Siena Karting Track Controversy Boosts GT5 Pre-Orders

Remember the threats Sony and Polyphony Digital received from Siena, Italy? They were none too happy about local flags featured in the Piazza Del Campo karting track revealed at Gamescom 2010, and began taking legal action against the two companies. Thankfully, an obvious and simple resolution was found, but it looks like Sony gets the last laugh.

Announced in this post on their official Italian blog, pre-order sales of the game have increased significantly in the city, as the added publicity has made more people aware their home has been digitally re-created in the high-profile title. A somewhat ironic and certainly happy end to an odd bump in the road for GT5.

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Comments (37)

  1. LeftyWright69

    I just think that the news is wonderful. I can only imagine living in such a rich and wonderful place as Italy let alone seeing your city represented in such a modern pastime “viva Italian”

  2. Woggster

    The only reason these Sienna people complained was to get some free exposure so that people take notice of them. They shouldve just let their flags be in the game and be happy about it.
    But meh, GT5 will always win in the end ;)

  3. Joe J

    I don’t see why all the fuss. The town wanted their flags out of the game. Fair enough. No need to call them cheap bastards or anything, they are entitled to having their flags removed.

  4. puzyaka

    I bet the deal went like something among these lines.

    Sony reps: Hey listen, how bout we put a flag or two on your track just to tick you off… you know… then you go on make a big deal out of it… so you know… we both get some publicity. Badabim Badaboom Badabam… Win Win!

    Town Officials: Sounds good, could you also throw in a voucher for a free copy of GT5?

    Sony reps: No

    Sony lawyer: Ooook… please sing here, here, here, and here, put your name here, your mother’s name here, your income, residence, etc.. info here… also sing here, put your social security number here, here, and here.. oh and on this form too.

    Sony reps: Good! Thank you fellas, business doing pleasure with you.

  5. Luke

    Hahaha now people will know about this unheard of town whether they like it or not. Also I saw that interludes I think it was mentioned this as a track in the wishlist. Bet he didn’t think it would be in the game.

  6. Super_Colossal

    This is hilarious. Instant karma to the Italian government in Siena. Don’t start legal crap with something worth more than you (assuming that it’s safe to say Polyphony has THAT much money in revenue from all sales).

  7. R35-Vspec

    Sony FTW!

    I know this was gonna happen (or close to it). Because maybe a lot of people never knew there is a game about that horse track so when they heard about it then wanted to know more. They ended up pre-ordering the game.

    Hey maybe this was Sony’s hidden plan to increase GT5 sales, who knows!?

    1. Erik

      I think the entire deal was a secret and very cunning plan between the Siena town officials and Sony, they would stage a dispute about the flags to give both the town and the game a lot of attention. Totally for free! Maybe not, but it would be awesome if that turned out to be the truth here… :)

  8. GTP_Hun

    I hold nothing against the guys or associations that have those flags as their traditional symbol and that didn’t allow the game to reproduce them. It’s only natural, I would do the same because if you open the door once, it will never shut again.

    And, also, I find it only natural that the same guys that didn’t want their flags in the game, find it interesting to have their own town recreated and want to buy the game to check it out. Also in this case, I would do the same even if I wasn’t a petrolhead (which I am, lol)

    1. Fritter

      @Jordan
      I think that link goes to the wrong post. It’s just sending me to the GTP article about PD taking the flags out of the game.

  9. - SZRT Ice -

    ::Looks up the definition of “Irony”::

    “An outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. Coincidental; unexpected”

    Yeah…, ironic…

    1. Fritter

      It wouldn’t be too farfetched to think that the town in general didn’t like them, because they (or at least the government) think that PD was encroaching on their town or traditions or whatever. It would be a logical assumption that after suing a company over a game, a town wouldn’t buy that game.
      So yes, it was against what ‘might have been expected’, and it was irony.

      Slightly more on topic:
      This serves the government of that town right. Where as before, most people wouldn’t have even noticed the flags or what city it was, now pretty much everyone knows about it.

  10. cerbera0104

    Serves the pompus bloomin gits right!
    God I’m getting stupid cravings to play this game now!
    I just finished moving all my furniture around to make more room for my chair and wheel setup!
    October is gonna be looooooong…….

    1. ICEMAN_ZIDANE

      it’s awesome for people who life there because they can crash with a mercedes/lambo/ferrari or what ever in their own house XD hehe

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