Sony's long-in-development PlayStation 3 adventure game The Last Guardian was nowhere to be seen at E3 and we didn't see it this week at Gamescom, either. Just because Sony isn't showing the game publicly, and doesn't plan to soon, doesn't mean it's been canceled, the company said this week.

Asked by Eurogamer if Sony would re-reveal The Last Guardian at Tokyo Game Show next month, worldwide studios president Shuhei Yoshida said, "I don't think so. Sorry." Pressed for an answer regarding when Sony will finally show the game off again, Yoshida initially offered up the response we have heard time and again, before teasing something new.

"When we are ready," he said. "I cannot confirm any timing because we are waiting for it to be in a state where we are happy that this is the game. We have a certain time frame in our mind (emphasis added), and the team is making great progress, but still not to the point that we can say that, 'here you go.'"

The Last Guardian was initially announced all the way back in 2009, during that year's E3, meaning it's now been in development for at least five years. Yoshida went on to explain that unspecified "technical issues on PS3" are partially to blame for the extended development time. He also admitted that the game's tentative 2011 release window "was a mistake."

Now, The Last Guardian has been "totally re-engineered," Yoshida said. "[Developer Team Ico is] still working on it. I've been seeing the progress." Yoshida's comments would seem to suggest that The Last Guardian has shifted to the PlayStation 4, but that remains to be seen.

The Last Guardian tells a boy-and-his-dog tale, where the dog is a giant and feathered, yet seemingly amiable, beast. Team Ico has not been forthcoming with specific plot details, but gameplay will involve the boy manipulating his companion to navigate a variety of environmental puzzles.

Are you still looking forward to The Last Guardian and whatever it turns out to be? Let us know in the comments below!