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Gran Turismo TV to feature BBC's Top Gear
A newly announced collaboration between Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Polyphony Digital and BBC Worldwide will see the broadcaster's popular motoring show, Top Gear, distributed through Gran Turismo TV. The online channel, expected to launch on the PlayStation Network during 2008, will host 40 downloadable episodes of the Jeremy Clarkson vehicle snobbery-fest.An added bonus resulting from the agreement is an in-game replica of the Top Gear Test Track, bound for the PS3 installment of Sony's driving sim, Gran Turismo 5. You'll be able to experience "every white knuckle, hairpin turn," whether or not you're rambling into a camera about how the unnervingly attractive car makes you feel. If you haven't done so already, you can coax the Japanese PSN into giving you the GT5 Prologue demo while you await the final game's release.%Gallery-9051%
Gran Turismo HD leaving Japan PSN -- Europe, US next?
In apparent preparation for next month's release of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue in the region, the free and beautiful GT HD Concept is going to pulled from Japanese PlayStation Store as of this Sunday, September 30. According to the official page (translation), online ranking from within the game will still be running.GT 5 Prologue is due out October 26 in Japan, whereas US and European gamers are expected to see it December 13. Will HD Concept also be pulled in these areas? We're not sure -- until we get an answer, we recommend going ahead and downloading the racer just in case.%Gallery-4884%[Via PS3 Fanboy]
GT5 Prologue priced: 4,980 on Blu-ray and 4,500 download
Click to enlarge Tucked away, quietly, within the pages of Sony's TGS press catalog, is the final pricing for the Japanese release of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Now scheduled for December 13 (as indicated by Famitsu earlier this week) the game is listed as ¥4,980 ($43.10) on Blu-ray and ¥4,500 ($38.95) for the downloadable variant. Though the game features many of the functions of the full product – scheduled for a 2008 release – it's still considered to be a sampling, in part intended to "keep people aware [Polyphony Digital is] still around" (as told to us by the game's designer, Kazunori Yamauchi). We're not sure if this price will extend to the European and North American releases of GT5 Prologue, but we've asked Sony for clarification.
GT5 Prologue out this year via PSN and Blu-ray
Sony Europe has announced that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be out this year as both a traditional Blu-ray release and as a PlayStation Network download.The game will feature 40 cars. Racing locations noted in the press release include Eiger Nordwand, the London City Track and Suzuka. As previously discussed, Prologue will feature 16-player online matches. Unsurprisingly, the game will run at 1080p and 60fps, though the replays will only play back at 30fps. Also mentioned in the press release is Gran Turismo TV, a channel for the PlayStation Network that gives access to "a world of great motoring TV programming online."No details have been announced as to whether the Blu-ray release will, like Warhawk, contain extra content. If Prologue isn't enough for you, the full Gran Turismo 5 is due out in 2008.%Gallery-4884%
Watch the developers talk about Gran Turismo
Too much Gran Turismo? Maybe. But we can't help but admire the potential that we see in Gran Turismo 5, Sony's next-gen follow-up to the famous GT series. Beyond just the graphics, we're excited by the gameplay, all of which can be seen on display, narrated by the team at Polyphony. Enjoy the video -- it might be the last you see of us before we start playing Warhawk.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be free
According to the Gamespot, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will arrive as a free downloadable title on the PlayStation Store later this year. If this is true, Prologue will largely expand upon the previous free GT download, Gran Turismo HD. Prologue adds more cars and tracks, and a slew of new features, such as a new "TV" mode. The TV option will provide users replays and videos from manufacturers. A great Game 2.0 3.0 nod would allow users to create their own replay videos and share them with their friends through the PSN.A new "Home" mode will allow greater integration with the upcoming online service. "The goal is to create as seamless an experience between the game and the Home service as possible."Just like the PS3, the goal is to have Prologue constantly evolve through updates. "It's possible that additional improvements, such as damage modeling, could be a part of a future update to the game somewhere down the line." Certainly, exciting -- hopefully, we'll find out more as Tokyo Game Show draws nearer.%Gallery-4885%
A crystal clear look into Gran Turismo Prologue
Can something look too good? That's what we're asking when we look at these brand new screenshots of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Of course the cars look good. But we're taken aback by the detail found in the drivers and the environments. The attention to detail is more than impeccable -- it's scary.So how does it look when it's in motion? Click past the break to see. Or, watch in glorious HD.%Gallery-4885%
New footage of Gran Turismo 5's cockpit view
Slowly but surely, interesting morsels of information are streaming out of Leipzig. Here, Jeux-France managed to capture some new video of Gran Turismo 5. Over four minutes of glorious real-time gameplay to feast on. We could say things like "that looks great!" But, we think you're more than capable of making that judgment yourself. [Thanks, Stefan Torestam! Via N4G]
Rumor: DualShock 3 to rumble with GT5 Prologue
Supposedly, the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will support DualShock 3 -- at least according to a NeoGAF retelling of Japanese publication Dengeki PlayStation. This has sparked discussion that the controller featured on the official GT5 website (pictured above) is actually a DualShock 3, not a Sixaxis. But honestly, we all expect the rumble-enabled PS3 controller to look identical to our current Sixaxis controller. A silhouette won't tell us much.Hopefully, we'll find out something at Leipzig later today.[Via Joystiq]
Gran Turismo 5 screenshots look too real
Three Speech uploaded some incredible new images of Gran Turismo 5. And we have to admit, they look more real than real things. Yes, the cars are impressive, but we're fascinated to see human character models that match the visual fidelity of the vehicles. Check out the new images below, and try to tell us you're not stunned.%Gallery-4885%[Via digg]
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue producer reveals online features
The latest Famitsu magazine (via 1UP) features an interview with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue producer Kazunori Yamauchi where he discussed the upcoming racer's online aspect.Prologue will feature integration with PlayStation Home, where you can reach the top menu of the game from inside Home (and vice versa, you can reach Home through Prologue). Each player will have a page that loads with background imagery. Yamauchi plans to also include a friends list here and a weather feature so that "other players will know which geographic location you are in and how the weather is there."No downloadable cars or courses will be made available. Yamauchi plans for 40 cars and four courses with eight different layouts to make it to the final game. Save data from Prologue can be carried over later to the non-prologue Gran Turismo 5 for use. Sixteen-car races are being planned for offline mode, but that number may drop to 12 for online play.Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is due out in Japan this October.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue coming to Japan in October
You thought you'd have to wait until 2008 for some Gran Turismo fun, didn't you? Well you can stop thinking that right now as the latest piece of news to come out of the PlayStation Premiere event in Tokyo is an announcement that GT 5 prologue will be available in Japan in October. What is effectively a demo for Gran Turismo 5 will feature full online support as well as some cars which will be featuring in this year's Tokyo Motor Show.Whether it will be available in the US or EU in October is up in the air, however it's fairly safe to assume it will be out before the end of the year. There is no word yet on what the price will be for the download, considering the current PSN offering is downloadable for free.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue downloadable (in Japan) this October
After making an impressive debut at E3 last week, it was revealed that the Gran Turismo Prologue download will be available on the Japanese PlayStation Network come October. (Hardcore GT fans have already created Japanese PSN accounts in preparation.) The cars that will be featured in the GT sampler will include some to be revealed at the Tokyo Auto Show.In addition, this downloadable title will feature two things Gran Turismo HD did not: online multiplayer, and a price. Currently listed as "TBA," Prologue may not be as free as last year's gift from Sony.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
It's real: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
At Sony's E3 press conference, Sony showcased the stunning Gran Turismo 5 Prologue trailer. At first, we thought that some parts of the game were pre-rendered. We overheard one Sony developer telling us, off the record, that if any developer can make a game look that good, it's certainly Polyphony Digital.Check out the new screenshots in our gallery:%Gallery-4885%
In-car view confirmed for Gran Turismo 5
The creator of the Gran Turismo games, Kazunori Yamauchi, has confirmed that there will be an in-car view in Gran Turismo 5 -- a first for the Gran Turismo series. Speaking to French motorsports TV show Turbo, Yamauchi said:"To translate the real car into 3D, we use data and assets provided by the car manufacturers, but we also use a scanner that completely digitizes a car. Here's a scoop: We're also modeling the dashboards because you can drive from the interior view in the upcoming Gran Turismo 5."The in-car view is something that fans have been requesting for a long time, so this should make quite a few people happy. It seems like Polyphony Digital is really pulling out all the stops this time around; this combined with car damage, shows that the Gran Turismo series truly is going next-gen (sorry GT HD -- you don't count). Makes you wonder how many of the changes are because of Microsoft's driving games though. PGR 3 has a great in-car camera, and Forza 2 has damage modeling already and they both have online play. So the Gran Turismo series definitely has some catching up to do in some areas.
Seriously, Project Gotham Racing 3 is not a PS3 game
Alright, this is getting ridiculous. For the third time in almost as many months, a sports model from Project Gotham Racing 3 has becoming an unwitting spokesmodel for Sony's PlayStation 3. Having already been mistaken for Gran Turismo HD and used to promote the PS3 in a KIA ad, Microsoft's exotic car racer now finds itself inside Dutch magazine, Mediamarkt, as posted in the Bizarre Creations forums. The depicted Saleen has likely been in those pages before... just not in an article discussing the PlayStation 3's future. Is this indicative of some deeply rooted desire for a multiplatform excursion for the series? Perhaps it's some subtle commentary on the lack of distinguishing features in the racing genre? We'll ponder these questions and more once we've finished our race in the Forizmo demo. Or whatever.[Thanks, v]
Final Forza 2 car list rev-vealed, headline writer shot
A just punishment for such a terrible mangling of words, not to mention the trickery of "Final Forza 2" leading people to believe that Microsoft was releasing a bizarre automotive RPG, complete with mutant mechanics and bottles of restorative oil. No, the relevant game is Forza 2, simmy sequel to 2005's foray into car customization, reckless racing and all-round Gran Turismo-ing. The official Forza Motorsport 2 website has unveiled the full list of cars to be included in the final game when it screeches into stores this May. Numbering 310 and representing enough reflective metal to burn holes through the back of your head, the list of cars is sure to please fans unsatisfied by the forthcoming demo's comparatively meager offering of 24 vehicles. It's noted that seven of the 310 cars have been deemed "special," with some only being available to pre-order deals and the game's collectors edition. The "controversial unicorn cars" will also be exclusively available for a limited time in the game's online auction house. Racing enthusiasts are encouraged to look, use the Forza page and inspect the list closely as they attempt to answer the question, "Is there vroom for improvement?" Update: Article author shot as well.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Gran Turismo HD 1.2, GTA 4 trailer to hit PS Network today
Sony has sent word of their new offerings for the US PlayStation Network today. Most importantly for racing fans, Gran Turismo HD Concept will be upgraded for free to version 1.2, which enables force feedback through Logitech steering wheel peripherals. (European gamers have been enjoying GTHD 1.2 since the console's launch in the region.)The Grand Theft Auto IV trailer is also available for download in high definition, as is the Armored Core 4 demo. Microsoft's Peter Moore, proud that Xbox Live got the GTAIV trailer up before Sony, has added yet another tattoo on his arm to add to his collection of AAA-titled inkings.All of the content will be available free of charge and should be online sometime today.[Update: It's the Armored Core 4 demo, not trailer, that is released today. All parties responsible for the error have been thoroughly sacked.]
Analyst talks price drop, Gran Turismo
Analysts, for some reason or another, are important to the industry. Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets commented on Sony's recent price drop of the machine, saying it will give the platform an important "shot in the arm." As the first official price cut since the product's launch more than two years ago, marketing will be crucial. Thankfully, according to Sebastian, Sony has a plan: "Sony is planning to support the pricing move with a new print and online marketing campaign targeted at young adults and teens." Let's hope it's better than what we've seen so far. Price is one of the sole detriments to PSP's performance. With a lower price, Sebastian notes, the system should sell much better: "We note that a Wal-Mart promotion on Black Friday last year generated significant sales volume for the PSP at a discounted price of $169, providing one indication of potential consumer demand. We also believe the potential release of Gran Turismo for the PSP in 2007 could further boost unit sales." Wait? Did he mention Gran Turismo? Isn't that game canceled? Or maybe it's not. Let's hope that he knows something we don't. The battle's far from over, the analyst reminds us. "It is too early to conclude whether Sony's pricing action will cause game developers to increase the pipeline of new PSP titles." Certainly, the price drop is encouraging, but "at the new $169 price, we note that the PSP is still $40 higher than Nintendo's DS." [Via GameDaily]
Gran Turismo HD Euro update supports force feedback racing wheels
European PlayStation 3 owners now have something they can tout over their Japanese and North American brethren. Though they did wait months longer for the console's release, it seems that they are privileged to an updated version of Gran Turismo HD Concept, and version 2.0 sports force feedback support for racing wheels.But force feedback is last-gen, you say? Vibrating controllers of Sony's past have won Emmys, we say. Racing fans who are dedicated to the genre enough to buy a wheel peripheral deserve to have as immersive an experience as possible, even if it's just one race course. This bodes well for future releases (as well as the unknown known Sixaxis with rumble). As of this writing, the U.S. version is still 1.1, but we expect to get our rumble shortly.
