It has been ten years sine the first Gran Turismo was released. Sony and Polyphony Digital have announce to date the franchise has shipped in excess of 50 millions units globally. This figure also includes the recently released Gran Turismo 5 Prologue which has shipped over 2 million units.
Today Codemasters have released a demo for Race Driver : GRID on Xbox Live. The demo is available to all regions according to the Major Nelson blog and includes three regions playable in the full game; Europe Touring Cars at Jarama Circuit, U.S Muscle cars at San Francisco and Japanese Drift Racing at Yokohama Docks.
In addition the demo will also be available on the Playstation Network.
Codemasters is also giving away a BMW 3 series to whoever posts the fastest lap time in time trial mode. The top five drivers will be picked at midnight on Friday 23rd May 2008 and will then compete a week later at the Zavvi Store in London for the prize.
Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi has said that he expects vehicle deformation to appear in his games very soon.
Speaking on Gamer TV Yamauchi said "We really, really want to put damage onto our vehicles, We've had a lot of discussions with the manufacturers and, although at the beginning they hated the idea of deformation, now they're slowly coming around to it" adding "We've still got a few to convince, but we will. Expect deformation in the very near future: very, very soon,".
The full version of Gran Turismo 5 is around a year away from release while the prologue will be made available on PSN later today.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have announced the Gran Turismo 5 Bundle and released date for Europe. The bundle and individual game will be available in stores from 28th March 2008 while the downloadable version will arrive on the Playstation Network on the 27th March 2008 both versions will be identical.
The game will retail for £25 ($40). The bundle package will retail for around £300 ($400)
SCEE Press Release:
Tuesday March 11, 2008 - Attention all driving fans!! One of the games industry's most legendary titles is about to make its PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) debut! That's right - the real driving simulator that's already sold almost 50 million units is back. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Polyphony Digital are pleased to announce Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™, a prequel title showcasing the forthcoming Gran Turismo™ 5 for PS3, will be available both on Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) on Wednesday 26 March for €39.99 (RRP), and as a download from PLAYSTATION®Network on Thursday 27 March. Launching on the same day as the standalone BD version, a PS3 bundle will be available including a PS3 40GB model, a SIXAXIS™ wireless controller and a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue game, all for just €399 (RRP).
Gran Turismo on PlayStation® is one of the most successful global gaming franchises of the last decade - renowned for its realism, quality of design and in-car physics technology. Now, with the power of PS3 behind it, it's going to be unstoppable. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue features 71 stunning cars - including vehicles by Lotus, Aston Martin, Subaru and, making another striking appearance, Ferrari - for you to race on six seriously realistic tracks: the Eiger Nordwand; the Daytona International Speedway; the London City Track; the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - all drivable in two layouts and all rendered in incredible High Definition graphics. There's also all-new driving physics for the most lifelike driving experience ever and new, improved, opponent artificial intelligence for the toughest race challenge yet.
But that's not all - for the first time in the history of Gran Turismo, you'll be able to race online. Thanks to PLAYSTATION Network, up to 16 players will be able to go head-to-head on some of the world's best racetracks - all you need to get racing is a broadband connection and a PS3. Once you're up and revving, Global Online Rankings will leave the world in no doubt as to just who is the best at Gran Turismo.
And then there's Gran Turismo™ TV - a dedicated online channel available exclusively from PLAYSTATION Network and packed with some of the greatest content that motorsport has to offer.
And, when you're done watching live coverage, you can take a more sedate browse through the Gran Turismo museum, where you'll find virtual exhibits on the history of many of the world-class car marques that have starred in Gran Turismo.
Key Features:
- The first ever Gran Turismo title with online racing: drive online against up to 16 other Gran Turismo aces
- Race a total of 71 stunning, high-performance cars
- Race the Eiger Nordwand, the Daytona International Speedway, the London City Track , the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - and then race them in alternative layouts
- All-new physics engine means true next-generation vehicle handling
- All-new and improved opponent AI opponents for a nail-biting race experience
- Access to Gran Turismo TV : a world of great motoring TV programming online
- In-game museum featuring the history and heritage of the top car manufacturers
- My Garage - a personalised homepage feature with calendar, clock and map & weather of major race circuits worldwide
- Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tyres, suspension and more
- All in stunning High Definition at 1080p
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Additional Features for Europe:
- Drift Mode - The player's drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.
- In Depth Car Tuning - Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle's performance, including power, tyres, suspension and the ability for quick tuning whilst racing.
- Two-player Split Screen Racing - Allows players to race head-to-head offline.
- New Race Events - Online racing fans can join in on a new set of scheduled events and time trials.
The complete Gran Turismo 5 launches in 2009. Until then, there's enough ultra-realistic, high-speed racing in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on PS3 and it's out now! To find out more, visit www.granturismoworld.com.
| info (at) motorsportgaming (dot) com |
 This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. |
Posts
