There's something peculiar about the ability to drive 120 mph into a wall and not see a single scratch on your car. The
Gran Turismo series has always been fond of that physics anomaly. Speaking to
VideoGamer, series creator Kazunori Yamauchi said damage modeling is coming to
GT5: Prologue. "We're not really planning for a trial or test version," he said, "we're going at it full speed. We'll see what happens." In a separate interview with
IGN, Yamauchi expressed hope for a Fall release of the update.
Yamauchi also hinted that weather effects would be in the final, non-Prologue
Gran Turismo 5, due out
about a year from now. We're not expecting
Burnout-esque pile ups, but a fender bender in the rain would be nice.
[Via
PS3 Fanboy]
{ Apr 4th 2008 at 12:30PM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Shagittarius @ Apr 4th 2008 12:38PM
I was just going to skip this but if the damage modeling is really well done I just might pick it up.
copa @ Apr 4th 2008 12:47PM
So, I'm curious, Shag. Will you buy the game now knowing that there is a 'possible patch' for voice support in the future, and there is a 'possible patch' for damage modeling in the future?
Or will you wait to give them your money until they actually roll out more features than what you would expect in a paid demo?
I remember when GH2 came out, Red Octane kept feeding a lot of rumors out to the press that a patch for online play was forthcoming. The patch never materialized.
Shagittarius @ Apr 4th 2008 12:57PM
I wouldn't buy it till damage modeling exists.
Brian @ Apr 4th 2008 12:39PM
But i don't want to damage those lovely modeled cars!!!
I MUST DRIVE CAREFULLY!
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 2:14PM
Bit gay, guess its over to the oval race track, the only one where crashing is next to impossible unless you suck.
Theres nothing worse then crashing your nice new lambo ¬_¬
Brian @ Apr 4th 2008 2:16PM
are you saying my comment was a "bit gay" Maverick Saturn?
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 2:22PM
Lol, no, just the concept of crashing the car you spent tons of cash on :)
rTwelve @ Apr 4th 2008 12:40PM
Everytime I see that picture I think I'm on Autoblog.
Is damaging them more or less uncanny?
XanthouS @ Apr 4th 2008 12:43PM
Was it too much work to mention the reason why the GT series has never had damage modeling?
Many foreign auto manufacturers have always been against allowing a videogame to show a damaged version of their products (because their industry thrives off the image of high quality). Polyphony has been in discussions for YEARS with each individual manufacturer and is just now finishing up many of the agreements.
It's not as if the devs are too lazy to implement damage modeling, or that they just don't care.
tifosiotaku @ Apr 4th 2008 12:46PM
That is the weakest excuse ever. Forza has damage. GTR has damage. Every racing sim in recent memory has damage. It's laziness, nothing else.
storkpkp @ Apr 4th 2008 1:11PM
The funny thing is Forza had no problem working it out with car manufacturers. This is the most BS excuse I have ever heard.
Kristof @ Apr 4th 2008 12:48PM
You could keep with that argument, but I think Forza (and Forza 2) has something to say about that.
Martez @ Apr 4th 2008 12:48PM
Yeah, I don't buy that excuse. Plenty of games with licensed vehicles have had damage.
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 12:59PM
Meh, Forza damage looks tacky, no wonder they got away with it ¬_¬
Customizing rules though :)
Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 4th 2008 1:01PM
I think since Forza and Forza 2 have different cars and not particularly the same roster of makers and car variants, all parallels need to shut the hell up. Just because Ford let's you damage a Mustang doesn't mean they affort you the same luxury on an Esperante.
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 1:04PM
Nup, same cars, Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, etc, just damage looks crap. PGR looks better.
Kristof @ Apr 4th 2008 1:06PM
Yeah, but there are tons of overlapping same cars that Forza damages that GT doesn't. Stop being GT apologizers for some of their shortcomings. It may have been true at one point, but now they are riding that excuse. Even some cars in Forza don't get damaged, but they damage a good bulk of them. GT is good, but it doesn't mean they can't fix things like this that people have been complaining about for years.
Danny @ Apr 4th 2008 1:29PM
The list of car manufacturers on a GT game is far greater than Forza. Whilst Forza encompasses quite a few manufacturers, Polyphony has clearly had to go through each and every car manufacturer in GT5 and make an agreement on the damage modelling for each car.
NATO_Duke @ Apr 4th 2008 1:48PM
I thought the earlier excuse for no damage was that it takes a lot of time, money and effort to do all of the photography and mapping for damage and since their roster was so big they didn't want to get into that process. Maybe I am confusing that with what was originally said about mapping the interior of cars though.
Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 4th 2008 2:14PM
Nope, Nato, since GT3, the genuine excuse for no damage is in the fact that Yamauchi wants damage on all cars or none. He's always been a bit of an "all or nothing" fellow. Of course it makes sense since you don't want someone to pick a car then notice in it's stats window that it's not damagable.
And some car makers just refuse to let their cars be damaged for fear that it will detract from the desirability of the cars in the realworld marketplace. Granted, series like Forza and Burnout has gone a long way to defeating this insane idea in the simple fact that people aren't stopping their desire for a Dodge Viper SRT just because one side of their game model is scratched to hell.
The evidence of this excuse being backed up comes from a really old Forza interview where the developer essentially said certain cars were not sought just because the manufacturers refused to let them damage the cars. GT usually goes for all the cars they can and not worry about those particulars. Yamauchi even said before GT4, if he wanted to damage the cars, he would have to drop 150+ cars from the roster and that was something he wasn't willing to do.
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 2:21PM
True, if you've noticed, the same types of cars you see in PGR are the same kind of cars you see in most racing games, including Forza. The typical Lambo Gallardo, Ferrari Spyder etc.
Its the really difficult car manufacturers such as Morgan, Jeep and Bently that have a reputation to upkeep, they are difficult to tackle, thus the reason you don't see them in the likes of Burnout and NFS etc.
voodoo_craig @ Apr 4th 2008 2:46PM
And who would really be bothered if those manufacturers were left out of GT?
Seriously, manufacturers get more out being in the game than the game does by having them there, it's the best advertising you can get. If a manufacturer doesn't want damage on their car, screw 'em, stop letting them hold back the game.
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 2:48PM
Yup, so GT5 can either have 1/2 of its cars none damagable or have the same exact cars as all the other racers before it.
upz @ Apr 4th 2008 2:59PM
Fid is right on. It's a matter of differing design philosophies. Forza chose its car roster based on whether they could add damage to those cars. GT picked whatever cars they wanted, realized that they couldn't add damage to some of them, so opted not to damage any of them instead of letting some cars get banged up while others drive out of a pile up like they just drove out of a car wash. Realize that it only takes one manufacturer to refuse damage modeling and the entire deal's off.
Kristof @ Apr 4th 2008 12:48PM
beat'd
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 1:02PM
Its not much of an excuse, the devs of this game spend a lot of time putting the game together, the fact that damage would take up more precious time, plus getting permission which I'm not fully sure why they hadn't gotten ages ago, would put them under pressure.
Just look at those graphics, the game would have to have damage nothing short of 'DiRT' or better. And physics will have to be great.
Either way, I hope they take their time and release something superb, I don't mind waiting for quality. GT5P already looks great :)
storkpkp @ Apr 4th 2008 1:12PM
Are you going to pay $40 for a demo of this game?
Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 4th 2008 1:24PM
This isn't a demo.
Sega Rally on the Sega Saturn only had 2 cars three tracks. And the people were satisfied then - well I was, anyway.
My point is that there are plenty of other games which have fewer tracks, fewer cars, that retail for more. I think most people will enjoy this.
Cast Closed.
FrankTheCrank @ Apr 4th 2008 1:25PM
storkpkp,
You keep talking demo, while I go and play GT5P both online and offline.
So while you keep talking about demo, demo, demo...I'll be enjoying the premiere racing game of all consoles, not some copy cat wanna be game.
storkpkp @ Apr 4th 2008 1:32PM
Sega Saturn games? That is the best argument you can make?
storkpkp @ Apr 4th 2008 1:34PM
Frank, you go ahead and pay $40 for the demo so they can spend another 2 years making the game. Hey, I don't blame them. If you can take a sucker for $40, then do it.
mko @ Apr 4th 2008 1:43PM
storkpkp, shhhh. you don't have to buy it. Go play whatever game you think is worth your 40 bucks and quit trolling.
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 2:05PM
$40 is nothing :S
Thats like £20, not bad, the only thing I can think of at that price is second hand games and 2 PSP games for £20. Old of course.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Apr 4th 2008 2:23PM
Its a demo, because in 6 months to a year they're going to release GT5:This time its not a demo edition.
Buying GT5P sets a dangerous precedent for developers.
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 2:27PM
Not really, actually its there to keep gamers interested in the brand, its when the demo sucks like GT4P which was crap.
If more devs did this we wouldn't be so worried about delays and what games will be like. Maybe Killzone should have a prologue :S
Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 4th 2008 3:09PM
What dangerous precedent? This is a Gran Turismo tradition which has stayed Japan only until this time. This is a Gran Turismo thing and here's the deal, you can take it or leave it. I'm leaving it, period. Others who really want a sneak preview of GT5 in a huge package, it's right here for ya.
This isn't some trend like you see coming out of EA where they are shipping games with content on the disc and charging you to unlock it.
Leobebes @ Apr 4th 2008 1:18PM
I heard that the online component of this game is dogshit. Anyone want to refute or backup this claim?
marklar @ Apr 4th 2008 1:28PM
biiiiig surprise there - i expect any online component of playstation to be dogshit - recent example - RSV2
storkpkp @ Apr 4th 2008 1:30PM
Who knows, the game won't come out for 2 more years.
Kodros @ Apr 4th 2008 2:06PM
marklar - What about the majority of games that have no online issues?
Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 4th 2008 2:16PM
Well, according to Ubisoft's own boards, those same problems in R6V2 were appearing on 360. They just got it sorted out faster on that console.
el serpiente @ Apr 4th 2008 2:19PM
Waaaahhh, leobabies doesn't wike da sony....
And yes, she does give excellent head.
Vidikron (FU) @ Apr 4th 2008 2:34PM
I heard it worked just fine, except since the cars don't currently have damage modeling the online races often turn into shoving matches.
colinbell @ Apr 4th 2008 1:25PM
hmmm..I hope damage is well implemented and not in a tacked-on manner like Forza, that would simply spoil the whole impact of GT5. Personally, I would prefer weather, driving a Ferrari through London with mild rain on the windows, fabulous.
Incidentally, we keep hearing about how Forza has damage and GT does not. I wonder whether Forza has all the features that GT5 has - dont want to step into fanboy war zone, just curious to know how they compare. Does Forza have in-car view, the phyics on both seem equally awesome from what I hear.
NATO_Duke @ Apr 4th 2008 1:59PM
Forza 2 has no interior car view.
Maverick Saturn @ Apr 4th 2008 2:07PM
Its hard to compare them, to be honest, I like Forza, but the gfx don't compare, and it has damage, but its kinda cheap looking.
Customizing your car is what makes that game superb as well as XBL.
PGR4 is what you should be comapring.
justly @ Apr 5th 2008 12:18AM
please explain how forza's damage is tached on??? parts fly paints gets transfered car performance is effected. its not over the top its realistic. yes in real life doing 15mph into someone can rip your bumper off. so whats the problem
jsn @ Apr 4th 2008 1:38PM
probably means it will be delayed even more...
Vidikron (FU) @ Apr 4th 2008 2:36PM
What will be delayed? GT5P is already out in Japan and Europe.
Wise Guy @ Apr 4th 2008 1:52PM
This game looks boring from the videos I've seen. There is no car damage yet and it doesn't look like there is any real sense of speed. First off all, you have nothing to lose in any race by slamming into a wall if there is no damage to your car. Second, theres no sense of action. The speed is slow and all you do is drive semi-fast and even slower around corners. The visuals are awesome... but it looks boring. I'll stick with PGR4. Gameplay means more to me than visuals.