Enjoy your Prologue, Gran Turismo 5 'about a year away'
If you were planning to speed past Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on April 17th because "it's just a demo," you may wish to rifle through your virtues and see if patience is among them. According to a PlayStation Blog comment made by SCEA associate producer, Chris Hinojosa-Miranda, the real real driving simulator is still "about a year away." It's no surprise to see him recommending a Prologue purchase in the meantime, but for automotive fans eagerly awaiting the PlayStation 3's premiere driving sim, the content offered in Polyphony Digital's $40 stopgap puts it well above the status of mere demo.
The news certainly shouldn't come as a surprise to them either, as the immense and laborious task of creating Gran Turismo 5 has been well documented. With so much time spent painstakingly modeling each luxurious vehicle, we often wonder if it wouldn't be easier just to fill that Blu-ray disc with interactive HD video. It would be just like Road Avenger, but classier!
The news certainly shouldn't come as a surprise to them either, as the immense and laborious task of creating Gran Turismo 5 has been well documented. With so much time spent painstakingly modeling each luxurious vehicle, we often wonder if it wouldn't be easier just to fill that Blu-ray disc with interactive HD video. It would be just like Road Avenger, but classier!












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Fernando Rocker @ Mar 26th 2008 5:36PM
Arcade racers > Sims racers
Shagittarius @ Mar 26th 2008 5:42PM
Jewfros > Mullets
a.j. @ Mar 26th 2008 5:43PM
why because they require more than RIGHT TRIGGERRRRRRR, DRIFFFT!!! YEAH!!! fail.
Fernando Rocker @ Mar 26th 2008 5:45PM
Jewfros sucks... mullet hair looks better.
Honestly... you prefer a Gran Turismo or Forza over Burnout or Mario Kart?
It's boring... very slow, in every turn you have to almost stop the car.
ViagraFiend @ Mar 26th 2008 6:00PM
Which brings us closer to actually driving a Ferrari? GT5 or Burnout/Mario Kart?
You sir, are retarded. I swear sometimes I think you are 10 years old.
Thats like saying Mario is better than Microsoft Flight Simulator.
RoboChamp @ Mar 26th 2008 6:38PM
That's like saying a Halo is better than a CoD just because Halo is more exaggerated. How fucking stupid are you?
glitched @ Mar 26th 2008 6:43PM
Glitched > Fernando rocker
TPS > FPS
RPG > MMORPG
imports > domestics
tea > coffee
graphics > gameplay
singleplayer > multiplayer
Note: The opinions expressed in this post are not necessarily those of the author
Kye BWii: 008 721 786 740 (fuck I hate friend codes) @ Mar 26th 2008 6:51PM
I want to get GT5, currently play Forza 2, Loved the BO series and plan to get Mario Kart Wii.
What's your point? Why should I choose?
John McPoop @ Mar 26th 2008 6:57PM
@Fernando
Arcade racers are certainly fun but nothing compared to real driving simulators like Forza & GT. Its like saying that NFL Blitz is better than Madden because its easier. Like saying Sega Tennis Superstars is better than Top Spin tennis. I am sure you get the idea. Just because something is hard and more realistic does not mean it is nor fun. Its just not for the faint of heart. By your logic Donkey Kong Barrel Blast is a better flying sim than Microsoft Flight Simulator bcause its easy and exagerated.
Gran Turismo is the best, most realistic and photo real driving series in video game history. Maybe for you its more fun to shoot banana peels and turtle shells at opponents but I get more fulfillment and enjoyment from Nascar 08 (very realistic) and the best driving game of all time Gran Turismo.
Don't even try and put GT and Mario Kart in the same genre. The only similarity is the fact you are in a vehicle. As I said maybe thats more fun for you but the majority of gear heads and racing fans prefer a game with control of everything on the car from tire pressure to gear ratio. Mario Kart Wii will be a nice little game in its own right and I will most likely purchase it at some point but it will never be more fun or replace realistic simulation like the GT series. The point of simulation games is to get the average joe as close to the real thing as possible.
In some genres I prefer exagerated and less realistic gameplay. I would much rather play Hot Shots Golf as opposed to Tiger Woods but this is because I have no interest in real golf. So, for someone like you who probably has non interest in racing, cars and even tuning up his own car the GT & Forza series will not be as interesting.
WiiSports Machine...Fernandos in disguise PSN: Killjebus @ Mar 26th 2008 7:02PM
For me, arcade racers get boring FAST. There is not much depth, and not much to choose from. I wonder if Fernandos knows that the GT series has an ARCADE mode?
I along with other GT fans love the time and effort it takes to come even close to completing a GT game.
Ridge Racer never did anything for me. I think the only arcade racers that appealed to me are Motorstorm, N4S, and Wipeout.
As for Mario Kart. I do not get the mass following the game has. Cute characters racing around in uber colorful cartoony worlds just does not do it for me.
I hope that GT5 has rally cars. Please your holyness...bring back the rally cars and rally tracks. And by the Lords of Kobal....PLEASE have real-time weather effects.
chris @ Mar 26th 2008 8:10PM
Do you ever get tired of being stupid? It must get tiring at times. Do you wonder why 90 percent of people on this site hate you? Next time you post you should have something intelligent to say.
XGM @ Mar 26th 2008 11:22PM
Comments > Your comments
Also I hate arcade racing. And also the fact that GT5 has more content then all of the arcade racing games put together.
rTwelve @ Mar 26th 2008 5:37PM
Holy crap I thought I was reading Autoblog for a second
Mr Khan @ Mar 26th 2008 5:37PM
Wow.
I never thought GT5 would be a 2009 game, never. Always assumed it would be '08 by the latest
a.j. @ Mar 26th 2008 5:39PM
before the flamers start...i've owned the JPN import for about 2 months now and I still play it every day. it's more than a demo, it's got a ton of cars and the online play is perfect. lag free, competitive. graphics are beautiful. anyone on the fence about picking it up needs to not worry. well worth the money. FLAME ON FANBOYS! NOBODY CARES!
Wilhelm @ Mar 26th 2008 5:46PM
Exactly, nobody cares. So can it with your flamebait.
Hyams @ Mar 26th 2008 5:58PM
Saying you own and enjoy a game is now considered to be flame bait?
Slayer @ Mar 26th 2008 6:19PM
Everything is considered flame bait on this site.
Tranando @ Mar 26th 2008 5:54PM
No problem. GT series has always been about perfection in every respect, pushing the console to it's limits.
GT5:P will do me fine, and I am more than happy for Polyphonic to take as along as it needs.
Louis @ Mar 26th 2008 5:55PM
So I'll be able to say, yeah Forza 2 isn't perfect, but it came out a full 2 years before GT5.
The delay is unforgivable.
ViagraFiend @ Mar 26th 2008 6:03PM
Polyphony doesn't release their games to compete with other companies. Other companies release their games to compete with Polyphony.
They are on a completely different level.
John McPoop @ Mar 26th 2008 7:02PM
@Louis
Forza would not exist if it were not for the success of the Gran Turismo series. There is no way to compare Forza to Gran Turismo. Forza is a solid game but it is far from being anything near as good as even GT 4.
Mr.ESC @ Mar 26th 2008 7:55PM
"Polyphony doesn't release their games to compete with other companies. Other companies release their games to compete with Polyphony"
In other words they do it whenever they feel like it,any other questions?
John McPoop I'm pretty sure racing sims existed way before GT.
John McPoop @ Mar 26th 2008 8:14PM
@Mr ESC
Not in the capacity or to the extent of the GT series... Forza was released to compete with Gran Turismo... It is a solid franchise and I like Forza a lot but it is no GT and thats the truth...
Spartacus @ Mar 26th 2008 9:04PM
John McPoop,
You're entitled to your opinion, but Forza scored higher than GT4, featured a damage system, online functionality and a better physics engine. While it had less cars, it had more of the cars that mattered (Ferrari, Porsche etc.), so it's hard to argue about the car selection. I'm not saying Forza is absolutely better than GT4, but it is at least equal.
I don't like either of them personally, I'm more of a PGR kind of guy, but the gaming press seemed to favor Forza as its feature set was a bit more robust.
One thing I will say is that Polyphony is about as bad as freakin' Blizzard when it comes to length of development and number of delays. The difference is Blizzard is much more well known and sells to a much larger market that worships them...
playwhutyalike (finally bought Halo 3) @ Mar 26th 2008 9:17PM
@ Mr. ESC.
There was one drag racing simulator way back in the day on PC. HotRod Championship Burnout. You could tweak every aspect of your racer. Cam Lift, duration, how many gears, ratios of gears, piston size, stroke (heh), cylinders, EVERYTHING. This was back in 98 and I believe the game was made by Bethesda. My motorhead friends and I would spend hours, and weekends on that bitch. It was pretty sweet. You just couldn't give a dragster 1000hp and not expect it to hit the wall without running through your tires and suspension first. Very realistic. *sigh*
Proceed....
John McPoop @ Mar 26th 2008 9:33PM
@Spartacus
Gran Turismo is one of the best selling franchises in console gaming history.. Thats a little different than Blizzard... I like Forza, its a solid game but isn't it a bit sad that it is equal to a last genration game?.. Well it actually speaks to the quality of PDi and this title...And Porsche is the only manufacturer that will not appear in GT 5... You have your own opinion on which cars "matter" and thats fine... We will just have to wait and see... If the promises are kept (the development time should clue everyone into something) then the damage in Forza will look anchient compared to Gt 5... Again only time will tell but I would put my money with Gran Turismo 5 in this situation
Spartacus @ Mar 26th 2008 10:08PM
John McPoop,
I was talking about Forza vs GT4, not Forza 2, therefore they are BOTH last gen games and therefore an equal comparison.
When GT5 comes out, then you can compare it to Forza 2 (or Forza 3- who knows). Until then, it's speculation. As of right now, I think it's safe to say Forza 2 > GT5 Prologue ;-)
EBone @ Mar 26th 2008 6:01PM
Pathetic that the PS3 has been out for this long already and there is still no first-party premiere racing sim. Sony, you've shot yourself in the foot, again, after the the last GT couldn't manage to implement online racing. You should be ashamed.
a.j. @ Mar 26th 2008 6:09PM
wrong...there not rushing to market with a half polished piece of shit. that's the difference. if what i've played of Prologue is any indication of what the final result will be, it's well worth the wait.
EBone @ Mar 26th 2008 6:17PM
a.j. - You're wrong. They should have been working on this two years earlier than they started, and it should hve been a title released within a quarter of the PS3 launch date. They new the specs for the PS3 before anyone esle. They should have been ready.
Someone should get fired.
a.j. @ Mar 26th 2008 6:19PM
lol..why? because you say so? games come out at different times, deal with it. hop on in there and develop a new GT, tell me how long it takes lol.
Mr Khan @ Mar 26th 2008 6:20PM
There's a difference between taking time on a masterpiece (think of Super Mario Galaxy or Metal Gear Solid 4), and just taking too damn long (Twilight Princess)
Glen @ Mar 26th 2008 6:23PM
[/sarcasm], right? I mean, what you just said has to be. LOL, very funny! You got us!
...right?
John McPoop @ Mar 26th 2008 7:06PM
@Ebone
You have no idea what your talking about. They are modeling every detail of the inside of every car in the game (never been done on this scale). They have every car manufacturer liscensed except Porsche. These photo realistic graphics and unlimited customizations with online play take time to make perfect. This is the entire reason GT:Prologue is about to be released. Besides, Sony has Motorstorm since the release of the PS3 for a fun racing game albeit not realistic. I believe they also had the licsense for the F1 racing game.
Negativecool @ Mar 26th 2008 6:07PM
Holy hell...A YEAR from now?! Either those guys are lazy or perfectionists on the ABSOLUTE level, and from what I've seen so far of how the next iteration of the GT series is shaping up, I'm pretty sure it is the latter.
I'm not going to buy Prologue to tide me over, I will simply patiently wait for GT5...take as long as you need gentlemen...I expect EPIC. With that said, I find it ironic that I also have to say that I can't fucking wait for this GT5.
Jtenma @ Mar 26th 2008 9:31PM
EPIC is not the word for it....
THIS SHIT BETTER BE PERFECT...a year from now wtf??!!! I know it takes time but this game better be able to make me a sandwich...
In all seriousness, I hope this game is still relevant by then...
Mystic @ Mar 26th 2008 6:09PM
6 months to program ONE car??? Yeah Right!!!
Sony, the Bush Administration of the video game world.
WiiSports Machine...Fernandos in disguise PSN: Killjebus @ Mar 26th 2008 7:12PM
It's the total manhours needed for the 200,000+ polys per vehicle. NOT a calender 6 months.
Have you not heard of the term Manhours?
I bet they have a team working on each car. Some for the interior, some for the physics, some for the 200+ parts that have mass and will interact accordingly with the vehicle. This is one of the reasons Damage will be on a different level, and why it has taken his Holyness so long to do damage.
GT series has always meant perfection...and they NEVER come out on time. The average delay of a GT game is a year.
AlphaOmegaSin @ Mar 26th 2008 6:13PM
ive tried getting into each gran turismo, they cant hold my attention for shit, sorry but they are yawn inducing and the gameplay feels like its always in slow motion copared to alot of games on the market today. burnout anyone?
John McPoop @ Mar 26th 2008 7:13PM
Well at least you know what you like... But insulting the game because its not your cup of tea is shallow... Especially considering it is the most popular racing game of all time... Burnout Paradise is pretty fun but its no GT in my eyes... It is such an accomplishment to race and win one of those endurance races.... I have never got 100% on a GT game but I damn close on GT 4... about 84% completed.... The game takes serious dedication and its not for everyone....
WiiSports Machine...Fernandos in disguise PSN: Killjebus @ Mar 26th 2008 7:13PM
The cars that you start out with are SLOW. That is why it feels slow. Trust me, when you get a Formula 1 car...it is ANYTHING but slow.
You start out with the slow cars so that the game can teach you how to drive.
Jtenma @ Mar 26th 2008 9:35PM
I believe that is the best part though...to start out with a piece of trash car, and tune the shit out of it, then go spend prize money on another car...right?
Mez Jr @ Mar 26th 2008 6:34PM
Man, I bet we'll be playing Forza 3 by then.
Maybe the number after GT is the number of years after the previous iteration it will come out.
a.j. @ Mar 26th 2008 6:39PM
yeah! and you can make a custom paint job about how your 360 RULEEEZZZZ.!!! YEAH! and then you can catch a glimpse of GT5 rolling in full HD and complain about how they rushed Forza 3 !!! YEAH!!!
Mez Jr @ Mar 26th 2008 7:27PM
I don't know if you've played either of the Forzas or not, but they're good games. I've played all of the GTs except for prologue, all of those were really good games as well. I in fact bought a PS2 exclusively for GT3. I have never been playing Forza (1 or 2) and wished I was playing GT.
But it is pretty foolish to sing the praises of a game that doesn't exist in favor of a game that actually does.
All the things you described are "planned features" everything in Forza is an actual feature. It's a game that exists, so any comparison to GT5 moot.
I don't know whats up with the GT series if they're under-staffed, if they are too anal, if they're trying to add too much but its clear they had at one point bitten off more than they could chew.
John McPoop @ Mar 26th 2008 7:37PM
@Mez Jr
Hit the word "documented" in the above joystiq paragraph and read for yourself what they have been up to... 1080p at 60 FPS
Mez Jr @ Mar 26th 2008 8:03PM
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to dog the game for it's quality, I'm dogging it for the massive gaps between releases.
And yeah the games quality can be documented up and down the street, but its not OUT, so features can be added or removed up until the launch day.
My personal compare and contrast is this: I prefer GT's lisence system to Forza's level system, but I prefer Forza's inclusion of damage and time penalties. I also like how Forza rewards you monetarily for turning off driver aids and pumping up the difficulty. I also think GT normally has more races.
John McPoop @ Mar 26th 2008 8:46PM
@mez JR
I agree with the damage aspect... I mean we can assume that damage will be included in a physics based way in Gt 5 as stated by the creators which will be phoenominal.. Obviously until its released we will not know if its another Fable thats full of empty promises... But given PDi's track record and focus (after all GT is pretty much all they do) I expect this game to epic in every single way... Its a good thing they are taking their time and doing it right but until it releases we will not know if everything promised will be in the game... But, given the developers credibility I do not doubt them... If they are going to do something they will do it right... I do not like the addition of B-Spec mode in GT 4 where you could essentially watch your way through the game but I understad they differentiated points between Aspec and Bspec and probably included it for the super long mRthon races towards the end of the game... Its hard for me to put Forza in the same conversation as Gran Turismo. Forza is in its own right a great game but I put GT on a pedestal and have never been let down...
Mez Jr @ Mar 26th 2008 9:12PM
See thats the thing, I too had put GT on a pedestal, but I had a 360 and it was out, and I found Forza to be really fun. It has seemed like ever since GT came out to question it as the be-all-end-all of racing has been some sort of blasphemy.
I don't know if you have played Forza 2 or not, but in all truthfulness Forza 2 is fit to be in the same conversation. You can edit all the same things in Forza as you could in GT plus more, you could have a bit of extra fun with the exterior, and all the body add ons have effects, new wheels save weight and help make the car faster, different tire brands have different characteristics and costs. Little things make it great, just like the little things make GT great.
They may well blow Forza 2 out of the water with GT5, they damn well better, they will have had almost 2 more years to perfect it. And if like I'm joking F3 comes out before GT5, will it be able to hold up against a second run on this generation? I hope so, because the only think I'm more nuts over than cars is video games.