It's not so much the delays that are the problem, but the reason behind those delays (it's stupid). It's maddening to think they're delaying the game for an app that the fanbase doesn't need in the first place, which we all know is for the profits.
The use of the word delay here is unjustified, since we were never told precisely when the game would surface. I think it's pretty obvious now that Kaz's comment about "we can release it when we want" meant that they can draw a line under the content / feature-set they have (neither of which necessarily
make a game, by the way), but there are always other things they could add.
In that sense, the "delays" have meant we'll probably get an extra feature or two (good for the feature whores). As for your original point, I would agree that it's a bit tenuous to shelve GT5 temporarily in favour of GTPSP like they did this year. But if GTPSP sells well, I don't think anyone will think it was a mistake unless GT5 turns out to be utter rubbish - and you'd have to be seriously complacent for this to happen.
With GT, we're starting to see many features we've been asking for throughout the years (about a decade?), but only now they're being included, after they've debuted on the Forza series. That's not to say Turn 10 hasn't copied many concepts that the GT series established since 1998, but PD had an opportunity to be a leader in these things along the way. Instead they have focused on trivial elements such as photomode, which is a nice feature to have, but not important as say, online racing, in the scheme of a simulator.
Many, many features in modern racing games have been in other games (not necessarily on consoles) for years before Forza arrived, so it didn't really "debut" anything new at all. The only thing it did, perhaps, was make these more accessible for the console crowd. Rewind is about the only truly new feature to have come along in the last few years; this "debuted" in RD Grid, of course.
(I'm open to other suggestions of truly new features.)
Online mode in Forza must have been relatively easy to implement, as MS already had the infrastructure and all the hard stuff had been done already. I'd imagine XBox developers have access to good netcode, too, so T10 were quids in. PD have never done online code before and the PSN was immature. It takes a lot of expertise and experience to get things done, either that or a shed-load of money.
Only GT5P comes close to being a simulator, in my opinion - GT4 came close, but its collision handling and tyre models let it down a bit. GT5 ought to continue the trend towards greater realism, but improve accessibility, too - widening the target audience at both ends.
By the way, I really like photomode!
You could be right; in fact I'd rather believe this was Sony's idea.
I think it's the only sensible explanation... 👍
But my original point was that, whomever thought this up, it was a horrible idea. And I don't think it's too much to ask (like Leonidaes suggested) that they (Sony as a whole) focus on developing GT5 rather than using the series as a trojan horse to sell PSPs, where it doesn't belong.
Again, if it sells, you'll technically be wrong... although I do kind of agree with you in a sense. I'd like to give the game a go first, before damning it so.
).
