Gran Turismo HD officially canned - Next stop is GT5

[amar212]

NEW INFO 1.12.2006.

Gran Turismo HD has been officialy canned.



News is going like this:

Via its Japanese website, Sony has announced that Gran Turismo HD will only be available as a downloadable demo from PlayStation Store and will not be released as a full product.

Polyphony’s CEO and producer of the GT series, Kazunori Yamaouchi says the company has decided to focus directly on Gran Turismo 5 while offering consumers a work-in-progress via the GT-HD Concept demo. That will be available for download in Japan on December 24.

He said, ““GT-HD Concept” features 10 cars, 1 course with 2 layouts, Time Attack and Drift Trial modes. It also delivers a full HD visual experience reinforced with the new engine being developed for GT5. It has no online support other than a network ranking. The online experience will come with GT5."

No date has been fixed for GT5, although Yamaouchi says there may be further Concept demos in the future. He says the decision was made in the aftermath of TGS. Demos at E3 last year failed to impress gathered journalists, and the future of Gran Turismo has been the subject of much speculation.

More info at japanese site http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/sp/d374.html.


Awaiting the demo then. Info collected from NextGen.biz.


OLD NEWS BELOW - not important any more.

As still unofficialy stated in day before Tokyo Game Show, Gran Turismo HD should be available in December in Japan for all lucky PS3 owners there.

EDITED: New Famitsu states that game will come with two modes (releases?) "GT HD Premium" and "GT HD Classic". It remains to be seen what does it means. Also, the offical GT japanese site has put up the new section titled "GT meets PS3" dated 22-24/9, which are official dates for TGS 2006. Link: http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/

Official info and other details are coming as Sony's conference approaches.


**********
NEW INFO:

First scans in attachment.

There is sight of first new track in GTHD: The Eiger Nordwand, Switzerland.

Also, some light has been added to Classsic & Premium modes:

GT HD Preimum will use full PS3 hardware, potential, while GT HD Classic will be based on GT HD Demo. It is somehow now obvious that both modes will be included on the same disk.

However, GT Classic mode will feature over 50 courses for online racing and online will be 100% included in the game. There is notion about weather changes, but still not mention about being real-time.

New tracks and cars will be offered to download: car is to cost from euro 0.33/USD 0.42 to euro 0.66/USD 0.84, while tracks from euro 1.32/USD 1.68 to euro 3.30/USD 4.20.



*******
EDITED: Full facts froom Famitsu trnscript of interview with Kazunori:

The latest issue of Famitsu has an interview with Kazunori Yamauchi for the new Gran Turismo on PS3.

+ They'll release 2 versions for the new Gran Turismo (they use the same "Gran Turismo HD" name of the E3 demo for the product names) for the PS3 soon. Both support online multiplayer.

+ The proper GT5 is going to hit in 2008. GT HD is meant to grow the rich network service before GT5. The online modes are based on the 4 modes in GT4nline beta (Quick Race/Tuned Race/Private Race/Time Attack) and several other modes are added. The online will be launched worldwide at the same time.

+ Gran Turismo HD: Premium is essentially a GT5 prologue that uses the full graphics power of the PS3. (Pictures show a 3D spectator crowd, very detailed car models with interiors.) The weather changes while racing. It comes with 2 courses (both original and new, city and nature) and 30 cars including new ones. You can buy additional 30 cars and 2 courses (real circuits) later online. This version (or both GT HD, not sure) is a pure driving simulator and almost a tool. You don't get cars in in-game events, you just do whatever you want with games and courses or buy new ones via online.

+ Gran Turismo HD: Classic is what adopts the GT:HD playable demo at E3 and meant to showcase the online aspect. A race is done with about 20 cars. Apparently this version starts with no cars or courses. You download a car for 50 - 100 yen (0.43 - 0.85$) and a course for 200 - 500 yen (1.71 - 4.26$). Over 750 cars and 50 tracks are available for purchase. Users can define race events freely and can hold online race events by themselves.

+ Not all cars and courses are available on the release date, they are added monthly. Some models may be a limited release for 1000 units. New playing modes and tuning parts may be available via download. It's still undecided if they allow trade among users in fear of real money trade.

link: http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33831


*******
EDITED: Downloads to be optional

Some sources has mention that translation for japanese articles is bad - exact translation should mean that downloads should be optional for players who doe not want to bother with playing the game in order to unlock something. This - as well as all other info - is still very unofficial.

No official press-release about all features GTHD has been published yet.


******
EDITED 29/09/2006

Info inside the first Ferrari movie scheduled for Paris Auto Show - http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/movie/index.do?id=385 - states that GTDH will be coming on PlayStation 3 in Spring 2007. As Paris Auto Show is in Europe it pretty much says that we could get GTHD with the launch of the console.

NOTE: ALL STATED ABOVE IS STILL UNOFFICIAL AND HAS BEEN COLECTED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. Very much thanx to Arwin.

*****EDITED

FIRST OFFICIAL PRESS-RELEASE (3th Oct 2006):

Gran Turismo HD ™ featuring Ferrari GT Cars

Paris, France, September 28, 2006 - Polyphony Digital Inc. announced today a new and exciting collaboration together with Ferrari S.p.A. Ferrari cars will appear starting with the upcoming Gran Turismo HD, coming to the PLAYSTATION 3 ® format in 2007 in Japan, Asia, North America, and Europe. The first models represented will be the 599 GTB Fiorano and the F430. The graphical power of the PLAYSTATION 3 ® will allow the display of these prestigious cars in never before seen in “Full HD” quality. The realism of the driving simulation proposed by Gran Turismo HD will allow millions of users to experience the thrills of driving Ferrari GT cars.

“It is with great pleasure and honor we announce this great partnership with our friends at Ferrari.”, said Kazunori Yamauchi, president of Polyphony Digital Inc. and creator of the Gran Turismo franchise titles, “We are looking forward to the exciting possibilities that await us in the future, and hope to share them with you when details are more visible.”

"We are enthusiastic to start this new collaboration with Sony, and are very excited that the Ferrari GT cars will be featured within the Gran Turismo series, one of the most successful driving simulations ever", said Giulio Zambeletti, director of Ferrari Brand Development & Partners department.

****ENDS****

 

[3spddrft]

amar is the man! what time is the Sony confrence?

 

[Michael88]

Damn, I dont live in Japan and I dont have a PS3.

Thanks for the info!

Ill bet my ass that GTHD premium has more content like more cars and tracks.

 

[Dave A]

No tmany people do have a PS3, certianlky no one outside of Sony.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Sucks that the videos are only streaming, but oh well. It's better than nothing, and it's been exactly that for five minutes now. Meh.

Awesome news, AMAR. Thanks for the update. Any more details, let us know.

 

[LoudMusic]

I'll believe it when I see it in stores. What was the delay on GT4, a year and a half?

 

[TheCracker]

Nice one Amar 👍 - GT HD Premium and GT HD Classic sounds intriguing

 

[fasj6418]

sounds bull%$#@ 50 cents per car? 1,50 per track? wtf, how much is it going to cost to have the 719 cars that GT4 had for 50 bucks... i hope they clear things out during TGS

 

[Dave A]

$359.50 for all 719 cars , I don't think we have enough info to start jumping to conclusions about what all this means.

 

[Christhedude]

sounds interesting...gt premium and classic...just wondering how big the differents gonna be

 

[amar212]

New info gathered in the first post.

 

[Christhedude]

New info gathered in the first post.

thanks for that amar!!

can somebody please post those pics, cause that site is blocked from my provider thanks

 

[Dave A]

I think the prices to download cars and tracks is extortionate, downloading 50-100 cars could cost you as much as a full price game, sames thing if you download 10 tracks. They should be bundeled, ie choose 10 cars for £1 or 1 track for £1.

however very good find Amar, we'll see how this all pans out at TGS in a couple of days, my alarm bells might be ringing a bit too soon.

Heres thoes pics for you.

 

[Tenacious D]

Oh lordy lordy lordy.... that looks sweet. I'm beginning to twitch... maybe camping out for a PS3 isn't such a bad idea!

Now, what would make this truly glorious is if the chroma of the game was corrected so it looked lifelike. Forza looked excellent as far as color, while GT4 looked excellent as far as realism. Realistic graphics all the way around with a new game engine... drooel.

Oh, and as for downloadables, those prices look pretty good to me. I really doubt that Polyphony will offer a hundred cars at a time, or twenty tracks. Just imagine something like a Supercar Pack, with 20 cars consisting of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches. Less than $10!

And I just noticed L4S's remarks above. What do you say about a "game" which offers less than 20 cars, mostly fantasy, and a few fantasy tracks for about $45? Sound similar?

 

[ExigeEvan]

I'm a pessimist. And I don't trust PDs release dates. Not that it really matters as I won't be having a PS3 very early (unless I get a job).

Any ideas how many cars are going to be on the grid? I couldn't get the vids to work.

 

[Dave A]

Oh lordy lordy lordy.... that looks sweet. I'm beginning to twitch... maybe camping out for a PS3 isn't such a bad idea!

Now, what would make this truly glorious is if the chroma of the game was corrected so it looked lifelike. Forza looked excellent as far as color, while GT4 looked excellent as far as realism. Realistic graphics all the way around with a new game engine... drooel.

Oh, and as for downloadables, those prices look pretty good to me. I really doubt that Polyphony will offer a hundred cars at a time, or twenty tracks. Just imagine something like a Supercar Pack, with 20 cars consisting of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches. Less than $10!

20 cars for £10 would be outragous imo, I can play a PC sim and download 1000 addon cars for free. £10 for 100 cars I wouldn't mind so much, and £1 for a track. that to me seems fair. But going by thoes prices you'd have to spend over £350 or $350 to have nearly as many cars as GT4 had. That is not a fair price structure imo, their banking on the idea that people will go "oh it's only a little bit" looking at the price per car, but then when you want 10 cars, or 20 cars it's not such a little ammount.

 

[kennythebomb]

Pretty interesting and thank you amar.

If it is 50 cents per car, the two-game deal will surely hurt sales.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I think alot of you have the 'price per car' thing confuddled.

You all seem to think that you're going to have to buy hundreds of cars. But the way I think it will work is that you'll be given a huge selection of cars to choose from originally and then you can buy a few as and when they are released post-release.

And think about it for a second, how many cars have you really wanted to 'test drive' in the last year? Now get rid of half of them as their manufacturers probably won't be available to the game and then forget about all the different types (E.g. though not a very good example, would you really want to test drive the 911 GT2, GT3, Turbo and Carrera S?)?

 

[Dave A]

No, at thoes prices I WON'T be buying every car they make avaialble to download, if the prices were reasonable however I probably would. Whether you buy all the cars or not, $5 for 10 cars is damn steep. Sure $5 on it's own is not a lot of cash, but would I go and shove a fiver in the shredding machine, no.

 

[Christhedude]

Heres thoes pics for you.

thanks but i still cant seem them, cause your porberly linked those pics from that site, and that site it blocked. anyway i will see them later somewhere...

about buying cars for money...i'm not quite sure about it. why would we have to pay for addon cars if we can get them free for pc games?? i dont get it.

 

[Arwin]

So, to summarise and if I understood it correctly, here's what I heard (from a summary of someone who read the article):

GT:HD Classic

This version is what we have seen the most of so far, and features the following:

- Online: Quick Race/Tuned Race/Private Race/Time Attack and several other modes are added. The online will be launched worldwide at the same time. Supports 20 players online (up from 12)
- Downloadable Cars and Tracks. No cars or tracks come with the game, but you can buy your favorte cars and tracks online.

Thoughts

- will this create chaos in online mode, where all my friends will have different tracks? Or will it be a breeze, because half of my German friends are probably satisfied with the Nurburgring and a few different BMW M3s?
- will we only have access to all the cars and tracks that are known so far (750 cars, 50 tracks) or are we also getting newer models. I could imagine that latter option is reserved to the other versions.

GT:HD Premium

This is a preview version of what we can expect in Gran Turismo 5, featuring:

- real-time weather change (yes!)
- highly detailed models, presumably of the quality we saw at E3 2005 (yes!)
- detailed interiors
- 3D spectators
- 2 tracks, one new nature (probably nice looking new design a la Trial Mountain) and one existing city track (presumably revamped Tokyo?)
- 30 cars included
- 2 tracks (existing racetracks) and 30 cars available for download later on
- unknown number of game-modes and events, that do not unlock cars
- unknown online options (none?)

Thoughts

- I assume this one will be actively limited to 60 cars and 4 tracks, but considering the paralel with Prologue, it may have a driving licence module nonetheless, especially if new driving physics have been implemented.

GT5

- will have downloadable tracks and cars (some special ones may cost money, others free)
- will have downloadable tuning parts
- as yet undecided whether these can be traded online
- will have a lot of online features, evolved from the experiences with the GT:HD versions
- has real-time weather change
- in 2008. Let's not spend too many more words on it.

Thoughts
- I think downloadable cars and tracks are great, have been looking forward to that for a long time, and it also may allow GT5 to actually make the 2008 release date, as they can focus primarily on the engine being ready for the cars and tracks that can be finished later and put up for download
- I think downloadable cars are also great because you can get the latest models, and manufacturers are probably going to sponsor some of their latest models, and you can probably get them from your dealer directly in some cases too. Think about it - this already happened in the form of special GT3 and GT4 discs, and now its going to be so much easier and cheaper
- Basically, with HD we are getting its online features as a huge beta, so that they can get it exactly right in 2008
- Will we get a clutch simulation that supports the latest Logitech wheel?

Well, that's just my first reactions to this. I must say, I was only expecting GT:HD and perhaps a faint glimpse of GT5, so this is already better.

GT:HD with 20 cars alone is a lot more than I expected, and makes me very happy! Especailly if the other 19 are online buddies rather than GT's old AI

 

[the Interceptor]

GT HD Preimum will use full PS3 hardware, potential, while GT HD Classic will be based on GT HD Demo. It is somehow now obvious that both modes will be included on the same disk.

I wonder what this means. We know that the GT HD Demo basically was GT4 in 1080p. But how's Premium different then? They didn't have enough time to create something entirely new until December, so it must be based on GT4 in some way I think. Any ideas?

Oh, and thanks for the info Amar! 👍

Regards
the Interceptor

 

[Arwin]

They didn't have enough time to create something entirely new until December, so it must be based on GT4 in some way I think. Any ideas?

You forgot that they had the two new cars at much higher detail levels already at E3 2005? There are a bunch of paralel things happening here, I think.

 

[Tenacious D]

L4S, I think you're really jumping the gun with your remarks. You act like GT HD is going to be an empty parking lot that you're going to be forced to stock at your own expense. It's not going to work like that. Sony isn't Microsoft.

As for "1000 free downloadable cars in PC games," you're going to have to give me some examples. And I do mean several, not just one. The only way that is remotely possible is for those cars to be modelled and coded by fans. Work of that scale isn't going to be free if a game company has to do it, and if fans do all the work, then you're at their mercy as far as realism and detail. Meh on that.

And since it seems my edit didn't appear in time for you to see it, let's take the example of Live For Speed, something you dearly love.

You have a hobby game with incomplete... everything, even the much vaunted physics engine. It doesn't work for me and my DFP, for whatever reason. Maybe it needs XP service Pack 2 or something. So I've been tooting around with a controller, which is absolutely horrible. But it's fun to explore the physics engine, and woah Nellie! You can get those cars to do some insane stunts!

But anyway, you have a very small "game" with 19 cars, almost all fake, and a few tracks, also fake or mostly so. They're very good and I do appreciate the work those three guys have put into it, even though it doesn't work for everyone obviously. But let's compare your greatly feared potential rip off to what LFS offers you, shall we?

19 cars, 9 tracks... approximately $45 US.

Huh... vastly less content than what you're complaining about for Gran Turismo. A complaint that is based entirely on nothing but fears and suppositions. Do you consider this a rip-off?

 

[the Interceptor]

Nice to hear from you again, Arwin.

You forgot that they had the two new cars at much higher detail levels already at E3 2005? There are a bunch of paralel things happening here, I think.

Well, it has been some time since GT4, and it seems they already gathered the data for that very game detailed enough to easily "port" it to future Gran Turismos. This way, it does make sense.

Anyway, despite that pay-thing I'm not entirely convinced of (yet), I'm impressed of what's to come there. 👍

Regards
the Interceptor

 

[Robin]

Am I the only one here that thinks this is absolutely sucks! This is a stupidly expensive GT5 prologue!

For a start its GT4 in HD and ok it has better graphics, online and other stuff but the fact you have to buy cars is stupid..... its should come with 700 cars and loads of tracks then you buy some... not the other way round..... So what if it has some new stuff... I want the whole thing finished..... a proper full game (GT5). Also how can it use the FULL power of the PS3... those screens are nothing near the quality of the brief GT5 stuff (RX7 & EVO) we have seen... it just looks like GTHD, and as it was said before there is no way that they in so little time have already created GT5 level stuff!...

All of this sounds very confusing... will have to see at TGS but this sounds like a poor effort! I would rather wait for GT5 when all the cars and tracks I can 'buy' will (hopefully) come for free!.....unless this is going to be the trend with future games where they give you nothing to begin with then rip you off in buying the content......

Dont now post and say,

Well what would you rather have in the meantime at least its something new till the next GT proper comes out which could be ages..... NO! Its a poor half attempt and a total money con..... they know any GT fan will buy it and buy the cars track etc....... madness!!! Why dont they stop messing around with the GT4 engine and start working on something totally new...

I feel cheated... I was expecting to be speechless for GT5..... this is some cobbled together title, abit of GT4, abit of online (which was ment to be in GT4 anyway!), abit of HD and abit of next gen

Robin

Oh and to add to all of that...... Europe wont even have the PS3 till march at the earliest so we cant play it anyway and by which time this will be old and probably GT5 will be well underway!

 

[the Interceptor]

I feel cheated... I was expecting to be speechless for GT5..... this is some cobbled together title, abit of GT4, abit of online (which was ment to be in GT4 anyway!), abit of HD and abit of next gen

You feel cheated ... talking about a game that hasn't even been released yet, and that noone forces you to buy?

Now, you seem to know that this is not GT5. So what did you expect? This is much better than what the majority was thinking, which pretty much was a slim GT4 in 1080p. Now, we get a lot of new features and even better graphics, and you're still not satisfied.

 

[Robin]

You feel cheated ... talking about a game that hasn't even been released yet, and that noone forces you to buy?

No I know and the info is not totally complete yet but you cant deny its sounds a shamble of a title..... and the cost of buying cars that should come with it...... its stupid!

Now, you seem to know that this is not GT5. So what did you expect? This is much better than what the majority was thinking, which pretty much was a slim GT4 in 1080p. Now, we get a lot of new features and even better graphics, and you're still not satisfied.

Not really!, I expected nothing...At TGS I would expect there to be more info on the development of GT5..... not GT4.5! Sure its better! but its not THE NEXT GEN GRAN TURISMO! They should either make this title as cheap as GT4 Prologue was or add more stuff..... because all I see at the moment its PD cashing in on the middle period between the next major title!

 

[Jump_Ace]

Blah blah blah, piracy will live! lolz

Jerome

 

[the Interceptor]

Sure its better! but its not THE NEXT GEN GRAN TURISMO!

Actually, everybody knew that it wouldn't be a full next-gen GT ... at least everybody should have. But if you don't like it, you can save yourself a lot of money and buy a PS3 when GT5 comes out in 2008.

They should either make this title as cheap as GT4 Prologue was or add more stuff..... because all I see at the moment its PD cashing in on the middle period between the next major title!

We don't know how much the game is yet, and we don't know how many cars will be included already. Although I'm not sure about that pay-thing as well, I have serious doubts that they are gonna provide us with a 60€-5-car-3-track-game and then rip us off with buying all the updates. Do you think anybody would buy GT5 then?

Regards
the Interceptor