The August 1st update to Gran Turismo 5: Prologue brought quite a few changes. Although there were many undocumented features, the new peer-to-peer downloading option for Gran Turismo TV is the one with the broadest implications. Basically, it allows others to download programs directly from your PS3, using your internet connection’s upload bandwidth. This can help downloaders, as it eliminates the bottleneck generated by the traditional client/server network architecture while alleviating some of the distribution and hosting costs for Sony and Polyphony Digital. Here’s the official description from GT5 Prologue’s Network Options page:
Advanced Download will allow you to experience faster file transfer rates by (i) connecting directly to users who have already downloaded the Gran Turismo video content, (ii) connecting directly with the media server, or (iii) connecting both users and the media server simultaneously. By enabling this feature, you acknowledge and agree that the Gran Turismo video content you have downloaded to your PS3 system may be uploaded from your PS3 system by other users requesting the same Gran Turismo video content. Other users will not be able to upload Gran Turismo video content from your PS3 system while you are playing online.
Due to the nature of peer-to-peer file sharing (and predispositions many people hold against it), you have to wonder how many users will make it past this “User Agreement”. It’s also one of the first fee-based services which asks to use your own internet connection to distribute their content. While it could be an effective way for Polyphony to reduce their cost and increase the reliability of the GTTV service, if no one enables this setting, it won’t accomplish either of those goals.
With that said, let’s find out the participation rate for ourselves! Take our poll now and join in the discussion on our forums. Have you enabled this option, or do you plan to? Why/why not?
