Kotaku: Kazunori Yamauchi

Gran Turismo Developer Ditching Tokyo

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:00:00 EDT

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Polyphony Digital, creator og Gran Turismo, is moving its development studio across the country to Fukuoka City. The reason for the move is the March 11 earthquake. More »

Gran Turismo Creator Races at Famed 24 Hour Race

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:00:00 EDT

Kazunori Yamauchi doesn't just make racing games, he races cars. Yamauchi and his GT-R team placed thirty-sixth at the grueling 24 hour Nurburgring race. It was the first time Nissan's GT-R competed at Nurburgring. [DualShockers] More »

Taiwanese Game Show Heroically Shows Old Stuff

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:00:00 EST

This year's Taipei Game Show recently wrapped up. And while it's short on breaking news when compared to the Tokyo Game Show or the E3 gaming expo, it does look like a grand time. More »

How Gran Turismo's Super Car Was Brought To Life

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST

I.materialise is 3D printing company. For years, the company churned out concept cars. "We make a lot of concept cars using 3D printing but we're never allowed to talk about them," says i.materialise's Joris Peels. This time is different. More »

Nothing Races By Gran Turismo's Creator, Not Even Sumo Cheating

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 02:00:00 EST

This week, Japan's national sport was brought to its knees, hit with allegations of match-fixing. Some sumo fans were surprised, but after lingering questions over previous gambling scandals, some weren't. Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi sure wasn't. More »

The Ultimate Gran Turismo 5 Racing Wheel Is Actually $600

Mike Fahey — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST

Would you pay $600 for a more realistic Gran Turismo 5 experience? Thrustmaster has made the T500 RS racing wheel official, delivering new details and specifications on the accessory that costs twice as much as a PlayStation 3. More »

GT5 Toy Car Logo Replaced With Cute Note

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST

Not only a cute note, but a cute note and a smiley face. More »

Gran Turismo 5 Trading In Crummy Cars For Premium Models

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:00:00 EST

In driving simulator Gran Turismo 5, there are over 1,000 cars. However, only around two hundred of them are premium. That, however, is going to change. More »

GT5's Toy Car Logos Are "Embarrassing" (And Gone)

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 03:00:00 EST

Real driving simulator Gran Turismo 5 features an Easter Egg for lovers of model cars. The undercarriage of a GT5 auto sports the logo of die-cast collectible maker AUTOArt. Enjoy it while you can, because that logo will soon be erased. More »

GT5's Top End Steering Wheel Will Set You Back $500

Owen Good — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST

Pictures have circulated of the new Thrustmaster T500RS, a high-end racing wheel for for Gran Turismo 5, but nothing's official yet and no one was clear on what it cost, until GT's creator piped up over Twitter. More »

The Future Of Gran Turismo 5

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:00:00 EST

While Gran Turismo 5 finally hit stores after several delays and over five years in development, the game's studio isn't finished with the title by any means. More »

Review: Gran Turismo 5 Is Premium Class

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 02:00:00 EST

When I bought a PlayStation 2 my wife told me flat out, "If you are going to get a PS2, you need Gran Turismo." I knew this, but it underscored the series' impact. Nearly a decade later little has changed. More »

Gran Turismo 5 Update To Peel Out This Weekend

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 05:00:00 EST

The newly released racer is going to get an update shortly that will, as GT5 designer Kazunori Yamauchi tells Eurogamer, "refine the usability of the game to make it a better experience". More »

Will Gran Turismo 6 Be On The PS3 Or PS4?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

While gamers across the world are finally getting their hands on the oft-delayed Gran Turismo 5, series creator Kazunori Yamauchi and his team are working on the inevitable follow-up. More »

Mission Accomplished

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:20:00 EST

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi can afford a smile; after six years of development and more than a few jokes at his expense, GT5 is finally on sale. More »

First Gran Turismo Was 15 Years In The Making

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

When game designer Kazunori Yamauchi was a 15-year-old, he came up with an idea for a game he'd love to make: a racing game with with real cars and real physics. More »

This Gran Turismo 5 Dog Finishes In Last Place

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 03:00:00 EST

There's no denying that the cars in Gran Turismo 5 look fantastic. The game's developers are pushing the realistic racing sim closer and closer to photo-realism. The game's dogs, however, need some work. More »

Gran Turismo 5 Bending Laws Of Time, Space

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:40:00 EST

According to the instruction manual for The Sly Collection, a PlayStation 3 game released this week, Gran Turismo 5 is out now. We know that is wrong. More »

Japanese Retailer In GT5 Release Date Shenanigans

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:00:00 EDT

Gran Turismo 5 was supposed to be out in March 2010, but it was delayed. The new release date changed to November. Then the game was delayed again to this "holiday season". Not very specific! More »

Let's Look At Gran Turismo 5's X1 Prototype

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 08:30:00 EDT

This car is a virtual dream. But it's pedigree is very real. More »

Gran Turismo 5 Delay Will Be "A Short One"

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 03:00:00 EDT

Gran Turismo 5 has been delayed. But according to Sony, not for long. More »

Gran Turismo Creator Explains Delay

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:00:00 EDT

Driving simulator Gran Turismo 5 was penciled in for a November 2 release. Good thing that was pencil. The game has been delayed, and its creator has taken to Twitter to explain why. More »

Europe Getting Gran Turismo 5 Bundle [Update]

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:30:00 EDT

In Europe, racing simulator Gran Turismo 5 is getting a 320GB PlayStation 3. Amazon UK is pricing it at £284.99 (US$452). There seems to be a difference between it and the Japanese bundle. More »

What Car Should I Buy?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:40:00 EDT

Next year, my family and I are planning to buy a new car. So who better to ask about that than a guy known for creating "The Real Driving Simulator". More »

Gran Turismo 5 Will Accommodate Optional Hard Drive Install

Owen Good — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Gran Turismo 5's base installation is just 256 megabytes. There's also a 10 gigabyte install for roomier drives, according to the series' top designer. More »

Gran Turismo 5 Designer Responds To Italian Controversy

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EDT

Officials from the Italian city of Siena are ticked that the city's Piazza del Campo is a track in Gran Turismo 5. There have been legal threats with Siena saying it'll seize the game. More »

Gran Turismo 5 Injects Some RPG Into Your Hardcore Racing Sim

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:00:00 EDT

Gran Turismo 5 is coming to the PlayStation 3 later this year, stuffed with nearly 1,000 cars, over 70 courses, new racing leagues (NASCAR, WRC, Super GT), a track creator and, finally, high-speed kart racing. But wait. There's more. More »

Gran Turismo 5 Adds Course Creation, Kart Racing

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:30:00 EDT

The course count for Polyphony Digital's real driving simulator Gran Turismo 5 is now approaching infinity, thanks to the game's just revealed Course Maker, shown off today at Gamescom in Germany. More »

So Gran Turismo 5 Isn't Done Yet

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:00:00 EDT

Gran Turismo, which was first revealed in 2006, was supposed to be out in March 2010. Then it was delayed to "TBA". It is now supposed to be out on November 2. Today is August 9. More »

Let's Quietly Judge How Gran Turismo's Creator Drives

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EDT

Kazunori Yamauchi doesn't just make racing games. He races cars, too. More »

Gran Turismo Creator Completes 25-Hour Car Race

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:30:00 EST

Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of the Gran Turismo series, has earlier this month completed a 25-hour endurance race at Thunder Hill Raceway, California. More »

How Much Did Gran Turismo 5 Cost To Make?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Gran Turismo 5 has been years in the making. Last time we checked, years are not cheap. Years are expensive. More »

Real Racing Will Affect Gran Turismo

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:00:00 EDT

This August, Gran Turismo designer Kazunori Yamauchi did more than drive on Germany's famed Nurburgring, he finished won the VLN race— his third race and first in an actual racing car. But what does this mean for Gran Turismo? More »

Whatever Happened To Gran Turismo HD's DLC Model?

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:20:08 EDT

When we visited Gran Turismo creators Polyphony Digital in 2006, president Kazunori Yamauchi previewed what would become Gran Turismo HD, the first "real driving simulation" for the PlayStation 3 that would offer 770 cars and 50 tracks for download. More »

Gran Turismo Creator Explains PSP Delays, Talks Controls & Online Play

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:40:49 EDT

Prior to E3 2009, Gran Turismo for the PSP was largely considered vaporware, a driving simulation that felt like little more than a five-year-old announcement. But Gran Turismo is real—and it's coming to the PlayStation Portable this October. More »

Gran Turismo For PSP Was Almost "Gran Turismo Spyder"

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:20:20 EDT

Polyphony Digital's "real driving simulator" Gran Turismo is finally coming to the PSP this October, some four years after it was announced as Gran Turismo 4 Mobile. But now it's just simply Gran Turismo. Why is that? More »

Gran Turismo Boss: I Want To Release GT5 ASAP

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:00:00 EDT

Gran Turismo PSP is coming out. That's nice. Where the heck is Gran Turismo 5? And no, Grand Turismo 5 Prologue does not count. More »

Gran Turismo To Get Car Damage, Yes, "Soon"

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:30:00 EDT

Hilarious. Gran Turismo series creator (and professional procrastinator) Kaz Yamauchi has said that car damage - whose absence has long been the achilles heel of the venerable racing series - will be introduced "soon". More »

Some Guy Just Got His Car Into Gran Turismo

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:30:00 EST

Last week, as part of the Specialty Equipment Market Association car show, the sixth Gran Turismo awards went down. They're held to honour some guys who cobble together the very best fancy, custom cars, and the winners are judged by none other than Gran Turismo bossman Kazunori Yamauchi. This year, five cars were honoured amongst the various categories, with JR Rocha picked as the overall winner for his 2007 Infiniti G37. That's it above. For his troubles, Rocha won a lovely custom PS3, and also the honour of having his car made playable in a "future installment of Gran Turismo". Better hope that's GT5 they're talking about. Any more "future" than that and it'll be the only car in the game that can't fly. More »

Yes, Gran Turismo Creator Can Actually Drive

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:00:26 EDT

Nice to see that Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi isn't pussy footing around. Dude is clearly able to drive. Fast. Here he takes to the wheel of the new Nissan GT-R and pushes it upwards of 190 mph. This is exactly the person you want making your realistic racing simulators. More »