Gran Turismo 5

It's been 4 years since the release of Gran Turismo 4 and we've been longing for a new one ever since we completed it (well 99.4% anyway). Designers of the Gran Turismo series, Polyphony Digital, have taken the racing simulator into the new age of high-definition with GT5. A taste of what's to come is available for download on the PS3 from the Playstation store. Called Gran Turismo HD, the "prologue" uses the same simulation engine as will the upcoming GT5. From what I've seen the 1080i graphics are nothing short of amazing! Although there is only 1 track and a few cars to chose from, you are sure to be impressed and left wanting more. There is an online scoreboard attached to the GT-HD prologue which shows you how your skills compare with the rest of the world, and like me, you're sure to make 100 passes trying to shave off that millisecond necessary for a top spot.
One of the more exciting additions to the new game will be the addition of new tracks and a few more manufacturers to the scene including Ferrari! No word on liscensing for Lamborghini or Porsche yet. (keep your fingers crossed)
Multiplayer online play has been added with up to 16 drivers at the same time! I am exceptionaly excited about this as it will allow for much more competitive racing and skill improvement. As we all know competition breeds excellence!
Here's another great addition; Motorcycles! That's right, you can now strap a superbike under your butt and tear up Grand Valley. Polyphony Digital also makes the great motorcycle racing game Tourist Trophy and has decided to incorporate some crotch-rockets into Gran Turismo 5. Look for manufacturers like Aprilla, Honda, and Suzuki to race alongside a Viper or Ferrari.
Release Date: Although no firm release has been set, PD confirms that we should see it on shelves no later than this Summer. I'm sure they don't want to upset us as they did with GT4 by pushing the release date back over and over again. There is a hardcore fan base for the Gran Turismo franchise, and we've been chopping at the bit for any new morsel of information about Gran Turismo 5 that we can get our hands on. I will keep you posted as to when an official date is set, so bookmark this site and check back often.
Gran Turismo has long been a departure from your typical racing game. GT is designed to be a "Racing Simmulator", and does so with surprising realism. Most people who drive the game for the first time are shocked at how difficult it is. This is due to the fact that all aspects of driving dynamics have been considered while producing them. The folks at Polyphony actualy go out to real tracks to replicate them in as much realism as possible. They also study every car, hooking up sensors to everything in order to get as much data as possible about that particular vehicle, including the actual exhaust note! GT5 will take this realism to the next level with high-definition graphics which will absolutely blow your mind! It is like watching the Speed channel, only you're controlling the car! Driving dynamics have improved as well which is to say a little more precise and 'touchy'. The first thing I noticed when playing the prelogue is just how much "nose-dive" you get when braking, it feels so real! Oversteer and understeer have also been improved upon to give a much more realistic driving experience. All in all Gran Turismo 5 is set to be the ultimate driving simulator.

Here's your excuse for buying a PS3; Gran Turismo 5!

Ask any driving enthusiast what the most realistic driving game is, and you'll undoubtedly hear Gran Turismo. Polyphony Digital created the first version of the game back in 1997 which sparked a cult-like following from race fans and car nuts. This was due largely to the amount of detail and realism injected into the games simulator engine. Kazunori Yamauchi, chief designer for the franchise, is a true road racing fan himself and wanted a driving simulator that recreated the racing experience as realistically as possible. He and his team actually drive every car on the game with a ton of sensors, video and sound equipment in order to accurately simulate the cars and tracks as closely as possible. This is a painstakingly tedious task which takes years to fully integrate into their software. "For Gran Turismo 1, one car was one day's work for one man," Yamauchi said. "For GT3, one car was one man's work for 30 days. For GT5, one car is one man's work for 180 days." The result, however is a truly impressive driving simulator which no other racing game can compete with.

Polyphony Digital has released four full length Gran Turismo games since 1997 (other prologues and teasers have been offered), and fans of the franchise are waiting anxiously for the newest version, Gran Turismo 5. It has been 4 years since the release of GT4 and since then we have seen the growth of the High Definition TV and the introduction of the Playstation 3. This explosion of technology has allowed Mr. Yamauchi to integrate HD technology into GT5. With 1080i graphics, one must be careful to pay attention to the road and not the beautiful scenery and smiling faces from the crowd. Although I didn't think it possible, the driving dynamics have improved as well. For the first-timer this is frustrating as this is no simple racing game with little regard to true racing dynamics, one little false move and you're at the back of the pack! With a little practice however, one can quickly gain an appreciation for the level of authenticity that went into producing this game. The Gran Turismo franchise has been wildly popular among actual race car drivers as PD actually recreates real race courses with a margin of error in the millimeters. This allows drivers to become familiar with the track before they even set foot on it. I recall the first time I watched an F1 race at Monte Carlo and was astonished that I knew all the corners from playing GT4 and racing at Cote D'Azur. The designers have truly done their homework and it shows in the amount of realism displayed in the recreation of the courses and cars.

GT5 is due out this spring. Meanwhile you can enjoy a teaser downloadable on your PS3 with Gran Turismo HD or purchase the Gran Turismo 5 Prologue which offers a few more tracks and cars. The full length GT5 should include about 700 cars, however a lot of the vehicles and tracks will now be available as downloads allowing the designers to release the game then add to it as telemetry and data are collected on new vehicles and courses. Yamauchi also said that realistic car damage was considered however it would have required an immense amount of programming and they just couldn't justify the time and expense. Fine by me, I think I would cry if I saw a new Aston Martin mangled and battered because I missed my braking point. So while Polyphony puts the final touches on what is sure to be the greatest racing simulator ever, we will be patiently waiting and wearing out the Prologue in hopes that the release will not get pushed back over and over again like GT4. Happy Driving Everyone!