Since Polyphony Digital announced the Gran Turismo 5 Spec II disc and box-art update for Japan earlier this month, there has been some confusion about the changes spreading to the rest of the world.
Sony Europe, however, actually clarified things a few weeks ago in a statement to VideoGamer.com that seems to have slipped under the radar:
[…] Sony has confirmed to VideoGamer.com that it has “no plans to release Gran Turismo 5 Spec 2 in Europe at this time.”
For now, SCEA remains silent on the updated box art coming to North America. Of course, this remains mostly a formality, considering the Spec II update is available as a free download to anyone with a copy of the game and an Internet connection.
The new Spec II discs will be released on February 2, 2012 in Japan, and may be destined to become a tempting collector’s item for the rest of the world.
GT5 Photomode image by ZEROX.
See more articles on Gran Turismo 5 Spec II.
because the euros already got all the good cars stealth etc.. on their disc ? darn u pd i need all stealthysss i’ll payy =)
who cares….
I have a feeling the Spec II disc is coming to NA because BestBuy was sold out of GT5 and no new orders for that SKU had been placed.
I can’t get my PS3 online. I’m still on v1.0.
You would be cheating me by basically retconning GT5 as GT5 Gamma but I will gladly pay £40 for GT5 2.0
Please, please, please!
Yours hopefully, a PAL user.
Of course they do´t have. Sony has never any plans for Europe.
All I want to know is when the next dlc will become available? New cars would be good but I’m desperate for more tracks.
is the copy standard or premium?
I believe it’s premium now. :) This is how GT5 would have been.
Maybe they’re saving the new disc for Spec-III.
I think this means that GT5 hasn’t sold as well as they wanted, so there’s lots of discs in stock. If they needed to create more they could easily update the image. They may do so when Spec III comes out if stocks run down. They have traded off the cost of not using the existing discs against the marketing value of “Spec II” on the box.
GT5 sold nearly 7 million times and most of it was sold in Europe. So wait some years and it will beat GT4.
also don’t forget gt5 was released early. These new discs include the updates. The point is. This way it saves new buyers downloading all the updates. Plus people who can’t update can buy the new disc to bring there games up to date. I don’t how i’d feel if i’d bought spec 1 and then had to buy spec 2 though. One hand the game is up to date. But then theres £40 i spent on the original (If bought new). But i suppose you can trade Spec 1 for Spec 2 to reduce costs. Then you gotta think about Spec 3. If it happens. Will they do the same? And then u also got to think about DLC’s. Will they be attached to these new spec discs? In a way i hope they don’t considering the cost of DLC. But in another way i suppose it’ll help those who don’t have net to get the DLC’s. I just don’t want PD to follow Turn 10’s rip off ways with Forza’s Ultimate editions. I’ve already got Signature edition and was a bit annoyed some of the stealths were just giving away because of PD’s North America failings.
I was waiting for a Spec II edition (like that I don’t have to update 1000 times and play 2-3 day later)… guess I will pass… too bad I would have bought a PS3 next year when it will be 200$… maybe a new video card for my PC then…
I think you only have download the updates as 1 update so you won’t have to download each individual update. Which if your internets speed is relatively good, wouldn’t take that long. Its the game data install that takes ages. But even that you don’t have to do in 1 bulk like a PC. It can install as you play. Mine still comes up with the installing logo a year after i got it, after playing nearly every day. but it doesn’t affect anything.
Hahaha! Yeah all the time!
I shall until the new DLC is revealed ;-)
Top quotation, very classy :)
Yeah news on DLC would be, well, news. I don’t mind not knowing. It’ll be a pleasant surprise. As if Kaz turned up at my house and gifted me some new GT stuff. He’s even wearing the cocacola suit with a white beard and he flew in on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, who’d all been drinking so the front runners accidentally crashed into my house. But, because it was a GT sleigh the damage wasn’t very bad.
Youve thought about that situation alot havent you :P haha
Thank you for the news update on this PD… NOW more pressing matters Decembers DLC, Where is it, and what is it… I need more cars as I’ve just looked over the car dealerships and every car I want I have (sometimes two of them) so I’m gonna need some new metal soon.
I’m reminded of this quote “And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.”
What. Nothing new with this spec II disc. That’s is silly. No point buying this then. If dlc included then yeah maybe.
For those of you asking if the DLC “comes” with the spec II pack, it’s been said (from what I’ve been reading) pretty well around here. And… if you go to their website, and hit translate.. you get this
“Gran Turismo 5” (GT5) 4,980 yen price of the (tax) is affordable and, “Ver. 2.00” Blu-ray discs to reflect the updates, downloadable content, “Complete Pack” special edition with a set of product code available to “Gran Turismo 5 Spec II”, February 02, 2012 (Thursday) released. Directly from their website.
:( Bad news.. I wanted to spend a lot of money on this Spec2 disc, alsoit is free to download spec2 update (or bug-bag, whatever you call it)…
:( I wanted to spend more money on a half-finished game once again..
:( I wanted to spend more money just for a new picture on the box..
Well, I have to live my life without it… who cares?:)
I’m surprised they don’t release a new disc for every update.. how much we have till now? 20? and how much will we have in the future to correct the main mistakes? 20? And how much time do we need to get the connectivity problems to be solved? 20 years?
But I still say: This game is Awesome :)
i don’t care…
Make sense to me. Europe is an area with many languages so putting out software here means extra translation, printing and packaging costs compared to releasing in one (or two) big countries.
That is more than likely the reason behind it.
That said I’m surprised they aren’t doing an English language version for the US, UK, Oz and New Zealand at least.
It’s probably because everyone in Europe has such a good internet connection any way.
My understanding is that, that’s not the case compared to Japan :)
The Japanese have a very smart policy of re-generation of suburban areas. When they do this they upgrade all the infrastructure including drainage, power lines and phone connections. That way they stay up to date and ahead of demand for future services.
I don’t get it. The Europe is the bigger consumer of GT series and yet they treat us as we were the smallest.
It will not be released overseas, just like the PROLOGUE spec II…
http://www.playimport.com/9163-29009-thickbox/gran-turismo-5-prologue-spec-iii.jpg
1) the update was free so as we allready have it who needs the new box art and disc?
2) the original box art looks better IMO (i have the european collectors edition)
Who cares…
agree whitt u
This would of been perfect for me as I don’t have GT5 yet. I guess I will have to wait and see how good my internet connection is, then. ;)
Its obviously an attempt to gain interest to Gamers of North America.
Not everyone has a secure, fast and permanent internet service. I would give 100 bucks to have this disc, just for the peace of mind that it would give me.
My old PS3 broke a couple of months, and my internet service is only 1 meg. It is impossible for me to update GT5 in my new PS3.
I know this is the age of online gaming and blah, blah, blah… But I will always hate it.
An total useless release… The FM3 ultimate edition made sense for example, getting each DLC (a lot!) that have been released in the package. But this?
“The FM3 ultimate edition made sense” Are you kidding? Exactly how does being forced into buying another disc for content thats not downloadable for the disc you already bought Make Sense? That pretty much was a waste of money that left people absolutely no choice and I know many Forza fans who will completely disagree with you on that. This has far more usefullness since unlike that there’s a choice. There’s also the fact that not everyone has internet or GT5 for that matter so “Useless” is really not the word to describe this.
@RACECAR
I completely agree with you 100%, now THAT made sense. :) They go and release a ultimate edition of FM3, correct? And lets say I bought all the DLCs that were downloadable for FM3, right? So, does that basically mean I wasted all my money for nothing when I could have just waited to even buy a “random” edition called “ultimate edition” that had all the content I purchased they’d released. And then they tried to get you all hyped for the “three cars” that were only playable if you bought, the “ultimate edition”. I bet you they’ll do that again for FM4, I just know it. But that’s not my reason of buying any DLCs for FM4, I just don’t want too. Now that heard about the FM3 ultimate edition again, I’m definitely NOT buying any DLCs for FM4 and waiting for them to release a ultimate edition of FM4.
I think FM4 will have an ultimate edition with all the DLC attached. All gaming companies like to rip people off now. Which is a shame. All my friends who bought an Xbox just for Forza and bought the DLC are gonna be gutted. Thats about $300+ for one game. Not to mention having to pay to go online. Also I don’t think that most or any of the DLC cars in Forza 4 where actually new. I think they’re already in the game and you just get an unlock code. EA, Codemasters etc all do it. PD did it with the update for Spec 2. The cars where put into the game and then you buy the DLC to get the unlock codes. But at least GT’s DLC cars were new. Even though some people will disagree with me. DLC’s should be brand new content not stuff where you unlock a code for hidden material. But i am glad PD differs from most by continual development. Unlike EA who release NFS Shift with a major bug. Then release Shift 2 with the same bug.
Yeah I mean that for people who never bought any DLC (like me).
@Bom15
Hugely follow everything you wrote in you sentence, and it speaks the truth too. I found the DLC cars appearing in both my game now, which are FM4 and Dirt 3. I found the “Mazda RX-8 R3” now appearing in the “Mazda event” in FM4 ever since they’d released the new DLC pack. It was locked and now became unlocked when it came out. That really is a shame I must say.
why its there never any NAMED source to these. do these sites just ring up Sony CS UK line and ask them.
No copy of the email nothing shown as there source.
Another Site Ive never heard off, Why is this not released to A proper Big money site or is it yet another “at the bar” 3 seconds before the sales rep passes out source.
While GT5 spec 2.0 will likely not be the last MAJOR update, I do hope whichever it is will receive a disc release in the US.
I recently lost my GT5 Prologue install data due to YLOD on my 5yr old launch console. It had the Spec III update… which is no longer available due to GT5P servers finally going offline. So I’m stuck with Spec II with no way to update. I would hate for the same instance to occur with GT5 because only the original version and not the updates are available on disc.
What I need to know is if the Spec II disk comes with the DLC cars, tracks and paint… if it doesn’t, then that really sucks for (So far) European players without an internet connection…
I could really care less about getting the spec II box, because I really don’t need a second box with a game that I already have, and I have an internet connection, so everything in that new disk I’ll already have, unless the DLC is in it (which I’ll have by the time the new disk comes out…) or they throw in something special. All I need is a box that will protect the disk and label what game it is, but I congratulate the people that work hard to make the cover art look nice.
What do you need a box to protect the disk for? Mine never leaves the Playstation.
I may have to get it just cause there’s an X2011 on the cover and it would make a cool collectors piece.
Isn’t the X2011 a DLC car? Is it included with that version? If NO Sony and PD can be sued by Consumers Assocations lawyers looking for easy win win cases. They can’t put something on cover which is not on the disk, or something you have to pay additional money for, it’s clearly misleading.
Why does there have to be a new disc release when you can simply update it from the original game? Does this new disc contain the DLC as well?
Speaking of DLC, there’s been absolutely no mention of anything specific, and it’s already less than two weeks til Christmas!
Because some people don’t have internet and can’t download the updates or haven’t gotten GT5 yet so this solves both problems.
Totally agree.
nice pic
The collector in me still is hopeful for Spec II to be released here in NA. Otherwise, I’ll have to import it I guess.
Maybe the dlc is free with the game
Spec 2 was an update so its probably on the disc already as would all the other updates. But the DLC will most probably remain a DLC. I’m pretty sure alot of people would be annoyed if it was free with the spec 2 Disc. Especially when you consider how much the DLC cost.
^^^ Agreed
I find it odd that of all the cars in the game, they choose the hardest one (and for some, last car) to get as the cover model. It doesn’t even seem to be the most desirable car in the game…
It’s a DLC car. What’s so hard from putting in some money and purchasing the pack?
Oh right, they included a new X1 in the DLC… Still, they could’ve chosen something better.
they probably chose the Red Bull because its unique to the GT Series.
I’m sorry guys but I’m gonna have to agree with Bom15 on this one.
The X1 is pretty much special to the GT series, I would have done the same myself if I made a car out of imagination.
Also, EliteDreamer is right aswell. I don’t want to ever experience how FM3 done with their ultimate edition. Putting in all the DLC cars that were in the game that we purchased, and even adding 3 cars to get you getting it quicker. That was a total rip off IMO…
^What a smart consumer!
Can you imagine him in a car dealership? :O
I sure can imagine me being the seller! $_$
Put a Ferrari, any Ferrari, on the front of the box and you got my $60.. again. I will gladly own two copies of GT5 if there’s a Ferrari (preferably the 458) on the front cover :D
Make your own cover if it’s that serious…or cuddle with FM4
Well yeah, the update is free so who cares.
Exactly.
Some people can’t just go and update due to their PS3s freezing and such. This disc is a good way to reduce that from happening,
Exactly.
couldnt have said it better myself
some people still dotn have internet… connected to ps3.. weird I know.
Some people don’t have internet.
This will be important to the 79 people that haven’t yet bought GT5.
Spec II, come get your cockpits, baby!
id buy the platinum old version
I didn’t see this coming. Hmm… now to wait until news about the North American version is either announced or clarified for no release.