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Thrustmaster teases Gran Turismo 5 racing wheel
Look, you've waited 800 years for Gran Turismo 5 to arrive; don't you think you've earned the right to play the game the way God (and Kazunori Yamauchi) intended? We're speaking, of course, about playing the game using a beefy racing wheel created by the most suggestively named peripheral manufacturer on the planet: The Thrustmaster T500RS, which was recently teased on the company's official site. Previously, Logitech's Driving Force wheel (which is currently available for the PS3) was the only peripheral to grab the Gran Turismo license, but judging by the aforementioned (GT5-branded) teaser, Thrustmaster managed to get its hands on it as well. According to Engadget, the wheel appears to be equipped with the same magnetic sensors built into the HOTAS Warthog flight stick, and is rumored to hit retail at around $500. Thrustmaster hasn't revealed any official details quite yet, but promises more information will surface during CES 2011.
GT Academy returns, best Gran Turismo players become professional racers
Think you have what it takes to be a real professional racer? If so, you'll want to enter in this year's GT Academy. The tournament challenges Gran Turismo 5 players to take on a series of online time trial events. Over the course of five weeks, players will compete to record the fastest lap times, and the top 128 players per region (four regions total) will move on to the second round, one step closer to the grand prize: an opportunity to join a real racing team and compete in a real race. Registration begins next week, December 6th. But even if you're not a racing expert, you should consider registering just to score some digital swag. Each week, players that compete will get a free digital download, regardless of your ranking. So don't be ashamed to drive like a grandma on the virtual course. No one's going to judge you, we promise.
Gran Turismo 5 speeds past 430K sold to top weekly sales in Japan
Not quite Pokémon numbers, Gran Turismo 5's launch week sales were still plenty enough to land the long-awaited racing sim firmly in first place atop Japan's bestsellers list for the week ending November 28. With 430,707 units sold (by Media Create's count) in its first four days at Japanese retail, GT5 is well on its way to recouping development costs that were estimated at $60 million a year ago and becoming a commercial success for Sony. But slow down, tiger -- Yamauchi's latest "game" is still far from topping the series' standout entry, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, which has amassed lifetime sales of 1.89 million units in Japan (14.89 million worldwide), according to developer Polyphony Digital. Back to the present: Sony also enjoyed a tremendous spike in PS3 hardware sales last week in Japan, with 68,840 units sold -- nearly a 140-percent increase from the previous week. Complete Japanese software and hardware sales for the GT5 launch week are listed after the break. %Gallery-99681%
Yamauchi talks future Gran Turismo 5 updates, cut features
You didn't really think that work was finished on Gran Turismo 5, did you? Car-obsessed creator Kazunori Yamauchi has been fielding questions from fans on his Twitter feed (translated at GTPlanet), revealing that a variety of fixes are in the works -- but also shedding light on some features we'll probably never see. Yamauchi confirms that his team at Polyphony Digital is working to implement mechanical -- not just cosmetic -- damage in GT5 sometime in early December. Less time-consuming fixes include nixing the game's odd-looking "blocky" shadows, adding more online functionality (the lounge is mentioned) and possibly offering the option to disable the HUD overlay. Work to support Logitech's G25 and G27 racing wheels in still underway, he adds. As for what we won't be seeing, it sounds like face-tracking in GT mode and YouTube uploading of replays are out due to memory constraints. We'll also never get a chance to experience the cut "free roam" mode, in which players would have been able to drive around the gameworld, obeying traffic laws and stopping to get out of their cars to explore on foot. We imagine this was referred to internally as the "We Need Another Year of Development Time" mode.
Digital Foundry pops the hood on Gran Turismo 5
Interested in pages of thorough analysis on the technical proficiency of Gran Turismo 5? Of course you are! We all want to see how GT5 compares to previous entries of the franchise and learn about the game's other neat features -- including 3D integration and head-tracking through PlayStation Eye. DigitalFoundry once again did its due diligence and broke down Polyphony Digital's latest in the only way it knows how: through extensive testing. While the massive tech report is best left read in full, we will offer a brief summary for all of you aspiring turismoers out there: basically, Gran Turismo 5 is quite the feat ... but you already knew that, right?
Gran Turismo 5 starts at pole position in UK sales chart
Gran Turismo 5 raced into first place on the UK sales chart last week, becoming the sixth largest PS3 launch ever in the region. In a good sign for the oft-delayed franchise installment, sales were up 6 percent from Gran Turismo 4's launch week numbers in March 2005 on the PS2 (according to Chart-Track). Call of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood both took one step back this week, grabbing silver and bronze, respectively. CoD:Blops dropped another 42 percent in sales two weeks after its record-setting premiere, while AC:B slipped off a Borgia tower, but caught itself 32 percent of the way down. FIFA 11 took the fourth spot with a sales surge, and fifth belongs to... yup, loyal chart watchers, you got it: Just Dance 2 is unstoppable as it waves its arms in the air, selling copies like it just don't care. As for debuts on the chart that didn't go vroom-vroom, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare shambled in at 14, while Ubisoft's Michael Jackson: The Experience had the late king of pop make one duke-y of a debut down at 38. Find the full UK top ten after the break. Update: We just noticed that Disney Epic Mickey began its retail quest in the UK last week. It didn't even make the Top 40 in the All Formats chart. It debuted at the 11 spot on the Wii Chart. For comparison's sake, Michael Jackson: The Experience premiered at number five on the Wii chart, which ended up being 38 on the All Formats.
Metareview: Gran Turismo 5
In attempting to evaluate Gran Turismo 5 in a miniscule fraction of the time it took to create, game critics find themselves in disagreement over the franchise's longstanding expression and adoration of driving. Some find the experience sterile and cluttered, while others see an unrivaled level of love and dedication. Even so, it seems fans will know exactly what they're getting into, and reviewers seem to agree that things are especially good once you get behind the steering wheel. Destructoid (100/100): "Even beyond the 1,000 cars, dozens of track variations, countless modes, gorgeous visuals and mountains of options, Gran Turismo 5 has something more that speaks to the world's car lovers and racing fans. The level of care taken by the people at Polyphony Digital shines in every aspect of this title, and this makes for a racing game that truly has no parallel." Eurogamer (90/100): "You see, the heart of the game has moved. It's no longer in the GT Mode, despite its improved pace, nor the tuning screen or parts shop. It's certainly not in the vestigial licence tests which are still there but no longer serve much purpose, Polyphony finally having given in and implemented a simple, sensible levelling system to unlock cars and events instead. The game's heart is in those Special Events." IGN (85/100): "Gran Turismo 5 is a 10/10 simulator wrapped up in a 5/10 game – driving is as exhilarating as anything that's gone before, and slavish obsession with the minutiae of many of its cars ensure it's an encyclopaedia of automotive delights. Its brilliance on the track, however is matched by its sloppiness off of it, and there's a lack of polish that would at one time have seemed sacrilegious to the series." Videogamer (80/100): "The actual driving in Gran Turismo 5 is brilliant. If driving cars is all you care about, Sony and Polyphony Digital have you covered. These days, I want more. I want a streamlined career mode, an exhaustive set of online features, cutting-edge visuals, and above all else, a spark – the something that turns a game from good to really special." Guardian (no score): "At times it feels less like playing a game and more like indulging in a hobby. Clearly it's no longer the sole pretender to the title of Best Racing Game; competitors snap at its heels in terms of graphical pyrotechnics, driving feel and immersion, and there are certainly better multiplayer experiences out there. But there's nothing with this much charm. If you want simply to bask in a deep love for cars, then there is still no better franchise."
Gran Turismo 5 hampered by internet congestion, patch coming Saturday
Sony's advice to those currently having hiccups with Gran Turismo 5 is to temporarily disable internet access on their consoles. Eurogamer reports that the game's constant online connection, even while navigating single-player content and menus, is causing "longer than comfortable lag." Sony has confirmed the game "performs online access not only when participating in online races and using community features, but also when starting the game and during the various screen displays in GT Mode." This is causing "online congestion" and the publisher is working on "several different solutions" to improve the network. One of the solutions should come this Saturday, November 27, as GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi says a patch will fix several issues, including "the usability of the game to make it a better experience." He noted the game's data center was "set up to handle 500,000 connections, but the number of connections we received greatly exceeded that amount and there was a high chance of experiencing problems as a result." Wait, wait, wait. Gran Turismo 5 was designed in such a way that it constantly pings a data center that was only set to handle half a million connections... for a Gran Turismo game? It sounds like Sony hired the same consultant Battlefield developer DICE uses to come up with its launch week capacity requirements.
The Gran Turismo 5 launch trailer is here
In case you have yet to see the retail boxes at your local brick-and-mortar, Gran Turismo 5 is, like, totally out. Further proof? Sony's released the game's launch trailer. So it must be out! Seriously! Oh, right, we also reviewed it, so there's that too, ya big doubting debbie.
Gran Turismo 5 review: Driven by perfection
Gran Turismo 5 opens with a lengthy, ostentatious video that chronicles the construction of a car, from the mining of the metals that comprise it to the moment it rolls out of the factory, race-ready. These precisely edited visuals lead into a user interface that's so pristine and so polished that it left no doubt in my mind: the reason GT5 has been in development for so long, so delayed, is that it was never going to be perfect enough for series boss Kazunori Yamauchi. He's clearly a perfectionist, and as a result has made a good game, albeit one that's been driven down a very narrow path to end up something only a subset of gamers will truly enjoy.%Gallery-71410%
Gran Turismo 5's Collector's Edition unboxed
You've seen the European Signature Edition of Gran Turismo 5. Now, to make you jealous again, and to prove that Gran Turismo 5 exists, PlayStation Blog has posted an unboxing video for the American Collector's Edition. Surprisingly little time is spent playing with the toy car!
The 'most luxurious' edition of GT5 unboxed
Doing his best airport security impression, SCEE blogger James Gallagher carefully inspects this "very shiny, obsidian black box," otherwise known as Europe's Signature Edition of Gran Turismo 5. Easy now, lad ... That baby'll burn a €180-size hole in your billfold!
Gran Turismo 5 offers option to install while you play
No need to watch aging spies smoke cigarettes or take a sandwich break when it comes to installing Gran Turismo 5 -- Eurogamer has confirmed with Sony that the game will actually have a feature allowing users to install it in chunks while playing. "If users choose not to install the data straight away it will do it in stages as new areas, tracks, etc. are accessed during normal gameplay,"a Sony representative stated. The install weighs in at 6.3 gigglebytes, unsurprising considering there are like eleventy billion cars in the game and takes about 40 minutes when installing straight-up, Eurogamer reports. Gran Turismo 5 launches in the US on November 24. No, we're serious -- no joking!
Kevin Butler steals cars, our hearts in Gran Turismo 5 commercial
Finally, the reason for Gran Turismo 5's hundred-year delay has been revealed -- and we'd just assumed it was due to the obstinate perfectionism of Kazunori Yamauchi. As it turns out, it was actually due to the obstinate perfectionism of Kevin Butler, as revealed in the commercial below.
Gran Turismo 5 course creation tools demonstrated on video
One of the main reasons Gran Turismo 5 has been in development for so, so long is because Polyphony Digital has packed it to the gills with content, and that includes the race track creator demonstrated after the break. Just think of the all the Mario Kart levels you could repurpose for the game's kart races ...
Titanium Blue PS3 hits Japan on November 25th, long-awaited racing game in tow
November 3rd came and went without a Gran Turismo 5 game to play, so as you'd imagine this gorgeous Titanium Blue PS3 launch bundle also failed to see the light of day. However, now that we've got a totally plausible and twice-confirmed November 24th release date for the little uber-realistic racer that could, it's probably fair to take Sony Japan at its word that we'll see the commemorating console appear without further delay. Tell your Japanese importer to line up on November 25th if you want one with your name on it, and be sure to hand him at least ¥35,980 (about $436) of your rainy day fund.
All 1,031 of Gran Turismo 5's cars catalogued
Now that we have a new, totally for sure release date for Gran Turismo 5 (we hope!), information has begun steadily arriving about the final product -- it probably doesn't hurt that retail copies were spotted in the wild last week. Eurogamer laboriously catalogued every single automobile in the forthcoming sim racer, from Acura to Volvo (and everything in between), totaling 1,031 cars in all. And just think, as recently as yesterday we were totally worried that the game would only have one year's version of the Acura 3.2 CL Type-S. But no -- GT5 has both the 2001 and 2003 models! We can finally sleep again at night. Peep the whole list right here so you can too.
Gran Turismo 5 gets a new release date: November 24
Sony confirmed the release date for Gran Turismo 5 (again) today: November 24 is the date you can circle in your High Polygon Cars of 2010 novelty calendar. In announcing the new date, Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi (pictured above hand-pressing each and every GT5 disc himself!) said, "Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologize to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed." And just because we like (and, yes, feel a little sorry for) you, Gran Turismo superfan #1, we'll point out Amazon's deal of the day: a third-party PS3 steering wheel, just the thing you need to get ready for GT5. Should you take Amazon up on its offer, the wheel would be in your home well before November 24, or whatever future date Sony inevitably pushes Gran Turismo 5 back to. [Photo credit: Frank Filipponio; GIF source: jockamo]
Winners of Superstars V8 Racing contest to receive Gran Turismo 5
In a kind of brilliant move, O-Games is promoting its racing game by giving away copies of another company's racing game. Starting this Friday, November 12, the company will hold weekly leaderboard challenges in its PSN game Superstars V8 Racing. Each week's winner will receive a copy of Gran Turismo 5. This means, if you're way, way awesome at Superstars V8 Racing, this is a way to get GT5 for just twenty bucks -- the cost of V8 Racing. Complete details of the contest will be posted on the game's Facebook page. Of course, there's a unique problem with offering Gran Turismo 5 as a prize. "Exactly when we can ship GT5 is anybody's guess," O-Games Greg Lanz said in the announcement of the contest. "But rest assured, we will send out prizes whenever it hits retail shelves."
Gran Turismo 5 begins with 7 minutes of cars being made
Adding more evidence of the dissemination of retail copies of Gran Turismo 5 -- before it even has a release date -- shakycam footage of what appears to be the seven-minute intro for Polyphony Digital's eternally delayed racing simulator has appeared on YouTube. Hope you like factories!
