- 1,846
- Arizona
- maxpontiac
It is no secret to anyone reading this that automobiles have a subculture all of their own. It is an expansive and expensive hobby that for some people can encompass almost every area of life. From television, gaming, car shows and race events, the auto enthusiast can enjoy just about all of it. While the majority is generally unfamiliar with the video game side of things, it still represents millions of people.
When it comes to video games and the automobile, no other title has made an impact like Gran Turismo. So much in fact, that Manufacturers such as Nissan have teamed up with Gran Turismo’s creating company Polyphony Digital in various projects. But we all know that, so I apologize for rambling on. Let’s move forward, shall we?
Let me just get this out of the way and state that I was not planning on ordering GTPedia. I was concerned that general feeling from the book would be one of negativity. I was so troubled by this fact that I went to the GTPedia thread here at GTPlanet and asked if GTPedia itself mirrored the forums. Now while I am positive some of you have checked out and found this insulting, it was something I needed to do. Thankfully, Famine came in let me know of GTPedia’s generally positive feel. I placed the order later that day.
The book arrived a few days ago, and after spending a few hours browsing through the book, I am left with a feeling a happiness. The very first thing that stood out when I removed it from its packaging was the quality. This book has a very professional finish to it that can be found cover to cover. It is obvious that a ton of blood, sweat and tears went into it, so I can imagine the great sense of accomplishment that Mr. Greer and Mr. Evans must have felt when they finally completed the book.
Speaking of cover to cover, let’s talk about what can be found inside. Besides the table of contents and the like, GTPedia has a special section dedicated to “Acknowledgements” that highlights those special folks such as “Amar212” who assisted in the creation of this title. Well done gentlemen, well done.
Anyways, the meat and potatoes of this title are a break-down of every Gran Turismo title to date. You will find a wonderful overview on each title that explains the game and offers a summary of what to expect. Also included in each “chapter” is the track list, the license tests and the vehicles you can drive. Each race is explained and detailed all the way down to the competition you will face and needless to say I was left impressed.
It bears mention that while this book is well done, it is missing photos and graphs that would have not only helped with the presentation; it would have added some much needed color. But alas, I would expect that since this an independent production, certain legal issues existed. However, the exclusion of charts and track diagrams do not take away from the fulfillment this book gave me.
I also must extend kudos to the author’s for the “Trivia and Easter Egg” chapter because there is a ton of information that I didn’t know. If I may, I will make a special mention of the sunbathers at Cote d’Azur and the Tahiti Maze were something that I was oblivious to.
All-in-all, the book offers in depth look at a very strange world and I wholly recommend that everyone who is a fan of Gran Turismo pick this up. You won’t be disappointed, I sure wasn’t.
Oh, and by the way, this game will look nice next to all the Gran Turismo stuff I have!
When it comes to video games and the automobile, no other title has made an impact like Gran Turismo. So much in fact, that Manufacturers such as Nissan have teamed up with Gran Turismo’s creating company Polyphony Digital in various projects. But we all know that, so I apologize for rambling on. Let’s move forward, shall we?
Let me just get this out of the way and state that I was not planning on ordering GTPedia. I was concerned that general feeling from the book would be one of negativity. I was so troubled by this fact that I went to the GTPedia thread here at GTPlanet and asked if GTPedia itself mirrored the forums. Now while I am positive some of you have checked out and found this insulting, it was something I needed to do. Thankfully, Famine came in let me know of GTPedia’s generally positive feel. I placed the order later that day.
The book arrived a few days ago, and after spending a few hours browsing through the book, I am left with a feeling a happiness. The very first thing that stood out when I removed it from its packaging was the quality. This book has a very professional finish to it that can be found cover to cover. It is obvious that a ton of blood, sweat and tears went into it, so I can imagine the great sense of accomplishment that Mr. Greer and Mr. Evans must have felt when they finally completed the book.
Speaking of cover to cover, let’s talk about what can be found inside. Besides the table of contents and the like, GTPedia has a special section dedicated to “Acknowledgements” that highlights those special folks such as “Amar212” who assisted in the creation of this title. Well done gentlemen, well done.
Anyways, the meat and potatoes of this title are a break-down of every Gran Turismo title to date. You will find a wonderful overview on each title that explains the game and offers a summary of what to expect. Also included in each “chapter” is the track list, the license tests and the vehicles you can drive. Each race is explained and detailed all the way down to the competition you will face and needless to say I was left impressed.
It bears mention that while this book is well done, it is missing photos and graphs that would have not only helped with the presentation; it would have added some much needed color. But alas, I would expect that since this an independent production, certain legal issues existed. However, the exclusion of charts and track diagrams do not take away from the fulfillment this book gave me.
I also must extend kudos to the author’s for the “Trivia and Easter Egg” chapter because there is a ton of information that I didn’t know. If I may, I will make a special mention of the sunbathers at Cote d’Azur and the Tahiti Maze were something that I was oblivious to.
All-in-all, the book offers in depth look at a very strange world and I wholly recommend that everyone who is a fan of Gran Turismo pick this up. You won’t be disappointed, I sure wasn’t.
Oh, and by the way, this game will look nice next to all the Gran Turismo stuff I have!
Just curious as to why not? 
