So, you get a hard copy that you can re-sell and a bonus video ... for the same price as a download that takes up a lot of HD space and gives you no physical media? Why would anyone download it?

I know you get 'alot' for your $40 but I'll hold tight and buy the full experience instead.

It's just you.

I really don't want to buy what equals an online multi-player demo, but I can't help it. If it's the only was I can have my online Turismo for another year, I'll take it, no I'll take 3!

A better question is why would anyone pay 40 bucks for a glorified demo. :/

Seems kinda ridiculous to me, they should just get on with actually shipping the final product.

As nice as the game looks, I just think its too expensive. I'll wait till the full version probably unless I can get a copy cheap.... the 16 player online sounds nice.

@Malleus: They have done the prologues before.... just makes money by using assets that are to be in the final version of the game. Even if it doesn't sell amazing its probably just easy money to make off what basically is just part of the final product.

@glitched: Aha! See it isn't just me.

cool post, but this is 40 for what sounds like a demo. The real GT:5 really needs to be good, because as its stands this is a dead franchise.

Although I think 40 bucks is a bit steep, I'll be picking this up immediately to tide me over until the full GT5 is released.

@jayntampa: options, i guess....

but seriously im hped for his game, but when the hell is the real GT5 coming out?
if this game is gonna hold us down until the final version is out, i dont see GT5 coming till 09, seriously! why release 2 GT games in one year?!

40 bucks seems a bit much to beta test.

Sony caves to pressure from Gamestop, news at eleven/

@Brian Crecente: my friend, its not just you... its many of us! :D

F*** yes!!!

Sounds awesome but, paying 40$ for a demo...?

I cannot believe they're going to sell the game for $40 before they actually sell the game for $60. That is so insulting it's ridiculous.

Paying for demos is even worse than microtransactions.

I ordered the JP version in Dec.

DEFINITELY worth the $40 imo. Better than most $60 games.

If the GTTV comes with access to the Brit show Top Gear in HD, I'd pay the 40 for it.

I never understood why the downloadable copy is full price? Don't retailers purchase the hardcopy for 50% and then mark it up to full price?

The downloadable copy should be at least 25% less expensive. Then you consider SONY doesn't need to print the discs or booklets, the Blu-Ray case, shipping.... etc.

its crazy to think that this game is like 20 bucks short , of what you would pay for the final game, which we all know will dwarf the shit outta this prologue. but if we dont get GT5 until 09, then i guess ill bite.

"If you guy the disc version "

My head imploded.

whoa, when did we have to start paying for demos? Oh yeah, GT4 prologue..silly me.

Damn, I just sent this in to you...
@jayntampa: Word. Give me the shelf trophy. The download only makes sense with a difference in price similar to that of Warhawk.
@Article: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue runs in stunning High Definition at 1080p (race: 1080p-60fps, replay: 1080p-30fps) Can we assume that the same is true for the 16 player online mode?

The thing that I'm most looking forward to? The physics. As the "Concept" was claimed to just be GT4 with a shiny coat of graphical goodness. The control really felt different to me though, still does after going back to the real GT4. I really think that over everything else this is where Polyphony is better than everybody else. How else can you explain a company that is cable of allowing you to feel the difference between a rear driven live axle, and a fully independent puller, only through a Dual Shock 2?

@Strangelove: There should be a demo of this.... demo? The Japanese got a demo of Prologue.

Maybe for $20...maybe.

First, I agree that this isn't the best strategy for GT5, in fact i feel like the more versions/demos they release the worse the final GT5 will end up doing.

On the other hand 60 Cars, 5 Tracks, 16 player online, and the GT:TV thing...Thats way more than JUST a demo. I'm not sure if its worth $40 for me, but its definitely something I want to get.

60 vehicles, 5 tracks, full multiplayer, tunning options etc?

You are basically getting a full game, for well, less than a full game's price.

The only reason people may complain is because GT always comes with so much content its not even funny, but really. It's a better deal than most "full" racing games. And its a better game too.

I am more outraged by the "wait a week or pay 50 bucks for demos" arrangement with live than over this, expecially when a GT 5 demo was released and is well available already. I just hope the plans to microtransaction the cars to death have gone under. Microtransactions are a cancer that needs to die.

Say I dont have a PS3 (waiting for that DS3 pack and MGS3) but Im wondering, do they charge you for wallpapers and messenger icons on it?. Or are you able to make/get your own?

what to do what to do..........

Anyone buying this is just telling publishers they can sell glorified demos to the public and get away with it.

Wait, so was GT HD the demo for GT Prologue?

Prologue ships with all of those features listed and the lot of you still gripe that it should be free or $20? They are basically giving what amounts to more content than most current racing games out now! 60 Cars? 5 tracks? MULTIPLAYER with up to 16 people, tuning, and Tourismo TV access? Please, this is more than just a glorified demo. This them giving a big piece of the piece polished up and ready for you to play while they finish the rest. No "demo" ever has this much content, like I said before other racing games lack in content compared to Prologue, besides Forza what other racer has 60 tuneable cars? Maybe Need for Speed Pro Street...just maybe (I haven't played it).

Sorry for the double post, but there is also a GT Prologue Demo, not to be confused with GT Prologue itself. So if you want to try it make a Japanese PSN and download the real DEMO. Why do you guys forget that the actual free demo exists?

I would pay $60 for this. This game basically has more to offer than Motorstorm and that was a full price game. Whoever mention that GT Series is a dead franchise must live inside a cave or snake infested jungle. Millions of people awaits this game year after year just like me who is a car junkie. I can't wait another year to get a taste of this game so this is a must purchase for me no questions ask.

WOW!

1080p @ 60FPS!!!

That is quite impressive. The white PS3s cant get here soon enough.

@Setzer IIDX: Hate to break it to you but Top Gear is only filmed in SD 576i. The Polar Special was filmed in HD.

The demand for HD content over here isn't high unfortunately.

at this rate, no one will ever buy GT5, just because the prologue has so much stuff in it already

@jayntampa: So you don't have to make a trip to the store?
So you don't have to switch out discs when you want to play it?
So you give more money to the people that made the game, instead of the people who want money for taking it out of a box and putting it on a shelf?
So you save some shelf space?

Good for all you fans of GT...I dont really care though, I dont like racing games. However, the game does look great graphically, one of the best I've ever seen, and IMO it does have enough content to warrant a 40 dollar price tag.

so you bought a system an overpriced system that doesn't have any good exclusive games for it yet...

now you're buying a demo for $40.

you're paying up your ass for their shortcomings. They weren't able to release on time so they're releasing a demo for $40. In the end you'll end up shelling over $100 for this game alone. sad sirs... very sad.

don't let them get away with this... yeahyeah it's a nice game for sure but this scheme is just stupid.

I'm not liking the DLC pricing scheme. Prices keep being the same for DLC as store-bought and you keep being given little bonuses for buying at the store. If DLC isn't going to be cheaper, why would anyone download it instead of picking up a physical copy with bonus material? I'm not remembering this wrong am I? We were told that DLC would be cheaper, right? But it's good that the epilogue to the prologue that is the prologue to the actual game to be released at a later date is about to arrive. I'm going to hold off until the full game is released at an even later date.

@nine07: agreed

@J-LI-L-i-LI-S: nope, that was more of a tech demo using GT4 tech

@OtherAdam:
To Polyphony Digital,

You guys kick ass and I don't mind spending $40 for GT5 Prologue seeing as it will be better than most other racing games selling for $60. I also don't see the full GT5 coming out this year so this will keep me busy for some time.

With Love,
Kj719

@Mr. Dark E:

Yeah I was about to mention the time I tried to guy something and how it didn't work out for me.

I will probably get this game, however, I don't know why it costs 40 bucks. I hope that when the full game comes out you can buy it as an expansion for a fraction of the cost if you already have Prologue. Because 40 bucks for 5 courses seems pretty steep. 8 dollars a course? Whew. Gran Turismo 2 had 27 courses, and sold for 50 bucks. I don't think I like where the industry is going with all this microtransaction bullshit, and selling gimped versions of games that have to be added on to later, or in the case of this game, you could spend 40 bucks for a game that's not even 20% of what the full version will be, and then when the full version comes out, you'll have to spend 60 bucks to get it all, including the 20% that was in the "prologue"?

The only way this will make me happy in the long run is if you can add-on the full version for a lower price if you have Prologue, or if Prologue ends up being literally a prologue, meaning different content that will not ever be in the full game. Maybe the full game, whenever that's gonna come out, will have even better graphics and physics, and actually be more than just new courses & cars.

I hope they say something about what the full version of GT 5 will be whenever that comes into existence BEFORE the prologue is available in the States.

I agree that the downloadable version should cost less than the retail, or what's the incentive to download?

@Lot krotan (wut?): too lazy to leave the house and interact with a human? or too impatient to wait for it to get mailed to you from Amazon?

What a rip.

@Sloopydrew:

what? Where you can buy DLC (downloadable content) in the stores? I don't see anywhere to buy Rainbow Six Vegas maps in stores, or Rock Band songs...

@Kj719:

Dear KJ719,

Thanks for the oral service! Be sure to pick up GT5 Prologue 2 when we release it for another $40 if we can't meet our next deadline!

The reason DL versions will NOT cost less than retail, is because OF retail.

You can blame your retail chains for that one. Specifically EBGames. When Valve launched Steam, and was going to offer games for less, Gamestop had an uproar over it and threatened not to carry any of their shit.

Thus that killed "cheaper DLs" real fast.