Kazunori Yamauchi on Gran Turismo 7’s Future, the GT World Tour, and More

[ICEYOU3]

I think you guys are going to be sorely disappointed when GT8 ditches half it's roster of cars for EVs and Crossovers.

 

[Tired Tyres]

"Unable to talk about VR2" sounds like bad news…

That's not as bad as "no". I'd say they are looking into it but don't know if it will be good enough to spend resources on.

 

[John Smith UK]

the forum has posted a lot about the comments given by Kaz while at the events in Monaco, i don’t know if it was a set piece interview or a free flowing session but I wondered did no one ask any negative questions - ask him about players numbers, ask him about the ongoing complaints about daily races as an example, ask him does he think the franchise is in a Good, bad or ugly place Does he care how players feel about the game

the interviews didn’t share anything of note just if buts and maybes

 

[RobertHammer]

The second game on a system never takes as long as the first game. Don't be surprised if they turn the server off on GT7 six months later.

You do realize that GT Sport online still works right? why would they turn off GT7 servers? they wouldn't drop servers even if nobody played online this early

 

[Tired Tyres]

You do realize that GT Sport online still works right? why would they turn off GT7 servers? they wouldn't drop servers even if nobody played online this early

GTS is not a main line game. You can still play GTHD to this very day if you want, but how quickly GT5 had its server switched off after GT6 launch is more likely.

 

[RobertHammer]

GTS is not a main line game. You can still play GTHD to this very day if you want, but how quickly GT5 had its server switched off after GT6 launch is more likely.

is GTHD online still? and the GT5 to GT6 that situation was totally different than what it is now , plus those weren't made games as a service at that time

you can say GT7 isn't good live service game but still it is a live service game

 

[Tired Tyres]

is GTHD online still? and the GT5 to GT6 that situation was totally different than what it is now , plus those weren't made games as a service at that time

you can say GT7 isn't good live service game but still it a live service game

Yep to GTHD. Still on my pS3 as well. GT7 is supposed to be live service game but it's not giving any reason to play it a lot ... Which is what live service games do so a greater number of players buy the season pass....

 

[Wake2skate]

This is the discussion thread for an article on GTPlanet:

Kazunori Yamauchi on Gran Turismo 7’s Future, the GT World Tour, and More​

The recent Gran Turismo World Final in Monaco was a chance for the attending media outlets to sit down with series creator Kazunori Yamauchi for some round-table interviews...

Those are not the things I think of when I think about sports. Maybe a corporation does because what is there but more $$ when corporations are concerned.

I think, athletes, teams, fans, rivalries things like that. What sport is or was I guess?

 

[B80]

Its been that way since forever. A crew will start working on the next game, once the previous game has released.

So what's the excuse for the half baked gt7 release?

 

[samdu]

That's not as bad as "no". I'd say they are looking into it but don't know if it will be good enough to spend resources on.

Honestly, I interpret that as a "yes." It's rare that public-facing officials are prevented from speaking about things they have no intention of implementing. You usually only ever hear deflections for things that are in the works.

 

[05XR8]

So what's the excuse for the half baked gt7 release?

Birds? We’ll never know.

 

[ICEYOU3]

A new game ALWAYS makes sense to the publisher. You don't make a ton of money with updates.

I personally expect a PS5 only GT game mid/late 2024. Maybe even earlier.

So you think they'd drop GT7 that quickly?

 

[Tornado]

is GTHD online still? and the GT5 to GT6 that situation was totally different than what it is now

From what what is now? The hypothetical GT8 that we know nothing about? The long term support of GT7 that has so far barely amounted to anything beyond sponsorship deals? The fact of the matter is that things could go either way. PD could have a PS5-only GT8 out at the end of 2024; at which point I wouldn't buy any more microtransactions for GT7 if I were you. They could support GT7 for this entire console generation. Since they've decided that instead of overpromising and underdelivering like they did so heavily with GT6 that now they will say very little and do even less, there's no way of knowing what GT7's long term plans are. Certainly not when the only PR put out to that effect has the company deliberately downplaying what those plans may or may not be.

This. It makes no sense to release a GT8 where with an update you can overturn the 7.

So you think they'd drop GT7 that quickly?

There was very little (nothing?) in GT6 that justified a new game and they still did it then. GT7 is structured like a gacha game so there's less incentive to put another title out, but that's still not no incentive.

 

[Galvston]

GT7 is the second PS4 game, not the first PS5 game. It is available on PS5 yes, but it a version, akin to a patch for a PS4 game. GT8 will start the PS5 gen

 

[Techlet]

I wouldn't be surprised to see GT8 or a GT Sport 2 (eSports seems to be Kaz's obsession of the week) be teased alongside the revamped PS5 that's coming soonish. Or perhaps the PS5 Pro in a couple of years.

 

[Nathan88]

Yes, you've mentioned that about 50 times now.

You seem emotionally invested, but not in a positive way. These past few months have been extremely encouraging for fans. You should pick up GT7 and give it a spin.

Still not seeing any evidence that is planned or likely beyond your hopes.

We are discussing likely possibilities. Given the history of Gran Turismo, development timeframes, and Sony's recent history of re-releases. The balance of probability greatly favours a PS5 only GT7 Spec 2, than an all new PS5 only GT8. At least in the timeframe being discussed, which is by 2024.

Why does it?

Gran Turismo titles are supported for multiple years. Kaz explicitly stated GT7 is at the start of it's post launch plans, with the commercial success of the title, that seems a wise move.

Oh, that again. Remind me, when is that scheduled?

You've made it clear you don't believe in anything until there's an official press release. I do find it a rather naive position to take, on any enthusiast forum you will find discussion about projects long before they'e officially announced.

GT games will likely never be part of PS+ for licensing cost reasons.

There are multiple tiers to PS+, including the new PS4/PS5 game catalogue. Like Forza on Gamepass, any new licensing deals will encompass subscription and streaming rights.

Honestly, I interpret that as a "yes." It's rare that public-facing officials are prevented from speaking about things they have no intention of implementing. You usually only ever hear deflections for things that are in the works.

In these carefully controlled PR activities, it's as important to understand what people don't say, as what they say.

I was quite shocked Kaz even publicly spoke about PSVR2 & PC. The moment he was asked about a PC release, then started discussing the need for 4k/60 performance, that was a red flag. Still, he went a step further and stated they're looking into PC. With similar messaging about PSVR2.

 

[Techlet]

Gran Turismo titles are supported for multiple years. Kaz explicitly stated GT7 is at the start of it's post launch plans, with the commercial success of the title, that seems a wise move.

Post launch support for games are usually front loaded before ramping down to life support mode as the clock ticks down.

Most games are like this. Like, for instance, GT Sport.

So, given that, this past year's post launch support for GT7 was most likely as good as we're going to get, no matter if PD keeps the lights on for another 2-3 years. It'll just be 2-3 years of more of the same, or rather less.

And honestly at this point, if PD is indeed working on GT8, I want them to put GT7 down sooner rather than later. I have no confidence PD would be able to concurrrently work on a PS5 exclusive GT7 Spec 2 and GT8 at the same time without undercooking both.

 

[ZedNinetySix]

Wouldn't really be fair to do that, especially as I wasn't in the room - these aren't just from one round-table, as noted earlier. Suffice to say there were a couple of "personal" questions that didn't really reference the game in any specific way and wouldn't enlighten anyone who's followed GT since Sport, never mind the beginning.

They're not in the piece because they're just not relevant to anything.


Also there's a tonal difference between the "can't talk about that" answer for the roadmap (which is more of a not going to talk about that) and for PSVR2 (which is more of a not allowed to talk about that). As I say in the preamble, what he doesn't say is sometimes as enlightening as what he does - or how he doesn't say it

Sounds like (some) typical pushy journalists going a bit too far especially when they try and make it personal... I imagine that would be pretty uncomfortable for Kaz (or anyone for that matter)

 

[Famine]

Sounds like (some) typical pushy journalists going a bit too far especially when they try and make it personal... I imagine that would be pretty uncomfortable for Kaz (or anyone for that matter)

Not personal in the intimate sense! Personal as in his preferences - like "do you like X or Y", "what's your favourite Z", "would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck", and so on. Nothing about the game, nothing really revelatory, nothing to write about. Well, at least for us.

 

[Artremis]

A PS5 only GT will not necessarily be GT8, at this point I'd put money on a GT7 Spec 2 for PS5 only. It seems clear to me GT7 will be supported for a number of years, that's before factoring in the PSVR2 & PC releases.

How PD/Sony manage that in terms of messaging and pricing I've no idea. But we see with HFW the new DLC is PS5 only. Longer-term it's not unrealistic to think GT7 will be part of the PS+ catalogue, which is a new way to monetise games.

Yeah the new Horizon DLC made me think a Spec 2 of GT7 only for PS5 is very likely. I'd even go as far as to say it will be the point they'll add GT Sophy to the game and they'll justify dropping PS4 that way.

 

[R3V]

Release half a game and start thinking about the next one, which will be half of what we already got. Great. I guess GT4 will be the last complete Gran Turismo until I'm dead.

 

[Techlet]

Yeah the new Horizon DLC made me think a Spec 2 of GT7 only for PS5 is very likely. I'd even go as far as to say it will be the point they'll add GT Sophy to the game and they'll justify dropping PS4 that way.

The thing is the Horizon DLC is standalone paid singleplayer content.

If GT7 Spec 2 will fundamentally change GT7 on PS5 only, should we expect it to be a free update? If it is, who's going to fund the development of a money sink over the many millions of revenue a GT8 will surely rake in for Sony and PD?

If it's going to be a paid upgrade, how will it split the playerbase online or offline? What about the people playing the base game? Will future update content/assets have to support both base GT7 and GT7 Spec 2?

 

[Artremis]

The thing is the Horizon DLC is standalone paid singleplayer content.

If GT7 Spec 2 will fundamentally change GT7 on PS5 only, should we expect it to be a free update? If it is, who's going to fund the development of a money sink over the many millions of revenue a GT8 will surely rake in for Sony and PD?

If it's going to be a paid upgrade, how will it split the playerbase online or offline? What about the people playing the base game? Will future update content/assets have to support both base GT7 and GT7 Spec 2?

If I had to bet, it'd probably be a free update. PS4 players would still be able to play online with each other on a legacy version of the game with the content added to that point, while PS5 players would be migrated towards the Spec 2 version with whatever content they add.

As to how big a "Spec 2" update would be, no idea. Going by the most recent case of GT Sport where the Spec 2 was just an arbitrary reprint with a more recent version on the disc, maybe it would be just GT Sophy's addition, a long requested track (like Spa for Sport), updated disc and little else. Maybe we finally get a new Music Rally.

 

[kjeldsen]

delete

 

[05XR8]

Instead of focusing on the obvious weaknesses they created real-time used sales simulation that has zero value to the gamers vs a primitive model. A model so complex it required so many resources it took them months.

And we will use it once in a while and some players will never touch it.

It's becoming more and more clear that PD needs help keeping the visions of Kaz in check with reality.

That’ll only happen when sales total under one million. Yeah, right.

There’d need to be another miracle instance like Kaz seeing World Tour players playing the past games. Something that will jar him into some form of GT normalcy. He reimagined the nostalgia of GT into something many feel is unGT-like. I’m not a game developer. I’m not a multi-million dollar business person. We see he can’t even do nostalgia right. Maybe that’s too harsh. I’ll say, rather, we see he has a different vision(in many of our eyes) of implementing GT nostalgia, in a GT game.

He’s mentioned he feels he has a duty to keep car culture alive. He’d probably go down with the ship than give someone else the helm.

 

[ZedNinetySix]

Release half a game and start thinking about the next one, which will be half of what we already got. Great. I guess GT4 will be the last complete Gran Turismo until I'm dead.

Updates ruined gaming forever.
Gives an excuse to release truly unfinished products, even at full price (£70 these days?)

Whereas before updates were mainstream, games absolutely HAD TO be released 100% perfected and polished.

 

[AmyUD06]

Updates ruined gaming forever.
Gives an excuse to release truly unfinished products, even at full price (£70 these days?)

Whereas before updates were mainstream, games absolutely HAD TO be released 100% perfected and polished.

You mean like the original issue of GT2 where your owned cars could randomly disappear and it wasn't technically possible to achieve 100% completion due to glitches? Not to mention the fact that almost all of the race events had zero restrictions aside from power (meaning you could enter a convertible in the station wagon race, for example), or all of the numerous typographical errors in car descriptions. Yeah, those days were so much better.

 

[ZedNinetySix]

You mean like the original issue of GT2 where your owned cars could randomly disappear and it wasn't technically possible to achieve 100% completion due to glitches? Not to mention the fact that almost all of the race events had zero restrictions aside from power (meaning you could enter a convertible in the station wagon race, for example), or all of the numerous typographical errors in car descriptions. Yeah, those days were so much better.

I'd rather have a unlikely glitch like that to happen while the rest of the game is solid, than every developer out there shovelling unfinished almost untested full-price nonsense in our faces the last 10 years.

Besides, by the time these newer games are "updated to completion" its at the end of their life cycle and already out-dated and barely long before the sequel anyway. And most games dont even get that far, a lucky handful if that in the last decade do.

 

[RobertHammer]

The thing is the Horizon DLC is standalone paid singleplayer content.

from what i seen it is not standalone , as for Spec 2 - it can be a paid expansion just for PS5 users

 

[AmyUD06]

I'd rather have a unlikely glitch like that to happen while the rest of the game is solid, than every developer out there shovelling unfinished almost untested full-price nonsense in our faces the last 10 years.

Besides, by the time these newer games are "updated to completion" its at the end of their life cycle and already out-dated and barely long before the sequel anyway. And most games dont even get that far, a lucky handful if that in the last decade do.

You'd seriously rather lose your entire garage after working for it than PD being able to fix things on the fly? You do you.