GTPlanet’s inbox has been filled over the past few days with reports that Kazunori Yamauchi is interested in developing a game outside of the Gran Turismo series. The news apparently comes from an interview with Japanese gaming magazine ‘GeMaga‘, where he also supposedly stated that he ‘would have wanted GT5 to come out in 2009‘. So, what’s the problem with this story? Many other news outlets have picked up and ran with the news, but their only reference is this article from PS3Center.net – a site which lost a considerable amount of credibility by participating in the recent rash of misinformation. PS3Center’s lack of hard details about the source leaves a lot to be desired, and GTPlanet cannot endorse or verify the integrity this information.
It is true that Yamauchi stated it would be his ‘dream’ to develop an RPG game with the same ‘high quality’ we have come to expect from Gran Turismo. However, this came from an interview early last year with Austrian newspaper Der Standard, where he also claimed that Gran Turismo 5 could be released for the PC in China and that private online races would be arriving in fall of 2008 (and we all know how that turned out…). So, was GeMaga simply recycling that old news? We may never know for sure, unless some of our Japanese readers can independently verify this infromation – if you can, please drop us a line!
See more articles on Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital.
Jordan, when Yamauchi-san said “The genre that we can contribute to is only automotive games at most, though (lol)” he was only talking about GT5 as opposed to many other genres of games, which are also on the way to reach the “next age” level.
I don’t think he was giving a hint as to what sort of other games the company was interested in.
@GTHDC: thanks very much for verifying that this article exists! Can you elaborate on what he means by “The genre that we can contribute to is only automotive games at most, though (lol)”? Does that mean that any other game he produces will also be within the automotive genre? I know that sounds obvious from the translation, but it doesn’t agree with PS3Center’s article that “the company [Polyphony Digital] wants to make a new, distinctly different game.”
@PJ: Good spot! However, I would say that you’re right, that’s probably when CAR magazine either wants or thinks the game will come out. From my experience following the GT series, automotive magazines typically don’t get many details about the game right, and they definitely can’t be trusted for release date news (spring ’09 is also a highly unlikely date).
I found a little thing in the december issue of the british magazine “CAR”. It’s not even GT related but it’s in a little GT By Citroen box. It’s from the Paris Motor Show and it says”Super-cool fantasy racer designed for the PlayStation’s forthcoming Gran Turismo 5. Properly driveable only in a simulator at the Paris show stand or within GT% itself from NEXT SPRING.” Is this a hint of GT5’s secert 2009 release date? Or is it just what CAR wants to happen?
I want a Gran Turismo MMORPG ;)
Upon the news above, I went to a bookstore and got a latest issue of GEMAGA.
It has a page of interview with Yamauchi-san.
Asked about a promise for the year 2009, he says (in Japanese),
“Game consoles are now entering a period of dramatic change,
with the advancement of video graphics, widespread use of network connection, etc.
Games in every genre seem to be in the process of trial and error.
As for GT, I think I would like to complete a shape of the game in the new age
in a proper manner within 2009.
The genre that we can contribute to is only automotive games at most, though (lol)”