Gran Turismo PSP

On this day in 2009, the Gran Turismo franchise officially made its first foray onto something other than Sony’s home console.

As you’ve probably heard by now, Sony has just announced the true successor to the PSP. Code-named the “NGP” (Next Generation Portable), it features some impressive hardware specs and the titles announced so far look great. Popular games such as Uncharted, Killzone, and Call of Duty were all confirmed to arrive on the NGP when it’s released at the end of this year, but one special franchise was nowhere to be found this time: Gran Turismo.

Sony hosted a small group of media at their Benelux headquarters in Amsterdam, yesterday, and our own Blitz187 was on hand to catch any and all new tidbits of information that might emerge (this event took place before the delay was officially confirmed). As usual, Sony was extremely tight-lipped about the game’s details and did not use the event to reveal any major new features.

Polyphony Digital has updated their sales figures for the Gran Turismo franchise, and the company’s latest title, GT PSP is now on the list. In the three months since its release on October 1st, 2009, it has sold more than 1.8 million copies around the world, making it the sixth-best selling title on Sony’s portable console.

Remember the “Ultimate Gran Turismo Fan” contest Sony held back in November? They set out out to find the most dedicated fans of the series, and this past Friday, the winners were finally announced. First place went to Michael Blevins of Colorado, who started dirt track racing after years of playing GT, and second went to Samuel Sligh III, a passionate Ferrari fan from North Carolina. For their dedication to the series, they’ve been awarded the two very sweet racing suits and helmets worn by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust in the GT PSP commercial filmed at Laguna Seca.

Our forum user John Parry just picked up on a small update in the US PSN Store – there’s now a free “car pack” available for Gran Turismo PSP that includes the following exotics:

If you missed out on the free Gran Turismo PSP promotion when the PSP Go was released earlier this year, you’ve got another shot. Sony is once again making the game available to download at no cost to all PSP Go owners…as long as you’re not in North America. Much like GT Academy 2010, this promotion is only available to people outside of the United States and Canada. You can read the official rules here and, if you’re eligible, follow these instructions to get your copy of the game. It will be free through January 10, 2010, so don’t worry if you plan to receive a PSP Go on December 25th – just make sure that you tell Santa Claus about this so he can buy you something else with all that money he’ll be saving! Thanks to Marky264 for the tip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yNzGg8kTGo

Sony is out to find the “ultimate” Gran Turismo fan with their latest contest, and two winners will be walking away with the driving suit, helmet, and gloves worn by Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust in the GT PSP Laguna Seca television commercial. All you’ve got to do is submit a 2 minute video, a 2 page essay, or slide show presentation explaining why you are the “ultimate fan”. Entries will be judged by a panel of “video game industry professionals”, who will score each submission based on the following criteria: 60% for showing that you’re the ultimate fan, 20% for showing that you’re the ultimate car/racing fan, and another 20% for showing off a little bit of creativity.

After a few weeks of waiting, Ad-Hoc Party is finally available, for free, to everyone around the world! Watch the video after the jump to see a quick demonstration with Gran Turismo PSP, then head on over to the new “official” GTPlanet lobby to start racing: World G1, Lobby 1. If you’re in the mood for a quick event but the lobby is quiet, leave a note in our official GT PSP online racing forum thread to organize a quick game. Enjoy!

Here’s a look at the Akiba Grand Prix, held the Akihabara district of Tokyo last weekend. Making excellent use of GT PSP’s multiplayer functionality, the Akiba GP led a group of players around a “circuit” of stores, shops, and restaurants, competing in different race events at each location. The final event of the day involves a showdown with two-time Super GT Series world champion and Best Motoring presenter Juichi Wakisaka.

Since GTPlanet users first picked up on the fact that you’d be able to play Gran Turismo PSP online with Ad-Hoc party, one tiny little thing has been holding people back: it was only available in Japanese via the country’s PSN Store. Needless to say, this language barrier prevented many from giving it a shot, leaving those who did with a limited selection of opponents.

Remember that Gran Turismo PSP commercial, featuring a Corvette ZR-1 with Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust? (No, not that terrible Japanese spot!) While we wait for the next round of GT5 news, you might enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at how the clip was put together. Even if you didn’t like the commercial, you’re on the wrong website if you don’t enjoy watching this collection of cars pushing it around legendary Laguna Seca. See the video after the jump…

Although many people debate the exclusion of “career mode” in Gran Turismo PSP, it’s generally considered one of the best-looking games on the portable console to date. When you look at some of the static screenshots, though, it can appear rough or “jagged” around the edges (like above), but sure enough – when you play the game or see it in motion it looks much more impressive. Why is that? Keep reading to find out…

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

Unfortunately, most “journalists” who get the chance to interview Kazunori Yamauchi are largely clueless about the current state of the franchise. As a result, they ask the same questions to which the answers don’t really matter, delivered with the same rabid, impatient schoolboy mentality that seems to plague many people on the Internet these days. Needless to say, while this interview method can provide some sensational headlines, it does nothing to connect with the man or the company behind Gran Turismo. That’s what makes this interview with Xavier Ocampo, Japanese correspondent at MeriStation, so incredibly refreshing and insightful.

If you’ve played Gran Turismo PSP, the thought of hooking up a steering wheel to the little handheld console has probably crossed your mind. The only problem, of course, is that the PSP isn’t compatible with any wheel on the market – or so we thought. GTPlanet user tingri discovered the above clip created by YouTuber RacerS2, who’s done the impossible with a hacked PSP and a collection of other software programs. Although he doesn’t provide a tutorial on how to get this working yourself, you might want to consider the one big caveat before taking on a project like this: GT PSP doesn’t support analog gas or brake controls, so it’s all or nothing when you press the pedals.

Gran Turismo PSP launched with an interesting and new incentive: a free, bonus car depending on where you pre-ordered the game or if you download it via the PSN Store. However, users in our forum have reported everything from receiving incorrect cars, invalid codes, to not receiving a code at all! Fortunately, your cries have been heard, with Sony issuing an apology to affected customers along with a promise to get everything straightened out.

Finally, we get to see the full car list for Gran Turismo PSP.  This doesn’t have all 850 vehicles- some of which will remain Polyphony Digital’s surprise – but at least it’s official. Take a look!

If you didn’t pre-order your copy of Gran Turismo PSP and you just can’t wait until your local retailer opens up, you can fire up your PSP and start downloading from the PSN Store right now. To encourage that, Sony’s offering a special incentive: a free Nissan GTR in a limited “metallic blue” color. Despite the bonus and convenient access, is it enough to entice you away from your physical game store to participate in the sacred act of purchasing the latest GT game? (For you snidely commentators: that was a joke.)