GTPlanet

Before you start yelling at me, I already know what you’re going to say: “T, what happened to the Rewind last week?”, and it was simply an issue of time. I’m going to treat this week the same in terms of order, though I will say I’m pleased with the order of things as a result.

If there’s one thing the sim racing community can usually agree on, it’s that running a dozen hot laps all in the name of further improving your skill is the very definition of fun. While sounding tedious to some, the thought of learning the track inside and out, pushing the car to its limits and gaining familiarity with what can and cannot be done is an adrenaline boost.

2017 is upon us, and we’ve already bet on it being a bumper crop for racing games. This should be special for anyone with an interest in Sony’s flagship racer, as we should finally have the first entry of Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo series on the PlayStation 4.

What a week this has been. The racing game genre has grown to the point where a bombshell can be dropped at a moment’s notice and change everything. At a time like this where we’re analyzing every detail, trying to understand what makes the genre tick and how it can continue to grow, it’s these moments of genuine surprise where we can all sit back and say “wow”.

Gran Turismo 2 was the host to an impressive number (and variety) of racing machines, and whether the vehicles be race-modified to emulate their real-world counterparts, or the tried and true machines themselves, there’s quite a bit more to these cars than one would expect.

We’re just going to cut to the chase here: the Weekly Rewind has returned! A lot has changed since we last spoke in 2014, and we’re going to tackle all of it over the coming weeks in some form or fashion. 2017 is shaping up to be one of the best yet for the racing game genre for one particular reason that we’ll gladly highlight again later on, and the news is all the more exciting when the revival of a particular PC (now multi-platform) racing franchise is announced.

https://youtu.be/xy4G7qeSTw8

When I am asked what’s the best thing about GTPlanet, the answer is simple: it’s the people. Beyond the millions of posts on this site discussing racing games and cars, the GTPlanet Forums host a rich online community of people building real friendships around common interests.

With so much attention poured over graphics and sound design, it’s easy to overlook the role music plays in a game’s presentation. In Gran Turismo’s case, music has always been a key part of the experience, and Polyphony Digital clearly sought to establish a unique sonic aesthetic for the series from the very beginning.

Now that we’re all suitably re-hydrated from New Years celebrations, it’s time to look forward: this year is going to be great. 2016 wasn’t bad by any means — you can read all about it in our Year In Review — but we truly believe 2017 will be looked at as a high-water mark for the sim racing genre.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As if to drive that point home, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr first coined the term (“plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”, in his native French), over 160 years ago. When we look back at 2015’s Year In Review, we can’t help but feel — with the required date changes — the opening paragraph is just as appropriate when wrapping up this year.

After a month of nominating and voting, we finally have the results for the 2016 GTP Awards!

You’ve made your suggestions and now it’s time to vote.

The Spotlight is back again to share the goings-on within the GTPlanet community. Last week the attention was drawn toward 24 racing games recreated in the world of Forza Horizon 3, by user Yui-san.

As I mentioned in my post celebrating our 15th Anniversary yesterday, I’m frequently asked about the availability of GTPlanet apparel. So, to help celebrate the event, I have commissioned new custom t-shirts for our community from a local clothing company.

Fifteen years ago, I sat in front of the family computer, listened to that sound of a dial-up modem connecting to the Internet, and set out to tackle the seemingly impossible and exciting task of building my very own website: GTPlanet.

It’s been a while since I’ve done this, so if you’ll allow me one moment of enjoyment: the Community Spotlight has returned! As ever, this feature is all about bringing attention to the workings of the GTPlanet community. So without further ado, let’s get right down to business.

Run every year since 2005 by DQuaN, the GTP Awards celebrate the best aspects of our community, and with the end of the year nearly upon us it’s time to start the process anew.

DLC has changed the way we play games. Gone are the days where you buy a ‘finished’ product on release as additional content and Season Passes become more prominent in each new release. The racing genre naturally lends itself to embracing this new delivery model, since there will always be ‘that’ car or track fans plead for inclusion. Arcade, semi-sim or full-blown simulation — regardless of the sub-genre we have examples of developers and publishers outlining extensive DLC plans and asking for your premium to make it happen.

Video games, at least in the beginning, are a fairly inexpensive hobby. Sure, a console will set you back a few bills, and games cost substantially more than a physical copy of a movie (I hear some people still buy those). But on a cost-per-hour basis, gaming has its advantages.