hours ago didn’t bring any news about Gran Turismo 5, we’re looking to the main event: Sony’s Press Conference. As usual, keep an eye on the “live blog” above to “watch” the event. If you’re on Twitter, follow GTPlanet and include the #gtplanet hashtag in your tweets to join the conversation in the box below!

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Gran Turismo 5 wasn’t mentioned during Sony’s keynote address at the Tokyo Game Show, but news is already starting to trickle out of the GT5 booth at the show. Our first peek comes from this guy who appears to have uploaded a clip from his cell phone. The quality is about as bad as it gets, but you can clearly see that quite a few cars are playable, including the Ferrari 458 Italia. The most exciting thing we can confirm right now, however, is the fully animated pit crews which can be seen working on a car as it enters the pits. I’ve grabbed the best shot I could find and posted it above, but you can watch for the scene yourself in the video around 8:00.

Stay tuned for Sony’s next press conference coming up in the next few hours!

Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kazuo Hirai is kicking off Tokyo Game Show 2009 with a big keynote address. Watch the liveblog above for all the action – I’ll be simultaneously updating GTPlanet’s news blog if any information regarding the GT series is revealed.  Our Twitter feed will also be updated with the big highlights, and they’ll appear below. You can get your own tweets to show up here if you want, just include the hashtag #gtplanet in your tweets.

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Just as Mercedes-Benz told us, their new SLS AMG is on hand to represent GT5 at the Tokyo Game Show. 1UP.com offers this sneak peek at the show floor, and it looks like our favorite racing game is taking center stage at Sony’s massive booth. It’s hard to see much else behind the big display, but it’s a safe bet there’s a few PS3’s loaded up with a fresh new demo of the game hiding back there.

I’d also like to remind you about the updated press conference time – as it turns out, the 10:30 AM (Tokyo time) is when Sony Computer Entertainment’s CEO Kaz Hirai gives his keynote address, and GT5 news from that is unlikely. Sony’s full press conference won’t begin until a few hours later (1:30 PM Tokyo time), when there is a much better chance of Kazunori Yamauchi taking the stage. I’ve updated my original post accordingly, so please take a second look at it to calculate the new time of the presentation in your local area.

It’s here! At each major gaming industry conference this year, we’ve collectively held our breath for news about Gran Turismo 5 from the halls of Polyphony Digital. We got our first peek at the game in the E3 trailer, and then took a closer look at the new damage feature in a playable version of the game at GamesCom. Exactly what’s in store for Tokyo is still anyone’s guess, but significant details about the game (including the release date) are long overdue. Kazunori Yamauchi himself has already told us to expect a “major advancement” from the show, and both Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz have curiously started bragging about their latest vehicles getting featured in GT5 this week.

Sony’s press conference will begin on September 24, 2009 at 1:30 PM in Tokyo, Japan. GTPlanet will, of course, be providing “live blog” coverage of the event right here on our homepage. Here’s a quick reference to see what time this will be in your area. For a more comprehensive list of international locations, see this time table.

Sydney – Thursday, September 24 @ 2:30 PM

Berlin – Thursday, September 24 @ 6:30 AM

London – Thursday, September 24 @ 5:30 AM

New York - Thursday, September 24 @ 12:30 AM

Los Angeles – Wednesday, September 23 @ 9:30 PM

Also, be sure to follow GTPlanet on Twitter and Facebook – both of which will be continually updated with fresh information from the show floor. As of writing, I am not personally aware of any live video feeds available from the conference. If you happen to find one, please share the link below in the comments.

UPDATE:  There has been a misunderstanding in regards to the original time posted here (10:30 AM in Tokyo). This is actually the time of Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kazuo Hirai’s keynote speech. The “real” Sony press conference takes place a few hours later, at 1:30 PM Tokyo time. I have updated the times and the link to the time table above. Sorry for the confusion!

A Mercedes-Benz press release just hit the wires this morning, confirming that the new SLS AMG will be featured in Gran Turismo 5. It’s also going to be on display at the Tokyo Game Show later this week, along “with [the] latest information on Gran Turismo 5″. Apparently, the leaked video of Kazunori Yamauchi examining the SLS AMG meant something, after all!

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG which celebrated its world premiere during the 2009 International Motor Show (IAA), is the highlight in the latest version of the PlayStation®3 video game Gran Turismo®5. And just as with the visitors to the IAA, it is expected to excite gamers worldwide with its breathtaking performance.

When Gran Turismo®5 comes out soon to continue the success of this popular game series, fans the world over can look forward to the opportunity to take control of a very special car. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG will be just as impressive in the game as it is in real life, thanks to the extremely realistic rendering techniques used to depict its drivers. Drivers of the SLS AMG can look forward to taking part in thrilling high speed races on a variety of different race tracks, including the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, while competing against other vehicles from the super sports car segment.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG will be displayed at the Tokyo Game Show (24 – 27 September 2009) with latest information on Gran Turismo®5.

With the new interpretation of the legendary gullwing, Mercedes-Benz is presenting a truly exciting super sports car which features an extremely impressive technology package: aluminium spaceframe bodywork with gullwing doors, AMG 6.3-litre V8 front centre engine with a maximum power of 420 kW/571 hp and dry sump lubrication, 7-speed double clutch transmission in a transaxle configuration, and sports suspension with aluminium double wishbone axles. The ideal weight distribution of 47 to 53 percent between the front and rear axles and the low centre of gravity accentuate the uncompromising sports car design. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG will celebrate its market launch in the spring of 2010.