PD is late 3 days, Misses production window to actually make the disk, has to wait for the next one because they lost their turn, basically...Not that hard to figure out how a 3 day delay turns into 3 weeks....

Since Sony owns these production facilities, I would be willing to bet they could fit the game in when they want to.   

I'll believe its a short delay when I see it on shelves before Dec.  If it were going to be a few day delay they would have went ahead and announced a new date for the release.  Since it isn't announced yet they probably have no idea when that will be, so that leads me to believe that there will be a new firmware update envolved and it probably isn't finalized and they don't know for sure when it will be.  So they will have to wait.

Keep in mind that even though Sony owns the facilities that do the production for their particular games...they don't have the ability to legally drop someone else's production time on their contract because PD can not deliver on time...why should the other people get bumped forward because PD did not make the cut...?

While it would be shitty to bump someone else and start printing their own stuff, I am certain Sony could do it if they wanted too.  Thats why they have these things called contracts.  Almost every contract I have ever seen has some sort of clause in it that would give them the option to push back a printing date for whatever reason Sony gives.  So if it were for only a few days like the rumor says, then I have no doubts they could get it done on time if they wanted too.  Unless there is another reason.

Well, we'll probably never Really know the reason...So all we have to do is wait for it to come out, and people who want the game, will wait...Hell for the people that have waited for years...what's even an extra couple months going to do...

If it comes out before December, it doesn't matter.  As far as slots go, I can see Sony shifting another title, like a Move title, so GT5 gets it.

Honestly I doubt Sonys contracts allow them to push back 3rd party games in order to prioritize their own, and if we assume the production facilities are quite fully booked such changes would potentially hit a lot of titles. Sony is dependent on the goodwill of the 3rd party publishers and screwing them over by delaying their titles to over Christmas to prioritize their own titles is a sure way to lose 3rd party support. And I seriously doubt EA and Activitivision would agree to contracts that say that the agreed to printing of their games can be delayed just because Sony want the machines themselves.

The other thing is that the blu-ray plant division is not part of SCE, so the SCE management have no say over what they do, and for that business unit SCE is just another customer.

I think it matters. GT5 need to come out at least before the next NFS (19/11), otherwise it could take a hit on sales. I mean, Sony already missed getting ahead of Kinect in Europe...

Do you seriously believe that?   A few calls here or there by the "MAN" and things get done.  Just like with any big company that owns other companies or has other divisions.  As an example: my old company had several divisions and my main boss called up the other divisions and got shit done quicker for us all the time.  Instead of us running out of a part we would get it when needed so there was no shut downs or lay-offs.  And the vendors that those other divisions supplied got shafted.

While I do agree that it would cause a lot of grief for Sony to screw over a 3rd party to print its own game, I am certain there is enough time built in the contracts to allow it to happen.  A few days delay is common place in most industries. 

I am not saying they could bump them if the delay  took 3 weeks plus   and get away with it.  But if the delay is less than that I have no doubts they could and would.

This has got the be the 12th rumor thread I read today, rumors are starting to piss me off.