The next installment of the "Gran Turismo" franchise might come out at an earlier date than was previously announced.

According to game creator Kazunori Yamauchi, development studio Polyphony Digital could release "Gran Turismo 7" sometime next year, Master Herald reported.

Originally, the game was supposed to hit stores in 2017. However, for Yamauchi, this project release period is too far away. He fears that gamers might lose interest in "Gran Turismo 7" if they have to wait for a long time for its release.

"People will not wait so much," he told Game Spot. "We are talking about 'Gran Turismo,' we must not wait so long."

Since the game is already in development, it is possible for Polyphony Digital to debut the game for the PlayStation 4 console at an earlier date. As noted by Yamauchi, he and the developers are targeting to release the game sometime this year. But as noted by various sources, the game will probably come out in 2016.

But, based on the "Gran Turismo" franchise's track record, there is still a chance that the next installment could be released on 2017 or even at a later date. After all, the series is known for releasing titles irregularly.

Also, as noted by Game Revolution, Polyphony's development stages sometimes take longer than expected. For instance, the studio officially unveiled "Gran Turismo 5" for the PlayStation 3 in 2005. The developer then 20006 as the release date for the game.

However, due to various delays, the game did not come out until 2010.

Although this cannot be considered as a direct indicator of the state of "Gran Turismo 7," fans of the series are already used to the long development process of Polyphony's racing games. Hopefully though, this will not be the case for the upcoming game.

In addition, the development studio may not want to wait for a long time before releasing "Gran Turismo 7." With the upcoming release of Turn 10 Studio's "Forza Motorsport 6" for the Xbox One, Polyphony might lose the attention of gamers with their own racing game.

Aside from the next "Forza Motorsport" title, Slightly Mad Studios' "Project CARS" is also gaining huge support from PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 gamers due to its open-world game play setting.

As to what gamers can expect for the upcoming "Gran Turismo 7" Yamauchi previously revealed that it will feature a whole new set of premium cars alongside the series' classic lineup of vehicles.

The game will also have a more realistic type of game play experience and new tracks based on actual racing venues.