Gran Turismo 5’s Nurburgring on Video

Jordan Greer · · 80 Comments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmx9QITCfyY

Some rare video has emerged from Finnish gaming magazine Pelaajalehti who has shared raw footage from their tour around Polyphony Digital’s studio. The part that’s getting the most attention is Yamauchi’s 3-minute demonstration of the Nurburgring Nordschleife in what’s described as the company’s primary “cockpit” where they “check the driving physics of the car while developing the game”. As we can see from the beginning of the clip, Yamauchi digs through many different options – a close-up shot would have been amazing, but it’s hard to make anything out from what we have. Regardless, you’ll still get a good look at how the IS-F handles, though Yamauchi’s smooth driving makes it look quite easy (much like when he drove the real thing).

I’ve included the other clips below – they’re fun to watch, but I found one tiny revelation particularly interesting: Polyphony Digital has actually expanded to a second studio down the street from their headquarters, which is completely dedicated to writing the online code for the game. Considering how important this functionality will be, that’s very encouraging news. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Comments (80)

  2. caasimun_18

    there is no shadow on the dash board from the trees did anyone even notice!!! alert K.Y before he releases the demo!!!

  7. depe01

    I’m convinced that the engine/tire sound will be strongly impoved. GT5 P already showed some improvement in this aera (Ferrari F1).
    In GT 3/4 Polyphony had to deal with the physical limitations of PS2 platform (cpu/memory). The sounds in in replay mode however where, like the the graphics, stunning (doppler/spatial effect). This was only possible (I think) with the use of engine sound synthezisers which made the engine sounds a bit emotionless when using the incar view. Some of the engine sounds however where spot-on, others however (supra woodone, Ford gt and v8 in general) where complete failures Imo (but sounded stil beautifull in replays ;o). I hope Polyphony wil manage to capture the sound quality/emotion of the NFS (incar sound), with genuine shifting, backfire rev limiter sound both in incar view and in replay mode.

  8. Obli

    Lots of people moaning again…

    I was pleased to see the video. Not sure why people are so concerned with the appearence of the Nurburgring or how people can judge from a poor video stream. It looked pretty decent to me. One thing that you can be sure of… graphics will not be a problem.

    I will echo the concerns about engine sounds, though, and I hope they will change in the future. To me, this is the biggest flaw with the GT series.

  10. PeterWRC

    We got a video, its all. Kaz can say now: I`ve gave a preview , be happy with it. This isnt the GT5, just a test programme .We can talking about, then We will get the real game and We will say, This couldnt be real!! Its the very best game ever! Better than our wildest imagination! How do you like my version? Sorry about my english

  11. dbarrade

    If they were to rebuild GT5 in a modular fashion, enabling them to upgrade sections of the simulation or rendering code with patches then the debug version would most likely allow you to interchange / mix and match different modules.

    Latest physics, no damage, old track, old rendering. Recent physics, latest damage, new track, new rendering. etc.

    If you were trying to guage changes in the handling, the last thing you want is the corner in a new rendition of the track to change, or other details to come into play and confuse you.

  14. FlareKR

    OMG The Translator-San! He’s still playing that same Soduku game since E3, why don’t he just quit playing it already, lol.
    That’s basically a “watered down” version to test notice the debug menu (That’s how crappy it would look on the 360.) I see no change from GT5P in their, obviously they’re gonna change the layout of it tough.

  16. Paulo

    I think its cool how the Ring is the ultimate track to test cars in real life, and PD are using it to test the physics of their virtual cars. Testament to how how much detail they must put into their physics and the Ring.

  17. Mitch

    The track and interior look fantastic.

    The engine note is completely terrible, and I honestly would not be surprised to see that not improved upon for the release candidate. GT has never really focused on realistic sounds, which I feel detracts from the game. Forza is king when it comes to that but I HATE Forza.

    Please, PLEASE, make the vehicles sound realistic.

  19. J.P

    I wasn’t saying the video was old, Iwas saying that he was running the physics engine on a ‘graphically’ old build of the track. A physics engine wouldn’t need the latest graphic build of the Nurburgring as it would just be wasted processing power that would be better spent running the games physics!!

    Guys, calm down, GT5s Nurburgring won’t like that at all!!

  20. mk1992

    Love when he shows those magnets

    this one is for when you´re outside
    this one is for when you´re in meeting
    and this one is for when you´re sleeping under your desk XD

  23. Niko

    Not too old video!!Look right ps3 slim!Nurburgring track is”dead”,zero public&full empty pit.Five years development……..disappointment.

  24. Bernd

    Still no spectators around the Nordschleife ? This is so sad, coz in real life there are 250.000 around the track each year ! I wish, they change it till March. At least the annoying tire-squeek has been reduced to a normal level, but the engine-sound is crap. NO car in the entire world sounds like that. If I remember it right, that was the “sound” of the Mercedes-McLaren in GT4, which was laughable and an utter disappointment for me, just like the sound of the Ford GT. Come on Kaz, give us some noise !!!

  28. gt3luke

    @ JP Says
    People just can’t read.
    GUYS IT IS AN OLD VIDEO. THAT MEANS (FOR THE STUPID ONES) THAT THIS WON’T LOOK LIKE THE FINAL VERSION OF GT5. THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THE SOUND ISN’T THE FINAL SOUND WE COULD EXPECT IN GT5.
    If you look at the Toyota trailer you can hear new tire sounds. So i presume that the are working on the sound.

    Srry if the grammar isn’t good. I’m not english

  31. J.P

    Good god, I wish people would look at the other posts, WE’VE ALREADY FIGURED THAT IT’S AN EARLY BUILD, FFS!!!

  32. RedBaron

    The track is UTTERLY plain, looks exactly same like GT4 version. There are many details missing, many sections of surrounding scenery that other racing games already got, lot of trees are cardboards again and I really hope this is not the final version.

  33. GTP_Davey07-O37

    Good stuff..First track I’m driving on when I get my copy of the game. Great driving from Yamauchi san, real and virtual….;-)…

  35. dave

    bloody brilliant video – you can watch his throttle and brake traces in real time, ‘nough said.

    I know a bunch of folks are pointing out ‘this’ detail and ‘that’ detail (@Zenith it’s Rhys Millen driving in the laguna video) and ‘oh its beta’ but I what I noticed most was the car control.

    It seems like they have eliminated a bit of the mid-corner off-power understeer from the game. While this could be the car, I highly doubt that it is due to a car setting. in GT4 and a bit in GT5:P and GTPSP there is a nasty off-power mid-corner understeer that simply does not exist in real life (I’ve held SCCAPro and FIA C licenses: so I know what real feels like). This OPMCU manifests when you turn into a corner and in the middle of the corner the front end starts to push off the track.

    typically you’d say: the entry speed was too fast – and you’d be right if the corner was downhill and off-camber – but the speed was good (otherwise you couldn’t turn in), and the understeer was not caused by throttle application (too much grip in the rear will cause a mid/exit corner push).

    Around 4:24 Yamauchi-san holds a steady steering angle and the car responds as it does in real life and make the corner. Pretty exciting.

    Dmac

    – I’d love to see times that Polyphony employees post.
    – I’d like to see a version with NO WHEEL – If I play with a wheel why should it duplicated on screen? F1 and LMP1 (Acura by Wirth Research) remove the virtual wheel in their sims and position the real physical wheel in its place.

  36. Zenith

    Things I noticed

    -obvious beta testing menu (LIKE HE SAID)
    -no paddle shifting animations, probably an early build since we’ve already seen the shift anims working on the new Ferrari
    -same layout as Prologue
    -G27 box below the desk (G27 support?)
    -tanner foust+drivers helmet on display near the desks
    -older wheels all the way back to the Driving Force behind the desk
    -seems to be more forgiving to oversteer than prologue (prologue’s was like driving in mud)
    -shadows are not projected onto the car (E3 trailer)
    -strange readout over the timer (visible at 4:20 when the trees are in the background)

  38. New User

    What’s up with all the sound haters? I know the sound isn’t perfect, but have you people ever driven a car? Does it sound like the engine is sitting in the passenger seat when you’re in the cockpit? No. The engine sound is usually insulated by many of the cars’ components, so it’s normal that it doesn’t sound 100% RAW like in some games (ie. Forza 3).

  42. The Brain

    I don’t usually comment on these types of things but…. After watching the video, I hope this is an older build. The sounds coming from the car (engine and tires) don’t seem to have improved at all yet. :( Same ol whooooossshhh

  43. yaya.toure

    calm down~~looks no where like a final build..
    probably what it says, a physics engine.

    from what I see in a limited quality video is that the environment is very GT4ish, and the cockpit probably straight out of GT4, but most importantly the driving mechanisms are more refined.

    The visuals and sounds will probably come later as a summative very close to the release.

  44. Phosphor112

    @ Luke
    That build doesn’t show any pedal animations. If you watch any other videos, shown from the other builds, it would show the hand slightly come off the wheel and you can see the driver pull the pedal. This build he keeps his hands on the wheel at all times. Like other people say, they don’t need the graphics, the shadows the sound effects to be 100% spot on to test the physics at their “physics cockpit.”

  47. Luke

    @ralph89
    There is no shifting animation because the IS-F has shifting pedals behind the steering wheel, you can observe that even in Prologue.

  48. noname

    I dont think you guys got it all right (: – No, it’s not the final build of the nurburgring..
    He mentioned in the video, and I think its typed down in the article, that its the track they test the physics with. They dont need heavy graphics to test the physics. Perhaps they want it to run smoothly and takes off the heavy effects such as shadow that was mentioned.

  49. djcorrosive

    Still not very happy with the SOUND AT ALL!
    They did mention that is will have the biggest improvements, but yet its still the same hair dryer sounds? i dont understand?

  50. Marky5244

    We’ve seen plenty of videos recently with the Tokyo track with external shadows casted inside the cockpit so this is clearly an old build.

  57. bduddy

    That menu he was going through looked very much like a debug menu that almost certainly will not be in the final game. I couldn’t really tell, but it probably was (and appeared to be) in Japanese, so most of you squinting at the screen are probably wasting your time…

  61. Laorin

    It still looks like the upscaled GT4 version to me, maybe my eyes are failing me in my old age but I’m finding it difficult to spot any differences without higher quality video.

  62. ralph89

    This is obviously a test version and doesn’t show anything what GT5 will be. It’s almost like the Prologue with tweaks. For example there’s no shifting animation, the physics is somewhat not set to pro level, or maybe he’s just using a sticky tires. I sure hope this is not the sound of the IS-F in GT5. Well I guess we’ll find out in a couple of weeks if they improve in a lot of aspect..

  67. gt5_pr0

    Damm what is that with using new video, why not just stick to youtube instead of this crap.
    None of the movies will play.

  71. Watevaman

    @jack

    I noticed that, too. The shadows weren’t being broadcast onto the car itself, which is bad news for those expecting a full 24 hour cycle, unless this was a very early build.

  74. jack

    great find. it seems like nurburgring still isn’t fully rendered however. the shadows are still baked on… but otherwise looks fantastic.

  76. setwave

    Interesting to see the car wobble around.
    G27 poster by his setup, so hopefully full compatibility, including the G25.

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