Where PD gets ideas and direction for GT evolution from?

[Lightpilgrim]

I am relatively new to the community (8 weeks) and I did learn a lot about GT7. I never saw or plaid any previous version, but I will play GT8:-)

I was wondering…there is a lot at stake for Sony with GT franchise. Who set’s the direction for what the game should be? Is it an evolution? Always something different?

How PD knows what fans need or want? Is feedback somehow taken into consideration? Do they have a group of people that represent different types of fans and listen to their feedback? Or it is more like Apple - they know better what fans need?

 

[Lomic]

KAZ

 

[Lightpilgrim]

KAZ

Are you not exaggerating? Unless he is like Elon Musk:-)

 

[05XR8]

Are you not exaggerating? Unless he is like Elon Musk:-)

He’s right. The franchise always been Kaz’ vision.

To answer these questions:

How PD knows what fans need or want? Is feedback somehow taken into consideration? Do they have a group of people that represent different types of fans and listen to their feedback? Or it is more like Apple - they know better what fans need?

Kazunori Yamauchi on Gran Turismo Fan Expectations, SUVs, Expensive Wheels, Tourist Trophy, and More

Image via Roger Sieber, games.ch Over the holiday period, and to mark Gran Turismo's 25th Anniversary, Polyphony Digital invited Japanese gaming media to a rare tour of its facilities and another opportunity for Kazunori Yamauchi to explain his thoughts of the past, present, and future of the ser

www.gtplanet.net

One of the subjects that comes up during the interviews is the recognition that — although Polyphony Digital keeps an eye on player requests and thoughts — there’s a gap between what Yamauchi himself envisions and what the players want and expect.

 

[Dave A]

Are you not exaggerating? Unless he is like Elon Musk:-)

I wouldn't compare him to Elon Musk, but ultimately Gran Turismo is his baby and he does with it as he sees for, for better or worse. Maybe some influence is exerted from elsewhere, but the overall direction of Gran Turismo is his. It's his right to control that to be fair, even if I dislike it sometimes.

 

[Lightpilgrim]

I wouldn't compare him to Elon Musk, but ultimately Gran Turismo is his baby and he does with it as he sees for, for better or worse. Maybe some influence is exerted from elsewhere, but the overall direction of Gran Turismo is his. It's his right to control that to be fair, even if I dislike it sometimes.

Interesting what happens when he is gone.

He’s right. The franchise always been Kaz’ vision.

To answer these questions:

Kazunori Yamauchi on Gran Turismo Fan Expectations, SUVs, Expensive Wheels, Tourist Trophy, and More

Image via Roger Sieber, games.ch Over the holiday period, and to mark Gran Turismo's 25th Anniversary, Polyphony Digital invited Japanese gaming media to a rare tour of its facilities and another opportunity for Kazunori Yamauchi to explain his thoughts of the past, present, and future of the ser

www.gtplanet.net

Interesting read. Thanks for sharing

 

[Jump_Ace]

Interesting what happens when he is gone.

Whoever he deems as his #2 at the company will take over would be my guess.


Jerome

 

[05XR8]

Interesting what happens when he is gone.

Obviously, I don’t know if he’ll ever step down from the franchise. He’s a few years older than me and he feels he is one of many a custodian of car culture. Unless he decides to stop developing the franchise, I can’t see him moving over to the passenger seat.

 

[Imbissbrunto]

KAZ

The only correct answer. For better or worse, to me it seems more likely that he makes these games for himself rather than us.

 

[FerrariF1GT]

I was wondering…there is a lot at stake for Sony with GT franchise. Who set’s the direction for what the game should be? Is it an evolution? Always something different?

How PD knows what fans need or want? Is feedback somehow taken into consideration? Do they have a group of people that represent different types of fans and listen to their feedback? Or it is more like Apple - they know better what fans need?

As others have said, it's mostly Kazunori-san who directs the games, but more broadly it's Sony's direction.

Is it an evolution? Always something different?

Kind of both IMO. GT games usually iterate after another, but there are gimmicks and quirks about each game and how they are designed that make them distinct and worth coming back to even though they've been replaced on the market. When GT8 comes around in a couple of years, I imagine there's going to be something about it that deviates from the rest and there will be something about GT7 that will make it worth holding on to. What exactly will make GT7 and the hypothetical GT8 stand out from one another I can't quite put my finger on as I don't know what's going on at Polyphony, but as someone who started at GT6 but went back to the older games, my experience in each game felt different in such a way that I think Kaz/Polyphony intended to do things a little differently each time so each game is timeless in a way.

How PD knows what fans need or want? Is feedback somehow taken into consideration? Do they have a group of people that represent different types of fans and listen to their feedback? Or it is more like Apple - they know better what fans need?

Like the vast majority of games, these games are designed to be sold to general gaming consumers. The vast majority of GT's players probably accept the games for what they are. GTPlanet, and pretty much any online space hosting GT discussion for that matter, is a vocal minority. In that sense, Polyphony is indifferent to what fans want.

That's not to say that online feedback isn't taken into consideration. I understand you weren't around for it, but I've been following the series since GT5/6, and there are aspects about those games (particularly regarding the detail and quality of the cars) that are pretty controversial to say the least, and I think that discourse influenced GT Sport's development and where we are with GT7 now, and the discussions here regarding GT7 now will influence its successor in some way, but how exactly I can't quite put my finger on. Quite frankly, I think there should be a barrier between the developers and players so the developers can get some creativity and aren't bound to the incessant demands of the very vocal fandom.