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We hate to be all Captain Obvious about it, but there's good reason the Gran Turismo series is still doing laps around the virtual track. People are voting with their cash, as the latest figures from Polyphony Digital show that Gran Turismo PSP has managed to sell 1.8 million copies. And through its success, it's hit one hell of a milestone for the Gran Turismo series at large. Here's the rundown of the franchise's success:

• The original Gran Turismo has sold 10,850,000 units
• Gran Turismo 2 has sold 9,370,000 units
• Gran Turismo 3 A-spec on the PS2 managed to sell 14,890,000 units
• Gran Turismo Concept Series sold 1,560,000 units
• Gran Turismo 4 "Prologue" invaded 1,350,000 homes
• Gran Turismo 4 has been a heck of an earner, selling 10,980,000 units
• Gran Turismo 5 "Prologue" brought the series to the PS3 by selling 4,650,000 units
• Gran Turismo PSP recently recorded sales of 1,800,000 units

That brings the total to 55,450,000 units. It seems impressive enough -- over five million units sold in the last year-and-a-half ain't too shabby -- though there are some caveats.

For one, the Gran Turismo series has been around for over 10 years -- much longer than any of its competitors. Secondly, it's been the definitive diehard simulation racing experience on Sony's consoles, effectively making it the only show in town. Finally, the series has over seven Guinness World Records. Basically, when you have the world record for "Largest Instruction Guide for a Racing Game," it's, like, a guarantee people are going to buy it.

[Via GI.biz]

Alright, Europe. We're not sure what you did to get into Sony's good graces, but we wish you'd share that information with your pals in the States. Not only do you guys have access to the PSP Go incentive program, which grants owners of UMDs three free game downloads through March 31, but Sony Europe just went ahead and threw another complimentary game on the pile. Anyone living in Europe who owns a PSP Go is eligible to receive a free copy of Gran Turismo, MotorStorm: Arctic Edge or Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines (or, in Germany, LittleBigPlanet) until January 10.

For more details on the promotion, visit Sony Europe's official site. We've contacted Sony America to find out if we'll be getting a similar offer stateside.

Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo racing series has careened onto the PSP, just in time for the launch of the PSP Go. Its arrival on PSN and retail shelves is likely a big event for most Gran Turismo fans, but for me, the game hasn't had the impact I'd expected. There just isn't much here to validate this version of the long-running series as special or unique.

Okay, so the PSP Go won't have any upgrade incentive programs for owners of older generation PSPs -- at least there will be plenty of purchasing options for those who still decide to make the switch. According to a Sony memo recently received by IGN, the PSP Go will have 16,000 pieces of digital content available for PlayStation Store perusers from the day the device hits store shelves. (Well, store shelves located inside stores that haven't boycotted it.)

Sony broke this number down, claiming that the Store will house 225 full downloadable games (including PSP titles, PSN-exclusives, UMD Legacy titles and PSP Minis), 2,300 movies and 13,300 television episodes by October 1. Sony highlighted Gran Turismo PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny as a few notable day-one downloadables. Those who rely on visits to their nearest gaming retailer for social interaction can purchase download codes for a number of other titles, including Daxter and Secret Agent Clank.

See, retailers? The folks at Sony hasn't left you completely out in the cold. You can stop giving them the stink-eye now.

We've seen pieces of media for Polyphony Digital's impossibly good-looking racer Gran Turismo PSP -- though no videos have offered looks of the game running at 60 FPS. We're not sure why a video game would need sunblock that powerful, but we -- what's that? Oh. Frames per second. We see.

Eurogamer's Digital Foundry has assembled a lengthy gameplay clip running at 60 frames per second -- though you may need to download a special version of the video from the site to truly see all those frames. The big brains over at DF also break down how the game's buttery-smoothness is scientifically possible, which more or less dismisses our "Elfin magic" theory out of hand. Click here to watch the video.

Who knows when Gran Turismo 5 will ever come out? While some are suspecting a surprise early launch for the game, Polyphony Digital's penchant for long development time has us suspicious. In the interim, there's one reason a PS3 owner will want to check out Gran Turismo on PSP (besides the fact that it's portable): the ability to transfer cars from the PSP game to the upcoming console game. That should be incentive enough for collectors to try and "catch 'em all."

The video also details the various Ad-Hoc multiplayer modes: Standard, Party, and Shuffle. Although a mode named "Party" makes us Gran Turismo with green shells, the franchise isn't toning itself down for casual gamers just yet: this mode simply balances the playing field by sending more skilled players farther behind. No lightning bolts? Boo.

Do you find yourself simultaneously falling under desires for speed, hot bonuses and Jaffa Cakes? We can safely assume three things based on your urges: You want to play Gran Turismo PSP, you want additional unlockable vehicles for purchasing said game, and you live in Europe. Fortunately for you, Sony recently announced that the portable racer would be getting a limited edition which includes the 2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4. We're fairly certain that's a type of in-game automobile.

In addition, Sony announced the "Gran Turismo Edition PlayStation Portable," a PSP3000 with Gran Turismo branding which includes a copy of the game and a PSN voucher for the Corvette ZR1 -- the car on the game's front cover. We've contacted Sony to try and find out pricing details for these two items -- but we already know that they'll share the core game's launch date of October 1.

SCEA has announced yet another addition to its growing lineup of PSP "Entertainment Pack" bundles. The upcoming Gran Turismo pack joins Rock Band Unplugged and Hannah Montana this October by packaging a "Mystic Silver" PSP-3000 with a UMD copy of Gran Turismo, downloadable white Corvette ZR1, 2GB Memory Stick, and vouchers for movie and music downloads from the PlayStation Store and Sony Music Pass.

At $199, the limited edition bundle seems like quite a bargain, especially when you consider how much cheaper it is than a PSP Go. The announcement of yet another PSP-3000 package reaffirms Sony's stance on supporting UMD as a format -- but also places into doubt the viability of ending PSP piracy any time soon.

It's still hard for us to believe that Gran Turismo 5 is actually getting closer to completion. After years of teases and updates to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Polyphony Digital has finally released the first ever official screenshots of the upcoming retail game.

The screenshots aren't particularly revealing. In fact, nothing was quite as telling as the game's trailer from E3 this year. Also, the screens look terrific -- but don't be surprised if they resemble Prologue quite a bit.

In addition to the first ever screens of Gran Turismo 5 for PS3, SCEA has also provided brand new real screens (unlike the renders provided earlier this year) of the upcoming Gran Turismo for PSP.

Although the PSP Go is ready for the masses, Sony isn't giving up on the PSP-3000. No, Sony Japan is actually releasing even more colors for those that don't want (or can't afford) the all-digital PSP Go. The "Gran Turismo Racing Pack" will include a special limited edition black PSP-3000 with a very subtle GT logo on its front. (Really, look for it.) The bundle will also include Gran Turismo on UMD and special Polyphony Digital-inspired accessories, like a strap and pouch. No price has been revealed yet, but we guess Sony didn't want to announce everything in just one day, right?

As an incentive for people to snatch up their slide-screened handheld the day it hits store shelves, Sony has announced that it will give anyone who registers their PSP Go between October 1 and October 10 a totally free copy of Gran Turismo PSP. That is to say, a totally free download of the full version of the game. It really wouldn't make much sense for Sony to send a UMD for you to play in your brand new, UMD slot-less device, now would it?

As is the norm for all high-profile games, pre-ordering Gran Turismo PSP will unlock some extra bonuses. By pre-ordering, players will get early access to these high-end cars, ensuring GT's multiplayer modes will be unbalanced from the get-go. Don't bring your Toyota Camry to this battle:

• Bugatti Veyron 16.4 '09
• Ferrari Enzo Ferrari '02
• Citroen GT by Citroen '08
• NISSAN GT-R Spec V (R35) '09
• Lamborghini Countach LP400 '74

Wait, what? Looks like Sony stealthily announced it has acquired the Lamborghini license, making Gran Turismo PSP the first GT game to feature cars from the famed automaker. "And as you can imagine, this won't be the last Lamborghini in a Gran Turismo game, either," Stephanie Yoshimoto, Senior Product Marketing Manager wrote on the PlayStation.Blog. It looks like Gran Turismo 5 just became even more comprehensive.

[Thanks, Mark!]

The PlayStation Europe blog has revealed that an image floating around the Internet earlier today is the official box art of Gran Turismo PSP. The art is reminiscent of other Gran Turismo titles, showcasing a beautiful vehicle -- in this case the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 -- on a classy, dark backdrop.

Yes, boxes (click for a bigger shot of the art) aren't breaking news, but we help to reveal art as a service to our readers. What kind of service? Knowing what a game looks like means you are less likely to have to interact with a grumpy video game store employee. Unless, of course, you are an grumpy awesome video game store employee, in which case we think you're just swell. Gran Turismo PSP is scheduled to hit stores on October 1 on UMD and the PSN.


[Via VG247]

The Gran Turismo franchise has always been known for its good looks. Miraculously, the team at Polyphony Digital has managed to squeeze real PS2 graphics out of its upcoming Gran Turimso game for PSP. Sony's press site tells us this is a commercial for the game -- albeit a Japanese one -- and we're hopeful that it'll reinvigorate the PSP's image to the masses.