Tagged: gran turismo

Gran Turismo PSP Not Forgotten

No, they did not forget about Gran Turismo PSP, according to an interview with Kazunori Yamauchi, producer of the racing simulator series. He said that the PSP incarnation is still on the cards, though it has taken a back seat to the upcoming PS3 installment.

Gran Turismo 5 is expected to arrive sometime next year on the PS3; it will be preceded by a demo that will highlight the major features of the coming game.

GT 5 Prologue This October

Word came out from the Tokyo PlayStation Premier event that the preview version of Gran Turismo 5 will be available for dlownload from the Japanese PlayStation Store this October. Dubbed Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the game will feature online play and a number of different vehicles, including some unrevealed concept cars.

No details regarding pricing have been divulged yet. It is also not known whether it will be released in other regions as well.

PS Network Taken Down by Gran Turismo Release

As of this writing, the PlayStation Network is down. The online network for Sony’s PlayStation 3 is supposed to have been taken down by the early release of Gran Turismo HD, which clocks in at over 1GB. Apparently, everyone is trying to download the demo, causing severe overload for Sony.

Please refer to this story for more information on the free release.

Gran Turismo HD Heads for America

Earlier this month it was confirmed that Gran Turismo HD would be released as a free demo in Japan. Now, Sony has announced that it will also be available for free to North Americans, starting December 24, for a “limited” amount of time, however.

Based on Gran Turismo 4, this demo runs in 1080p resolution and features online leaderboards, although there is no online multiplayer. GT HD supports video replay uploading as well, and will include the following ten cars and one track – the Eiger Nordwand – which will be available in reverse mode too.

  • Suzuki Cappucino
  • Mazda Eunos Roadster
  • Honda Integra TYPE R
  • Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR
  • Infiniti G35 Coupe
  • Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR
  • Lotus Elise 111R
  • Nissan SKYLINE GT-R Vspec II
  • Toyota Celica GT-FOUR Rally Car
  • Ferrari 599

Originally planned for release as a full PS3 title, Polyphony Digital wanted to focus on a true sequel to GT4 instead of working on a stopgap. No information has yet been released on Gran Turismo 5, and nothing is expected until late next year or 2008.

Gran Turismo HD to be Freely Available

Sony’s Japanese website reveals that Gran Turismo HD will not be given a retail release, but will be available for free via the PlayStation Network starting December 24. The company decided to forgo GTHD in favor of working on Gran Turismo 5, the true successor to Gran Turismo 4 (PS2), maybe due to development costs and the recent negative press concerning the use of micro-transactions.

The freely downloadable game will contain ten vehicles and two variations of a track. No North American or European release dates were mentioned.

Gran Turismo HD Shown

Uh… Gran Turismo HD doesn’t look so “HD”. Well, for its defense it can say that it’s a prototype!

Message from Kazunori Yamauchi
President, Polyphony Digital
Corporate Executive, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

At this year’s E3 2006, I am excited to provide you a glimpse of our vision for Gran Turismo® by showcasing the technological capabilities of PLAYSTATION®3 with a special playable demo titled “Gran Turismo HD”. Please note that this product does not represent an official product and is merely a prototype.

With the power of PLAYSTATION 3, “Gran Turismo HD” has been prepared in full HD resolution (i.e. 1920 x 1080p, p for progressive) and is displayed at a refresh rate of 60 frames per second. As you may know, this is the highest possible performance available on the latest high definition television and is three times higher in quality than the average high definition quality broadcast where HD-CAM capabilities are at 1450 x 1080i, (i for interlace). Comparatively, the visual quality in “Gran Turismo HD” is 12 times higher than Gran Turismo® 4 on PlayStation® 2, allowing for a world of true high definition, not possible in any other visual format today.

The wait for the next generation of Gran Turismo, post launch of PS3, may not be as long as you think.

Kazunori Yamauchi
Creator of Gran Turismo

And the “HD” screenshots: