I think they assumed that since it was GT, everybody would BUY it. But that's not going to happen with GT6. I would imagine most everybody will be checking it out as a rental or in store before they buy the NEXT GT game.
I know I will (if I give it the time of day at all).
Sadly I agree with everything you said. I too will wait. I will wait weeks after GT6 drops. I will be on here, I will be looking at video clips, articles and reviews. I so wanted GT5 to out shine GT4. They tried re-inventing the wheels instead of sticking to what worked.
The pressure is on PD. If sales for GT6 climb, it will be after it has been out for 6-12 months. Tons of people bought wheels and made custom setups for GT5. I know I did. So to get my money's worth, I am turning to other racing titles.