Well this news just about made my day. Not only is Gran Turismo 4 gold in Japan and aiming for a just-around-the-corner December 3 release date, but Polyphony Digital honcho Kazunori Yamauchi had a good deal to say about the future of the Gran Turismo series, including:

　　The announcement of Gran Turismo 5. Although not officially announced, Yamauchi already has a theme for the next title in the series: damage modeling. Visible and debilitating car damage has been conspicuously absent from the series so far. Perhaps in the next iteration of the GT franchise, we can expect the same level of detail for mash-ups that the PD team has put into spot-on automobile recreations. The possibility of a "Gran Turismo for Boys" designed as a tool to attract the younger set towards a love of cars and the car industry. More interesting than the title is the price: Yamauchi imagines the game selling at a very low price, perhaps even at no cost, "with disregard for profit." That sound you hear is Sony Corporation accountants hitting the floor as they pass out. And finally... Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for the PSP. Still slated for a "spring" release, Yamauchi commented that gamers can expect a "scaled down" version of the game when it arrives for Sony's handheld system. No surprise there really.

　　Boy, it's nice to get some good news once in a while!