Here’s the deal, then, according to a poster on Blu-ray.com. The post, which originally appeared about half an hour ago, has since vanished, but it’s been pasted onto NeoGAF, and it’s quite revealing if true.
“Like I said it is manufacturing issues,” said the post. “I had it confirmed today.”
The post goes on to claim that Sony mandated 3.50 on all games released after October, presumably to combat the recent piracy flair ups. Gran Turismo 5 was, apparently, about to go gold on 3.41 and has seen a delay in order to rebuild the game using the latest SDK.
The poster claims that this has caused a big headache for manufacturing, citing slots being taken up by other games at the manufacturing plants, and that of course includes Blu-ray movies.
It’s worth noting that, plausable as all this sounds, it’s an oddly familiar story to anyone who’s been keeping an eye on internet forums since yesterday. Some of here at TSA speculated that this might indeed be the reason.
Still, it’s possible all this is true, and if so, we shouldn’t see too much of a delay at all…
Grey_Ghost13
I don’t know if this is true but I’ve just heard from someone who works for a games retailer that they have been told to announce the delay as being pushed until a 2011 release date. :(
nofi
Not a chance.
Grey_Ghost13
That’s what I’m hoping, I think they are being pessimistic!
Grey_Ghost13
Hang on nofi, is there something you know that not your not letting on? Or are you smarter/not as gullible than me? :)
nofi
I, as usual, don’t know a damned thing.
djsunna
it will be ‘holiday season’ 2011 if thats true
gazzagb
Just move the other stuff, nothing is bigger than GT5, nothing!!
cc_star
Reportedly a 3 week slot is needed for 7m copies
There are huge movies to come though especially on blu-ray who’s sales will probably be higher than 7m; Toy Story 3, Inception, Shrek4, a new Avatar edition actually with extras on the disc this time… Also other Blu-ray games would have their slots booked, and as GT is the one with the problem I presume its them who will have to fit in as and when they can
gazzagb
Well… Toy Story 3 is awesome, so I’ll forgive them ;)
Loxstokk
With gt being a Sony published game, I wonder what clout they have with pressings plants. I know they’ll own some of them but I guess they can’t shuffle other things around through fear of pissing off large clients such as film studios. Hopefully they’ll find some surplus capacity if what we are hearing is true…
gideon1451
Oh heck, this is so tense.
cc_star
Actually, ignore my earlier comments above, something still doesn’t sound right.
If they have a 3 week slot at the pressing plant and they are running 3 days behind then it still leaves 2 weeks 4 days of time available… they wouldn’t turn their back on that time, because it would still allow them to press more than enough until they could print more.
So something else must be afoot, I’m going for marketing stunt until I read/hear anything which suggest otherwise.
Grey_Ghost13
Something to back up your theory, Medal of Honor releases tomorrow with 3.5 on the disk, they weren’t delayed!!!
Watchful
MoH has 3.42 on the disc, not 3.50. Go and read the original Digital Foundry post that MCV misread/misreported which was then picked up by more sites.
cc_star
The point still stands though
Review copies were on 3.41, the game shipped with 3.42 as the minimum, the transition from review copy to retail release went without a delay despite the firmware-lock
Also that transition happened far later in the day than GT5’s as it was after review copies actually went out, and there was still no delay.
Watchful
I’m not denying that GT5’s 3 day delay, 3 weeks after 3.50 hit our consoles isn’t slightly odd, just pointing out that MoH didn’t have 3.50 on disc as many people are incorrectly saying/reporting.
nofi
Review copies were retail copies, I didn’t check but I’m imagining they were all 3.42.
cc_star
Just going by what a few forums say and digital foundry appeared to confirm, I don’t have either to check myself though
BIGAL-1992
I think you’re right cc.
nofi
I don’t buy that CC. The slot for GT5 at the pressing plant might, for all we know, have been today. There might not be another slot for 2 weeks and as it’s missed the slot, the delay could be three weeks.
The slot for GT5 isn’t in 3 weeks.
nofi
No way is this a marketing stunt.
cc_star
But if they were 3 days late for a 21 day slot, that still means 18 days of booked time, enough to produce 6m of the reported 7m run
Surely it would be easier to re-arrange a 3 day slot than it would a 3 week slot and have the benefit of 6m sales under your belt whilst doing so
nofi
Oh I see, sorry. Yes, you have a point.
Loxstokk
That doesn’t count setup costs. I don’t know with disc replication nut if it’s anything like the world of print ( which I do know) then they need to factor the added costs of setting up multiple runs to fit around this messed up schedule. There could be a weeks worth of setup up and prototyping and only a few days of actual manufacture…
poorwretch
So cc are you suggesting the plant should stay closed for 3 days waiting for gt5 code?
no way, the bumped something else in its place that has for example a week of pressing and then there would be other deadlines, hence gt has to acquire a whole new time slot.
cc_star
No, I’m sure there’s plenty of short run jobs that could be moved around.
However, cold water is being poured on the whole firmware theory now and the delay could be nothing more than a good old fashioned failing of QA & all the rumours being allowed to emanate through Sony’s silence is because they’re preferable to the truth
akkadian
Hope GT5 does not turn out like home, wait for ages and then its just not that good.
JamboGT
From the GT Academy time trial competition I know it won’t and stuff has only been added since then. I wouldn’t worry about the quality of the game.
ruinereraser
If this is true, then it’s pathetic. Can’t they communicate between each other to ensure the gold done in time with latest FW?
As someone pointed out, MoH is now out with FW 3.50, so if they could make it on time, then it’s either rumor or someone at Sony should loose their job.
skibadee
I can accept it if its firmware to block jailbreaks.
dude90
Even if we were to get a demo now I would still be happy to buy GT5 at Xmas.
Liberi Fatali
Silly hackers ruining release dates
MiguelX69
Makes sense… Here in Portugal, the persons are crazy! Really, they saw this delay, and then said they were canceling their pre-orders on the game… Said it was “pitting the people”… Sometimes I hate being Portuguese… Damn, we’ve waited 4/5 years, what’s the problem in waiting 2 or 3 more weeks?
bunimomike
I promise you that anyone who says they’re cancelling their order is probably a liar. 99% of them will get it. Silly buggers.
freezebug2
Muppets, If they think that their protests at not buying the game will have Poly Digital quaking in their boots, then they are very much mistaken. Also, if they could cancel their orders after waiting this long then I don’t reall think they wanted the game in the first place.
Just to recap…MUPPETS.
toutski
Just cancelled mine.
Although it was from a retailer that TSA used to have an affiliation with, and they have had payment for over a year now…
freezebug2
Dude, you should have cancelled the order long ago if it’s the retailer that I am thinking of. Can’t even remember the name of them, but loads of TSA’ians had woes with orders from them.
nofi
We don’t mention them here.
toutski
Yeah, I’m not cancelling in protest, I’m cancelling to make sure I get it!
BIGAL-1992
Oh hang on, do you mean those-that-must-not-be-named?