Sony Computer Entertainment has officially announced that Gran Turismo 4 will be released for the PlayStation 2, ending the rampant speculation that it was set to appear on a future Sony console.

The game was confirmed by Sony as being under way at Polyphony Digital’s main studio, along with two other as yet unnamed games, also for PlayStation 2. Gran Turismo 4 will be a true sequel to GT3, not an add-on or extra mini-game as was also rumoured.

The game is being officially referred to by SCE as Gran Turismo 4: Online, and will have full online functionality. Real-time online battle mode will make up a large proportion of the content. Polyphony said last year that it intends to make online play available for up to six players simultaneously, a huge leap forward in GT gameplay.

As a side point, the other two PlayStation 2 games in development at Polyphony Digital are almost certainly new Gran Turismo Concept games, an American version and a European version.

It is likely that Gran Turismo 4: Online will be released in the first part of next year, but in the meantime, expect some kind of announcement from E3 next month.