As we
reported during E3, the next evolution of the
Gran Turismo series isn't
Gran Turismo 5 – it's enhancements to the glorified
GT5 demo,
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Specifically, Sony and series creator
Kazunori Yamauchi are all revved up about the roll out of
Gran Turismo TV, an on-demand video service featuring motorsports shows from around the world – as well as original programming – accessible from within
GT5P's front-end.
We've learned that these features will finally hit this Friday, August 1 as part of an update for the
game demo. Auto aficionados will be able to download episodes of programs including England's
Top Gear and Japan's
Best Motoring. Programming created by Polyphony Digital itself – and indeed even hosted by Yamauchi – will also be up for purchase. Speaking of which, SCEA has announced that PPV content will cost 99 cents per episode for the first two weeks of
GTTV, after which it will increase to $1.99.
In addition to the debut of
GTTV, Sony has confirmed that some welcome gameplay tweaks will be introduced via the update. These include improved collision physics for online races (a biggie), more tire choices for Time Trial play, and fixes in penalty judgments. In speaking with Polyphony's Yamauchi at E3, we learned that the next
GT5P update will introduce new tracks and cars. No date has been set for that yet.