Reports indicate that Sony is cancelling pre-orders of racing title Gran Turismo Sport, citing need for the the creation of a revised pre-order due to the game’s recent delay.
It’s fair to say that Gran Turismo Sport has had its fair share of difficulties during the development process. There is still a great buzz surrounding the game, with its FIA-sponsored tournaments and potential to maintain the franchise’s place at the top table of racing games, but those improvements have come at a cost. Unfortunately, numerous issues have arisen, resulting in Gran Turismo Sport being delayed into 2017.
Now, it appears as though this delay may have forced Sony and developer Polyphony Digital to take further measures. According to reports from TeamVVV, some pre-order customers of Gran Turismo Sport have received an email notification that their pre-order of the game has been cancelled. It seems as though this step to cancel current pre-orders was taken due to the game’s lack of new release date.
"On 30th August 2016 we regrettably announced that the release of Gran Turismo Sport has been delayed until 2017," read the announcement. "We do not have a release date at this time. We have, therefore, decided to cancel your pre-order and refund your pre-order payment."
However, it seems as though pre-orders for the game will open up again in future. "Once we have a new release date for Gran Turismo Sport we will offer a revised pre-order for it on the PlayStation Store at the earliest opportunity," explained the update. "Thank you for your custom and please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused."
Although it appears as though pre-orders will be available once a new release date has been confirmed, it would not be surprising to see some players hesitate to pre-order the game once more. After all, many gamers see extensive delays as a sign of larger issues behind the scenes, with Driveclub a notable example, and fans of Gran Turismo in general could be forgiven for having a nagging doubt over exactly how well the game is shaping up. After all, the title has already lost the likes of a planned beta and dynamic weather.
That said, if Polyphony Digital is able to follow through on its reasons for delaying the game - to make Gran Turismo Sport the "best Gran Turismo game to date" according to franchise creator Kazunori Yamauchi - then there is certainly still hope for the title. The game's E3 2016 trailer certainly seemed to show off a strong level of quality, and Gran Turismo still has a good reputation for delivering on promise. Hopefully, a new release date will be revealed soon.
Gran Turismo Sport has no set release date, but will launch in 2017 exclusively for the PS4.