Gran Turismo 5’s Data Logger Soon Available to Consumers

After more than a year without any mention of Gran Turismo 5’s real-world visualization capabilities, the novel feature has suddenly returned to the spotlight with the debut of the Scion FR-S/Toyota 86.

The feature was recently shown off using the new car in a video from Japan, though there was still nothing to suggest it was anything more than a technology concept.

Apparently, however, that’s not the case, as U.S. GT producer Taku Imasaki reveals the feature will be “soon be available to consumers”. Mr. Imasaki also discusses the potential of digitized “celebrity laps”, which the feature will enable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfhFvnTfsi8

Original demo video from January 2010, featuring a Lexus IS-F.

Keep an eye out for more details on the data-logging system closer to the official launch of the Scion FR-S next year. The new car has already been confirmed as DLC for GT5 sometime in the future.

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Comments (74)

  1. rjcraft16

    can anyone break this down for me? is PD basically only giving us ghost cars to race against? please simplify this for me

  2. A1-242

    I personally think it’s a waste of time, they need more real world tracks for this to be even half interesting

  3. McZachenF138

    PD just needs to model and put my local track (BeaveRun Motorsports Complex) and my car (1990 Dodge Daytona) into GT5 and I’ll be all set! :S

  4. DaihatsuDriver

    What I think would be awesome and usefull for everyone is if they combined the Data logger with the track making feature so you could go around your favourite stretch of road. Log the data and plug it into the track editor and it would make a track based on the curves elevation inclines and declines etc.

    Imagine making your local race track or stretch of street appear in game.

    1. CJSpencer77

      Driver, thats actually an idea within the realms of possibility and a really good one too, i just wonder if it might be infringing on copyright laws, you could lap a fav track thats not in the game on a track day, say Brands Hatch or wherever and then have a version on GT5 that you could share online, which may cause problems, if they could get around that somehow then your idea would open up GT5 massively, id personally love to see it, im sure you would get huge communities spring up around that idea sharing tracks and famous stretches of roads, if you could dress tracks from the track editor with stands, Dunlop tyre style bridges, barriers etc. then that wouold be the cherry on the top

    2. Vortex1be

      Its probably not going to be a copyright problem because it only logs where your car has been not the whole surroundings. All you get is a raceline recorded and not the actual track. It would be awesome though.

  5. Blood*Specter

    One thing for sure, if emulation of “REAL” drivers is proposed, it must come from “Real World” circuits. And that might mean Kaz in company are planning to bring more real track to the game. Think about it, your favorite driver won’t be burning hot laps around Grand Valley, or Deep Forest any time soon. But they might go here:

    Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
    Silverstone Circuit
    Circuit Paul Ricard
    Motorsport Arena Oschersleben

    1. NJ72

      Or, maybe… just maybe… PD are going to use the millions we spent on doc on creating a real life version of grand valley speedway?! How cool would that be…

    2. HKS racer

      Yeah exactly, I guess PD will prefer building GT tracks in real life instead of doing real life circuits in GT… LOL
      But no, it won’t be cool at all.

  6. Magzire

    So the tracks must nearly 1:1 for this to work. didnt think the tracks were modeled that accurate. Good job PD!

    1. Vortex1be

      They laser scanned al the tracks so they are pretty much inchperfect. You can see it in comparison vids like the one above.

    1. killer tiller

      Mt panorama would be awesome but the days logger would be useless for it as its a public road with speed cameras so getting a quick lap is near impossible hence why PHillip Island would be better

  7. killer tiller

    Nice technology but pointless to anyone in the southern hemisphere… Maybe PD can add Phillip Island to the track list hint hint wink wink

  8. crazygst

    I think this is great, because now they(PD) will have to start giving us more tracks!! Because I’m pretty sure no everyone in the world is going to be able to make it to Fuji Speed way or Suzuka ;)

    1. HKS racer

      that’s the problem with PD, they’ll add every kind of unrequested feature you can’t even imagine, instead of simply adding more tracks and some userfriendly options.

    2. NJ72

      In case you hadn’t noticed, there are tracks from pretty much every continent. Sadly though, no uk tracks… crosses fingers for castle combs or brands hatch…

  9. TokoTurismo

    Imagine the data logger being used for times in the GT licence centre in GT6. Oooo. *v* It’ll be tough but fun. :D

  10. GT CHAMP

    Hopefully the data will be available for free instead of having to pay to try and match your skills. Not likely but still hoping.

    1. TokoTurismo

      No worries buddy. :) This maybe available through the undate coming, I sure can’t wait for it. Sounds like alot of fun to use. ;)

  11. blackjack

    I can see track days at the real world circuits offering “Gt5 data” runs in the future. Also, imagine watching an episode of top gear and then being able to download the ghost data right after the show. Lots of potential here.

    I sure hope Rossi and Lorenzo take notice too!

  12. Quakebass

    Man, @ 1:25 I realized Fuji had DANDELIONS!!!!

    …Also, this feature looks pretty cool, just the local tracks here where I live aren’t in GT5…

    *Evergreen Speedway.* -_-

  13. HKSBro92

    This game just keeps getting better and better! Throw in some new exotics and a few tracks and I’ll totally change my mind about buying 360 for Forza 4 :)

    1. H0bbsy

      I have FM4, and although I can appreciate what they have done and some of the features they offer. I still find myself coming back home to GT.

    2. Vortex1be

      I played Forza on a friends Xbox360 and to be honest its pretty bad. Nurburgring bearly looks recognizable (although its fairly accurate, but nowhere near as accurate as GT5) I’ve been to the nurburgring 3 times and I could immediatly recognize it from GT5 (and GTR evo) I also said to my friend which turns where difficult in GT5 and sure as hell you could see people spin out there now and then.

      It pretty fun to play though, but the cars don’t feel as much alive as GT5 cars do. They sound ALOT better than the GT5 cars though, but most of GT5’s cars sound crap… xD

  14. Krizzay

    Wow, amazing. I’m eager to test this myself on Spa Francorchamps and the Sudschleife. Now only if we had the Zolder Terlaemen track in the game… :)

  15. RoarOfZonda

    So I don’t exactly understand this Data Logger. Does it only basically load a ghost lap or does it also show what settings these celeberties have tuned their car at?

    1. wavetool

      I think it’s a ghost lap based on times, track positioning, and driver inputs. You probably won’t get real-world car settings imported.

    1. BlindZenDriver

      Why the local track – the daily commute would be fun also (and faster than the 50+ min. it took me to go 6 miles this morning. *sigh*).

    2. Vortex1be

      That was what I thought this was for when I read the title… Would be awesome and I hope someone would drive on pikes peak with it !!! :P Or PD can just make pikes peak for GT5…

  16. blue cat

    Celebrity laps would be an amazing addition. Not just novelty celebs either, but professional drivers for instruction and challenges etc. in a future GT game. However, i’m not confident of it being utilised in anything more than a gimmicky fashion given how undercooked the majority of GT5s features have turned out to be.

    1. GrahamTurismo

      Digitized “celebrity laps,” huh? Like they SHOULD have done with Coulthard? Too bad he cut corners all over the place, so following a ghosted version of his time would have gotten you a red lap every time.

  17. GT5_Honda_Guy

    I think the key was when he said, players can track their favorite real life drivers and compete with their laps in the game. Not log yourself at the track…How many of us here in the US are really going to Spa?

    1. 70hemi

      lol, true, maybe get some Stig laps or Maybe even Nascar Drivers…. You never know what PD is gonna do with it.

  18. crowhop

    I’ve got to be honest and say I have no idea what this is or does.
    We already have data-logging in the game, no?

    1. chimuel

      You plug it into your real car, drive around a track and then download the data to a usb drive then upload that data onto your PS3 and you can see a recorded version of what you did on the real track in the game.

  19. seanchump

    how often will these consumers actually use this technology? Seriously. How many GT players are track goers?

    1. Jordan

      It would likely be a very small minority, of course. As Taku discusses in the video, I think the real value in the technology is its ability to log and re-create “celebrity”/professional laps, which could be used as a valuable cross-promotional tool by the GT franchise in the future.

    2. MadmuppGT

      This is true, It will be cool to actually race against say the Stigs ghost lap on the Top Gear track, or An actual record breaking laptime around the nurb.

      If anything it will make us better drivers as we’ll beable to see what lines the professionals take. Its got lots of promise!

    3. GTPM118

      I would be nice, if this car can become the new Top Gear “star in a reasonably priced car” … we can get all those lap times in GT5…

    4. RTSolvalou

      Hopefully Sony close a deal to get their hands on F1 again, and hand it to PD since Psygnosis aren’t around anymore, that would be superb, although the hard part would be getting teams to agree to carry the extra weight brought by the data unit.
      Now THAT would be awesome.

    5. D.Losada

      Until the Gran Turismo phisics are almost like the reality, it is no more than a curiosity. You are mixing reality with fiction, and it could not work this way.
      You can not use the same lines the professional takes, because the real circuit does not work with the tyres exactly the same way.
      But at least it is interesting, because, bridging the gap (and GT5 has one of the more advanced phisics simulator), it gives more challenges to the GT Franchise; this is, compete with real drivers.
      I am waiting for this!

    6. Big Ron

      You need the exact same car available in Gran Turismo to rebuild the real lap to the game. This shrinks the potential a lot.

    7. BlindZenDriver

      Not a high percentage but in plain numbers there will be a good deal. I think the issue is more than for it to work those individuals must also use circuits and cars found in the game and want to use the system. Combining all the factors likely make the consumer base pretty small. Then again I know a guy that has been on Laguna Seca with his MX-5 and I know a few that have been on the Ring (and plan to go my self), so odds are some will use the system (and how cool would it not be to record your own lap).

    8. Oner

      As to Jordans point of “its ability to log and re-create “celebrity”/professional laps, which could be used as a valuable cross-promotional tool by the GT franchise in the future.” just think of a TopGear tie in with this by itself…HUGE doesn’t describe how this could be!

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