Gran Turismo's Fan-Favorite Original Tracks Could Return, says Kazunori Yamauchi

[fisheye]

I always liked catching air on Seattle Circuit just before the right turn.

 

[queleuleu]

"And if that's not enough, a new circuit will be revealed at the World Finals: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This legendary California circuit has been included in every version of the Gran Turismo series since GT2 and will make its first appearance in Gran Turismo Sport looking better than ever."
https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/news/00_3930994.html

Interesting wording. Maybe not in GTSport, but it seems very likely that classic GT tracks will come back in the future. It could even be a selling point for the new game.

 

[Phaceless_Ph]

Seattle Circuit, God I miss that track.

From what I remember, this is basically impossible because that area has changed so much.

 

[AllMightyVTEC]

From what I remember, this is basically impossible because that area has changed so much.

 

[Phaceless_Ph]

View attachment 867640

That's a walking route, now do the driving route.

The end of the circuit has to lose the back end of the circuit because of changes to road layout, also, the road that joins on to Yelser Way is now too narrow thanks to two bustops, parking bays and a section of kerb that makes it effectively single-lane.

Also, you've put the two right handers towards the end of the track down the wrong street...

 

[05XR8]

"And if that's not enough, a new circuit will be revealed at the World Finals: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This legendary California circuit has been included in every version of the Gran Turismo series since GT2 and will make its first appearance in Gran Turismo Sport looking better than ever."
https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/news/00_3930994.html

Interesting wording. Maybe not in GTSport, but it seems very likely that classic GT tracks will come back in the future. It could even be a selling point for the new game.

Maybe Côte d'Azur is next. That was the next real Circuit to debut in Gran turismo.

 

[juanffy18]

Maybe Côte d'Azur is next. That was the next real Circuit to debut in Gran turismo.

I think the problem is the F1 exclusive license with Monaco GP.
No one other game has the circuit.

 

[AllMightyVTEC]

That's a walking route, now do the driving route.

The end of the circuit has to lose the back end of the circuit because of changes to road layout, also, the road that joins on to Yelser Way is now too narrow thanks to two bustops, parking bays and a section of kerb that makes it effectively single-lane.

Also, you've put the two right handers towards the end of the track down the wrong street...

You misunderstand, that’s the only way I could track the layout on Google Maps. I tried to stay as faithful as I could to the original design, which for the most part is still feasible but because of CenturyLink, the back straight on 4th Ave goes up to Edgar Martinez Dr, which goes back to Alaskan Way, and turns into a flat out sprint up to Yesler Way. I think it adds to the layout and would make for a very photogenic view of downtown from Alaskan Way.

 

[05XR8]

I think the problem is the F1 exclusive license with Monaco GP.
No one other game has the circuit.

Project Cars 2 have the circuit(I have the game). Not sure how long or what kind of deal was made.

 

[tankuroded]

Project Cars 2 have the circuit(I have the game). Not sure how long or what kind of deal was made.

It was called Azure Circuit there and Cote d'Azur in previous GT games.

 

[ScottPuss20]

There's nothing to stop PD from putting the Monaco GP circuit in the game, they just can't have the official name as that is licensed. I don't think there's any law that says you cannot model a street circuit without licensing fees. It's a public road, not private property.

 

[GTPorsche]

View attachment 867640

More accurately

 

[GTV0819]

It was called Azure Circuit there and Cote d'Azur in previous GT games.

This track is cool. I also used to like it but Costa di Amalfi is way more cooler IMHO.

 

[FoRiZon]

It seems that people confuse "Original Tracks" with "Real Location Tracks".

Former is based on the original PD idea (High Speed Ring, Midfield Raceway), while the latter usually requires agreement with local government (New York, Seattle).

The agreement is usually far more difficult to arrange nowadays compared to a decade ago. Remember the Kart Circuit in GT5 demo which get cut because the government disagreeing with how the flags represented?

Save to say that Kaz meant the actual original tracks.

 

[SestoScudo]

It seems that people confuse "Original Tracks" with "Real Location Tracks".

Former is based on the original PD idea (High Speed Ring, Midfield Raceway), while the latter usually requires agreement with local government (New York, Seattle).

The agreement is usually far more difficult to arrange nowadays compared to a decade ago. Remember the Kart Circuit in GT5 demo which get cut because the government disagreeing with how the flags represented?

Save to say that Kaz meant the actual original tracks.

I think its the Siena track that created an uproar due to some flags.

Siena track got cut because of that.

Siena track would have looked great too bad some fools had to cry about some flags.

 

[watashi49uk]

You misunderstand, that’s the only way I could track the layout on Google Maps. I tried to stay as faithful as I could to the original design, which for the most part is still feasible but because of CenturyLink, the back straight on 4th Ave goes up to Edgar Martinez Dr, which goes back to Alaskan Way, and turns into a flat out sprint up to Yesler Way. I think it adds to the layout and would make for a very photogenic view of downtown from Alaskan Way.

Some of the posts about a possible return of a Seattle track to GT seem to suggest that it would be impossible for PD to provide a graphically improved version of the old track because the real life location has changed so much.

Why would real life changes to the Seattle road system affect the design of the track in GT? Many racing games include historic versions of real life tracks like Silverstone and Monza, despite all the changes that have been made to those tracks.

 

[Phaceless_Ph]

You misunderstand, that’s the only way I could track the layout on Google Maps. I tried to stay as faithful as I could to the original design, which for the most part is still feasible but because of CenturyLink, the back straight on 4th Ave goes up to Edgar Martinez Dr, which goes back to Alaskan Way, and turns into a flat out sprint up to Yesler Way. I think it adds to the layout and would make for a very photogenic view of downtown from Alaskan Way.

Ah gotcha, I see now.

 

[Quakebass]

Some of the posts about a possible return of a Seattle track to GT seem to suggest that it would be impossible for PD to provide a graphically improved version of the old track because the real life location has changed so much.

Why would real life changes to the Seattle road system affect the design of the track in GT? Many racing games include historic versions of real life tracks like Silverstone and Monza, despite all the changes that have been made to those tracks.

Could be due to reference material, which PD have claimed to use extensively when deciding to use an environment.

Seattle was actually extremely accurate to the time period it referenced, thing is it became outdated I’m pretty sure by GT3, maybe even some trackside aspects by GT2’s launch (stadium construction). They just updated the model they already had for GT3 and 4.

The King Dome was obliterated in 2001, and the Nisqually earthquake only a couple months prior damaged the famous viaduct, necessitating a partial teardown of some sections. With Century Link and Safeco field stadiums now existing where the last section of track used to exist, the track would have to extend further south, or be shortened to the north end to go around. The last sections of viaduct were closed this year and have began to get torn down, but I haven’t been to that area in a little while so I don’t know how much of the viaduct underpass section of the GT circuit still exists as road right now.

TL;DR: PD takes a lot of care with their original circuit locations and to build a Seattle circuit as it was in the past would require a significant amount of creative liberties, and it’d make more sense for an “updated” Seattle to be based on the city’s current layout.

 

[AllMightyVTEC]

More accurately

Thank you. I’m not as inclined with cartography as I’d like to be

Some of the posts about a possible return of a Seattle track to GT seem to suggest that it would be impossible for PD to provide a graphically improved version of the old track because the real life location has changed so much.

Why would real life changes to the Seattle road system affect the design of the track in GT? Many racing games include historic versions of real life tracks like Silverstone and Monza, despite all the changes that have been made to those tracks.

Yes well, it’s different with city circuits. When extensive changes are made to the area then it’s only natural to update it to reflect these changes

 

[MIE1992]

I always liked catching air on Seattle Circuit just before the right turn.

I think that'd make it terrible for online racing, unless they completely reworked the circuit, while mostly just keeping the general locale. Even though some parts of Seattle Circuit have been changed in the real world, I still think it'd need to take a route that avoids those San Francisco-esque inclines. Otherwise, I think one could keep a decent amount of the circuit's layout intact, even if it were to be reworked.

Maybe Côte d'Azur is next. That was the next real Circuit to debut in Gran turismo.

Yeah. Then in GT4, there's more stuff that could come to GTS as far as real-world circuits go, like Sonoma and Motegi. But other than those two, that's it for the PS2-era real world circuits. I'd love to see Apricot Hill and some more city courses, too, and I think the Formula E courses especially have potential since PD wants to add Formula E to Gran Turismo.