In the past, PlayStation has also become synonymous with the famous Ridge Racer (yes, “Riiiidge Racer” spoken by Kaz Hirai, E3 2006). History sided with Polyphony Digital. Best of all, it has forgiven multiple delays that have increased in intensity over the course of the 7th generation of consoles. Yamauchi enjoyed making numerous promises to provide fans with the most realistic gameplay experience.
Will we call Gran Turismo a realistic series today? Opinions seem to be strongly divided. Some believe that the brand is highly ennobled beyond its measure, often contrary to its promises. Yamauchi’s opponents are traditionally irritated by the fact that there are several hundred cars available. We are talking about the so-called premium car, deviating from the standard list. History of the automotive industry, attached simulator label, generational brand. Three opinion-forming facts about the Gran Turismo series. Fans will not deny, and the rest?
Pixel-car
The first cars available in the classic Gran Turismo (1997, PlayStation) is a delightful for those times, the magic number of 300 pixels. This is how much each car generated by the 32-bit PlayStation consumes. There was no concept of Premium cars yet, a “nightmare” in the eyes of players on the other side of the barricade. The Magnificent Seven have worked on the title for almost five years. In the meantime, the number of members has grown exponentially, but the success of the game has been attributed to the studio’s CEO for years. The situation is a slight analogy to the no less iconic person of Hideo Kojima back in the days when the Japanese visionary joined the ranks of the former, powerful Konami. Success attributed mainly to one name. Right or wrong, a matter of approach. Nevertheless, Gran Turismo has embarked on the historic race to be the best racing game in its unique class.
The sequel released on two CDs is actually even more iconic, but if we had added today’s community grumble “as a matter of principle”, Gran Turismo 2 would be treated as a big addition. In fact, the number of pixels for each piece was identical to the original. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a short time interval between premieres. When the great PlayStation 2 was born, the number increased tenfold correspondingly for Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (2001, Sony) and Gran Turismo 4 (2004), so an average of four thousand. The real stairs begin with PlayStation 3. And it’s not just about pixels. Sony’s entry into the seventh generation finally ushered in online gameplay with the launch of PlayStation Network back in 2008. Gran Turismo 5 was already in its infancy. Perhaps the most confusing of all Polyphony Digital’s monumental endeavors. Time tells us everything here. Fans had to wait six years for the fifth installment. Gran Turismo 5 (2010) introduces quite an interesting publishing phenomenon, which Konami uses years later, so another analogy.
Before the standard edition hit the market, Sony and Polyphony Digital offered Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. In practice, we had a foretaste of the supposed enormity of possibilities behind the fifth, by far the loudest installment of the series. An extended demo was finally released, with an emphasis on the online aspect of the gameplay. Inevitably, this has already been attempted on the occasion of GT4, but the PS2 era has yet to cope with these demands. Gran Turismo 5 took the cycle to literally new tracks. Classification of cars from the Standard and Premium categories has been implemented. The decision sparked a wave of heated debate. So why introduce a qualitative division in advance, when it would be possible to refine almost all cars available in the game? The differences were downright absurd. Standard cars, unlike those of the “upper class”, did not have the possibility of a view directly from behind the cockpit, no windshield wipers, etc. Yamauchi boasted that the title offered over 1000 vehicles, but it was an obvious move in quantity, not quality. One of the most bizarre decisions in the history of the studio. Here is a game that has been postponed many times, introduces a quality division.
Tradition obliges
Gran Turismo 5 is a very complex project from the current perspective. Originally offered in the Prologue version, it didn’t finally arrive six years after GT4. Fortunately, the company took care of a shorter time interval on the occasion of the next edition. Identical technology was used, so the production cycle seemed faster to tame. Gran Turismo 6 debuted in December 2013, when we already had a successor to the PS3 on the market. The game is considered a title better than its predecessor, but the game was often compared with Forza Motorsport. In this case, it’s two simulators. Yamauchi’s cycle has such a Japanese charm to it, even when actively switching between functions. One of the most common objections to the brand is the almost zero damage model. Yamauchi used to explain technical deficiencies like the former star of our industry, Cliff Bleszinski.
CliffyB stated that the Gears of War series “is not a wallbreaking game” in response to the lack of interaction with the environment due to the Unreal Engine technology. The head of Polyphony Digital referred to the same style. We are supposed to buy Gran Turismo for virtual driving pleasure and for absorbing automotive history. For fans, it is a mine of knowledge that cannot be found elsewhere. With the launch of Gran Turismo Sport (2017), the studio begins its technical ascent to new heights. Even experts have indicated the game as a beacon in terms of HDR. I know from the autopsy. Now, we are already expecting the seventh numerical game. The premiere has already been postponed to 2022, so the tradition is being followed. Are you waiting?
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