Kotaku: Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

Frankenreview, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)

Mark Wilson — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 MDT

There are people, reading this right now, who bought a $600 PlayStation 3 at launch for one game: Gran Turismo 5. Why? Because despite the recent advancement of other racing franchises, Polyphony Digital's near religious devotion to automobiles has offered hardcore racing/racing game fans an unparalleled driving simulation for a decade.

But until Gran Turismo 5 actually comes out, we can only get a taste of things to come through Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. So is that taste making reviewers hungry for more? Hit the jump for our Frankenreview to find out—a buncha reviews with the crust cut off because we know you like it that way.

Dark Zero
Gran Turismo 5...ups that realism to an insanely high level. Not only in its boasting of tossing around 200,000 polygons, but also in the way physics differ for each car, at times offering infinitesimal but still noticeable changes in the way you must drive each car. Making sure each is different it from the one before.

Jolt
Online play is certainly welcome, but compared to rival games, the lobby features are not what we've come to expect from this generation. We've no doubt that's one of many things that will change come GT5's release, but that's not what we're reviewing here today.

Videogamer
What doesn't impress nearly as much is the way your AI rivals behave during races. The GT series has always been criticised for its racing experience and GT5 Prologue doesn't improve things a great deal...At times while playing Forza 2 you could have mistaken an AI driver for a real-life opponent, but no such mistake could be made while playing Prologue.

IGN
...in order to complete every race in the game you'll have to do some serious grinding for cash in order to simply be able to afford the cars you need. The bare-minimum ride selection will cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 million credits, while the biggest payoff you'll get for any race is around 30k credits. Considering that most of the races pay far less than this, you're looking at a whole lot of repeat laps...

Kotaku
Look, as a demo, it's a good one. What's already on offer looks great, and feels great, so GT fans should have little doubt that when the full game's released - with hundreds of cars and dozens of tracks - Gran Turismo 5 will be everything they want it to be. But now, as a retail product? With a limited singleplayer experience and unstable online play, I just don't think it's worth $40.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Ready For Download Tonight

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:20:00 MDT

I didn't really warm to GT5 Prologue. Too sterile, too slow, too broken. But hey, what the hell do I know. You might love the series so much you're willing to overlook these flaws and go ahead and drop $40 on it. If that sounds like you, know that the downloadable, PSN version of the game is due to appear for download at midnight tonight if you reside on America's east coast, or 9pm if you live along the fringes of the great Pacific Ocean.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Review: Quality, Yes, Quantity, Hrm...

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:00:00 MDT

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is a demo. A big one, yes, but a demo it remains, one that gives us but a taste of what we can expect from the full, final Gran Turismo 5 when it ships on the PS3 sometime next year. Serious fans of the series will no doubt already know what they're getting themselves into with this whole "Prologue" business, then, and won't give a monkey's brass balls what I say from here on in.

But if you're still on the fence over whether it's worth shelling out 60% of the full game's asking price for what's probably less than 10% of its content, read on, dear readers, read on.

Loved

• Graphics - Still a little sterile as far as the tracks are concerned (London excepted), but gorgeous nonetheless. Between the cars, in-car view and HDR lighting tricks this is the game you'll want to use if you're the type who has friends over just to show off how important your PS3 is to you and your home entertainment setup.
• Difficulty Curve - GT5P's got a new, improved assist mode for beginners, and it's the best I've seen in a racing game. Not only do you get an indicator for where the racing line is and when you need to brake, it actually tells you how fast you need to be going when you hit the braking-point. Very handy.
• Car Handling - No surprises here, it's the series' strength. Cars feel reasonably real, there's a marked difference between cars, blah blah blah. It's GT, you know the score, and even feels a little more forgiving than GT4, especially in some of the shittier cars. Oh, unless you turn off the assists. Then it's brutal as hell.

Hated

• Collision Modelling - The prettier and more realistic this game gets, the more its poor collision modelling stands out. I don't need to see scratches and broken glass on my car. What I do need - and what I expect of a series that's striving so hard for realism - is that when I hit a wall or another car, I feel like I've hit a wall or car. Not a stack of fluffy pillows stuffed with marshmallows.
• Six Tracks? - There's only six tracks, and even then, you spend most of the singleplayer events on only three of them (you race on the beautiful London track once). Those are slim pickings.
• The GRIND - The game's short on singleplayer content (I finished every event in just over a day), so it resorts to grinding to pad things out. Example: many races force you to buy a specific vehicle. So you have to repeatedly complete earlier races to get the cash for it, then usually only use the thing once. Next time you run into a car-specific race, you'll need to grind out the cash all over again. In a full GT game, this is fine, as there's a wealth of races to enter to spread things out and give you a little variety. With only a handful of tracks here, though, the grind is noticeable, and it's boring as hell.
• Online Play - I entered 30 online races, and not a single one was without serious issues. Cars blinked in and out of existence, and poor net code resulted in opponents that zoomed off into the distance at lightspeed, only to then reappear right in front of you. Makes racing, especially on packed circuits, really, really hard.

Look, as a demo, it's a good one. What's already on offer looks great, and feels great, so GT fans should have little doubt that when the full game's released - with hundreds of cars and dozens of tracks - Gran Turismo 5 will be everything they want it to be. But now, as a retail product? With a limited singleplayer experience and unstable online play, I just don't think it's worth $40. Not until they add more content or fix the online multiplayer, anyways.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue was developed by Polyphony Digital, published by Sony Computer Entertainment and is due to be released on April 17. Retails for $39.99. Available on PlayStation 3. Played singleplayer events to completion, completed 30 online races.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue May Get Downloadable Damage As Early As Fall

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:20:10 MDT

The gang at Polyphony Digital has been talking up—and failing to deliver—car damage in Gran Turismo for what seems like forever. We know it's coming someday, it's just that Kazunori Yamauchi told us it was coming with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue when we talked to him at Games Convention. Didn't happen, though.

According to an interview with IGN, it may still be en route, via a software update. And it may be coming as soon as this fall. We will, of course, believe it when we see it.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue gets Smashed [IGN]

GT5 Prologue Hits Euro PS Store, All Is Well

Mike Fahey — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:20:00 MDT

Sony has apparently overcome yesterday's technical difficulties in Europe, and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is now available for purchase. The company apologized for any inconvenience to all of the friendly Europeans who were unable to drive shiny cars around yesterday.

"We would like to apologise for the lack of a PS Store refresh yesterday," Sony said. "As previously mentioned, we unfortunately experienced some last minute technical difficulties and were unable to publish the new content as planned."

GT5P is joined by the UEFA Euro 2008 demo, Unreal Tournament 3 and Turok map packs, and the Eye of Judgment Bio Rebellion card set. We now return you to your previously scheduled download.

PS3 Store updated, Sony apologises [Eurogamer]

Why Was Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Download Borked?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:40:19 MDT

Hey Sony, what gives?! Gran Turismo 5 Prologue was supposed to be ready to download in Europe starting, uhhhhh, yesterday. But it wasn't! Europeans who wanted to play it had to get off their arses and hoof it over to their neighborhood game retailer and purchase the game on Blu-ray disc. Well, we wanna hear what went wrong. According to Sony:

Unfortunately due to some last minute technical difficulties, we were unable to publish the new content to the PS Store yesterday. We are working to resolve these issues and will let you know as soon as new content is posted.

Guess that'll hafta do. Though something like "We fucked up" would've been a little more colorful.
Technical Difficulties [VideoGamer]

Yamauchi Still Fibbing About GT Car Damage

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:30:00 MDT

Gran Turismo creator Kazanori Yamauchi? Total liar. K, maybe not, but...at least a total fibber. Speaking about Gran Turismo's continued lack of damage-modelling, he says:

We've had a lot of discussions with the manufacturers and although at the beginning they hated the idea of deformation, now they're slowly coming around to it. We've still got a few to convince, but we will. Expect deformation in the very near future: very, very soon.

Rubbish. If I can smash an exquisitely-modelled Ferrari into a wall Project Gotham Racing (and have it both look and, most importantly, feel like I've smashed it), I can do it in Gran Turismo, and should have been able to do so for years, not "soon". Quit being such a ninny over scratching your lovely, shiny car models and bring that extra dash of realism to the series, will you? This excuse is as wafer-thin as the arse-end of my favourite jeans.
Yamauchi: Expect GT deformation "very, very soon" [VG247]

GT5 Driving Along With Weezer

Mike Fahey — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:00:00 MDT

Yesterday we learned that Weezer and The Mars Volta would be among the artist featured in the soundtrack for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, and now with have proof in motion. I tend not to get into a Gran Turismo game until the whole music plus driving experience hits me. With Gran Turismo 4 I was completely neutral until the opening movie, when Van Halen's Panama kicked in. This time around it's Weezer's Automatic. I am now officially looking forward to the game. Hit the jump for another clip featuring a remix of The Mars Volta's Goliath. Good stuff.

Weezer, DJ Shadow to Grace Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Soundtrack

fdemarco — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:20:00 MDT

The launch of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is coming up fast and Sony is announcing an action packed soundtrack to go along with. Leading the pack is an exclusive in-game remix of Weezer's "Automatic" and a special remix of Mars Volta's "Goliath." Also along for the ride exclusively in North America are Justice, SebastiAn, DJ Shadow, The Earaches and Pride Tiger.

You can check out the entire list of artists and their tracks after the jump.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue North American Soundtrack
Exclusive Tracks to North America
— Weezer - "Automatic" (LA Riots remix)
— The Mars Volta - "Goliath" (EL-P remix)
— Justice - "Let There Be Light"
— SebastiAn - "Dolami"
— Kavinsky - "Testarossa Autodrive" (SebastiAn remix)
— DJ Shadow - "LOVE LOVE"
— Does it Offend You, Yeah? - "With a Heavy Heart (I Regret to
Inform You)"
— The Earaches - "Not the Kind of Man I Am"
— Thin Lizzy - "The Rocker (Richard Evans Mix)"
— The Klaxons - "Golden Skans"
— Friendly Fires - "On Board"
— Pride Tiger - "Let 'Em Go"

International Tracks also on the North American Soundtrack
— Masahiro Andoh - "Moon Over The Castle" (Gran Turismo 5
Prologue version)
— Nittoku Inoue - "Road Star"
— Nittoku Inoue - "100,000 R.P.M."
— Nittoku Inoue - "Get Away"
— Nittoku Inoue - "V12"
— Nittoku Inoue - "Kill Switch"
— naomee - "Vanish From Angel"
— naomee - "Sky High Mountain Breeze"
— naomee - "Twieky 4"
— Daiki Kasho - "Surv1v3"
— Daiki Kasho - "Edge of the World"
— Daiki Kasho - "Flow"
— Goose - "Check"
— Goose - "3T4"
— Goose - "Everybody"
— Backdraft ft Tor - "Off The Wall"
— Alloy Mental - "We have Control"
— Reverend & The Makers - "The Machine"

Full Motion Gran Turismo 5 Controller

Brian Crecente — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:00:54 MDT

Subaru created its own sit-down controller for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue for this year's New York Auto Show. The pod lets you race their new STI on a rally track and bounces around when you hit bumps. Now this is something they should set up at malls across America.

The ultimate game controller [Cnet]

GT5 Prologue To Be Updated After Launch

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:00:00 MDT

When Gran Turismo 5 Prologue launches, it won't let you create private races for just you and your buddies. Nor will it let you indulge in a spot of in-game voice chat. But don't despair, because that stuff's coming later, with these two features (and, most likely, more) to be added to the game in future updates. Certainly sets a new benchmark for those who think games these days are shipping unfinished, but then adding features late is better than never adding them at all. I guess.
Ferrari F2007: GT5 Prologue's "God Mode" [PlayStation.Blog]

Formula 1 Comes To Gran Turismo

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:30:00 MDT

Like I said, Europe loves Gran Turismo. In return, Gran Turismo loves Europe. So much so that series creators Polyphony Digital have broken with tradition and included an F1 car in Gran Turismo 5. For the bargain-basement price of 2 million in-game credits, you'll be able to pick up the Ferrari F2007 and take it for a spin. Poignantly, this is being called "God Mode".

GT5 Prologue Goes Platinum In Europe

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:20:00 MDT

Europe don't love Gran Turismo. They love Gran Turismo. Anyone in need of a reminder of this, here's your reminder: SCEE reckon the game's on the cusp of one million preorders, which with the game still a few weeks away will surely make it the first PS3 game to go platinum before it's even been released. Imagine how many copies the actual game's going to sell...
GT5 Prologue pre-orders nearing 1 million in Europe [GamesIndustry]

GT5 Prologue & Bundle Priced, Dated For Europe

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:45:00 MDT

SCEE have announced a pair of release dates and a price for Gran Turismo 5: Prologue's European launch. The Blu-Ray version of the game will hit stores on March 28, while the downloadable version will arrive a day earlier as part of the week's PSN update. Those worried there will be discrepancies between the version's needn't, as the only difference is one comes in a box and one doesn't. The game will retail for ₤25/€40, and is joined by the GT5 PS3 bundle (₤300/€400) we mentioned the other week, which will also be appearing on March 28. Presser follows if you're at all interested.

Tuesday March 11, 2008 - Attention all driving fans!! One of the games industry's most legendary titles is about to make its PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) debut! That's right - the real driving simulator that's already sold almost 50 million units is back. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Polyphony Digital are pleased to announce Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™, a prequel title showcasing the forthcoming Gran Turismo™ 5 for PS3, will be available both on Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) on Wednesday 26 March for €39.99 (RRP), and as a download from PLAYSTATION®Network on Thursday 27 March. Launching on the same day as the standalone BD version, a PS3 bundle will be available including a PS3 40GB model, a SIXAXIS™ wireless controller and a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue game, all for just €399 (RRP).
Gran Turismo on PlayStation® is one of the most successful global gaming franchises of the last decade - renowned for its realism, quality of design and in-car physics technology. Now, with the power of PS3 behind it, it's going to be unstoppable. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue features 71 stunning cars - including vehicles by Lotus, Aston Martin, Subaru and, making another striking appearance, Ferrari - for you to race on six seriously realistic tracks: the Eiger Nordwand; the Daytona International Speedway; the London City Track; the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - all drivable in two layouts and all rendered in incredible High Definition graphics. There's also all-new driving physics for the most lifelike driving experience ever and new, improved, opponent artificial intelligence for the toughest race challenge yet.

But that's not all - for the first time in the history of Gran Turismo, you'll be able to race online. Thanks to PLAYSTATION Network, up to 16 players will be able to go head-to-head on some of the world's best racetracks - all you need to get racing is a broadband connection and a PS3. Once you're up and revving, Global Online Rankings will leave the world in no doubt as to just who is the best at Gran Turismo.

And then there's Gran Turismo™ TV - a dedicated online channel available exclusively from PLAYSTATION Network and packed with some of the greatest content that motorsport has to offer.

And, when you're done watching live coverage, you can take a more sedate browse through the Gran Turismo museum, where you'll find virtual exhibits on the history of many of the world-class car marques that have starred in Gran Turismo.

Key Features:

* The first ever Gran Turismo title with online racing: drive online against up to 16 other Gran Turismo aces
* Race a total of 71 stunning, high-performance cars
* Race the Eiger Nordwand, the Daytona International Speedway, the London City Track , the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - and then race them in alternative layouts
* All-new physics engine means true next-generation vehicle handling
* All-new and improved opponent AI opponents for a nail-biting race experience
* Access to Gran Turismo TV : a world of great motoring TV programming online
* In-game museum featuring the history and heritage of the top car manufacturers
* My Garage - a personalised homepage feature with calendar, clock and map & weather of major race circuits worldwide
* Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tyres, suspension and more
* All in stunning High Definition at 1080p

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Additional Features for Europe:

* Drift Mode - The player's drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.
* In Depth Car Tuning - Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle's performance, including power, tyres, suspension and the ability for quick tuning whilst racing.
* Two-player Split Screen Racing - Allows players to race head-to-head offline.
* New Race Events - Online racing fans can join in on a new set of scheduled events and time trials.

The complete Gran Turismo 5 launches in 2009. Until then, there's enough ultra-realistic, high-speed racing in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue on PS3 and it's out now! To find out more, visit www.granturismoworld.com.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Tracks, Vehicles and Features

Brian Crecente — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:00:55 MST

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will include more than 60 vehicles, 14 tuned cars, six tracks and a host of modes, Sony Computer Enterainment of America announced today.

"This impressive vehicle lineup and the additional features that cater to North American racing fans are great compliments to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue's stunning 1080p graphics and revolutionary online features," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. "Fans are sure to be pleased with the first Gran Turismo product for sale on PLAYSTATION 3."

The game's modes will be a Drift Mode, Car Tuning, two-player split screen racing and a "new set of offline and online Race Events." The tracks included will be Suzuka Circuit, Eiger Nordwand, Fuji Speedway, London City Track, Daytona International Speedway and High Speed Ring.

It sounds like Prologue, which will support rumble controllers, is shaping up to be quite the robust tease. Hit the jump for the full list of cars and description of the different modes and a slew of screens.

Modes Drift Mode — The player's drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course. In Depth Car Tuning — Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle's performance, including power, weight, tires and suspension. Two-player Split Screen Racing — Allows players to race head-to-head against friends and foes offline. New Race Events — New racing events and time trials are available for players to race both offline and online. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue supports up to 16 players racing online simultaneously.

Vehicle Roster
Acura NSX '91
Alfa Romeo 147 TI 2.0 TWIN SPARK '06
Alfa Romeo Brera Sky Window 3.2 JTS Q4 '06
Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo
Amuse/Opera Performance Gran Turismo 350Z RS
Art Morrison Corvette'60
Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '06
Audi R8 4.2 FSI R tronic '07
Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro '07
Blitz Dunlop ER34 '07
BMW 135i Coupe '07
BMW 135tii '08
BMW M3 Coupe '07
BMW Z4 '03
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C6) Tuned Car
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 '06
Citroen C4 Coupe 2.0VTS '06
Clio Renault Sport V6 24V Tuned Car
Daihatsu Copen Active Top '02
Daihatsu OFC-1 '07
Dodge Viper GTS
Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe
Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe Tuned Car
Ferrari 512BB '76
Ferrari 599 '06
Ferrari F40 '92
Ferrari F430 '06
Ford Focus ST '06
Ford GT '05
Ford GT Tuned Car
Ford Mustang V8 GT Coupe Premium '07
Honda Integra TYPE R '04
Honda NSX Type R '02
Jaguar XK Coupe '06
Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione '91
Lexus IS F '07
Lexus IS F Tuned Car
Lotus Elise 111R '04
Lotus Elise 111R Tuned Car
Lotus Elise '96
Lotus Elise Tuned Car
Mazda Atenza Sport (2007 Tokyo Motor Show reference exhibit)
Mazda RX-7 (FD) Special Tuned Car
Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02
Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) Tuned Car
Mazda RX-8 Type S '03
Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG '02
Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06
Mini Cooper-S '06
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR '05
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Premium Package '07
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Tuned Car
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR Tuned Car
Nissan Fairlady Z Version S '07
Nissan GT-R '07
Nissan GT-R Proto '05
Nissan Skyline Coupe (V36) Tuned Car
Nissan Skyline Coupe 370GT Type SP '07
Nissan Skyline Coupe Concept '07
Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nur '02
Nissan Skyline Sedan 350GT Type SP '06
Peugeot 207GTI '07
Peugeot 307cc Premium AVN '04
RE Amemiya FD3S RX-7
Renault Clio Renault Sport V6 24V '00
Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI spec C Type RA '05
Subaru Impreza WRX STI (18inch BBS Wheel Option) '07
Suzuki Cappuccino '95
Suzuki Cappuccino Tuned Car
Suzuki Cervo SR '07
Suzuki Swift Sport '07
Suzuki Swift Sport Tuned Car
TVR Tamora '02
TVR Tuscan Speed 6 '00
Volkswagen Golf GTI '01
Volkswagen Golf V GTI '05

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Dated, Priced

Brian Crecente — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:55:55 MST

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue hits stores in North America on April 17 for $40, it will also be sold as a digital download for the same price on the Playstation Store. If you buy the disc version it comes packed with an extra behind-the-scenes high-def video called "Beyond the Apex".

The precursor to GTA5 will include 60 vehicles, 16 car online races at 60 frames per second and 1080p HD support. The game also supports online racing events, an in-cockpit view with real-time gauges and human animation and support of the vibration Dualshock controller.

"Ten years following the introduction of Gran Turismo(TM) on PS one(R), Gran Turismo 5 Prologue delivers the most realistic and technologically advanced racing experience on any platform," said Jeff Reese, director, software marketing, SCEA. "With 1080p graphics, revolutionary online features like Gran Turismo(TM) TV and the new in-cockpit racing view, the world'sbest-selling racing franchise will once again set the standard for racing games."

The game will launch with Gran Turismo TV, a dedicated online channel on the Playstation Network that will include worldwide motorsport programming.

Is it just me or is everyone else getting confused with all of these demos and prologues? I'm not sure if this is the best way to roll out a triple-A title. Hit the jump for the official fact sheet and a batch of new screens.

Gran Turismo™5 Prologue
FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Developer: Polyphony Digital, Inc.
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™)
Genre: Racing
Release: Spring 2008
Rating: "RP" for Rating Pending

OVERVIEW
With more than 47 million units shipped worldwide, the award-winning Gran Turismo™ franchise has raced far beyond a driving simulator experience; it is a global lifestyle. Setting the bar to unprecedented heights of realism, quality of design and physics technology with every product release, famed developer Polyphony Digital, Inc. continues to obscure the line between simulation and reality with the newest iteration of its blockbuster franchise, Gran Turismo™ 5 Prologue, exclusively for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™).

Available on Blu-ray Disc and as a download via PLAYSTATION®Network, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue showcases the automotive experience that is imminent with Gran Turismo 5. Featuring over 60 meticulously detailed cars — including vehicles by Ferrari, Audi and Nissan — for users to race on five beautifully rendered reversible tracks from around the globe, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue runs in stunning1080p High Definition. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will also introduce to the franchise an in-cockpit view, providing a unique perspective for racers and featuring real-time gauges and human animations that accurately represent the true performance and handling of each vehicle. Additionally, in conjunction with a robust offline experience, for the first time in the history of the franchise Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will support up to 16 players racing head-to-head online, complete with community events and leaderboards, to quell any question of who is the best driver in the "World of GT."

Dedicated to expanding the user's immersion in automotive culture, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will feature access to Gran Turismo™ TV, a dedicated online channel available exclusively from PLAYSTATION Network that delivers some of the greatest motorsport and manufacturer content that television has to offer.

KEY FEATURES
• A first for the franchise, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue supports online racing with up to 16 drivers racing simultaneously on a beautifully rendered race track.
• Race more than 60 high-performance and exhaustively detailed cars, including vehicles from Ferrari, Audi, Nissan and Mitsubishi.
• Race on five stunningly realistic tracks, including the Eiger Nordwand, the London City Track and Suzuka.
• A new physics engine delivers next-generation vehicle handling. True to the heritage of the Gran Turismo franshise, this new physics engine provides unprecedented realism and authentic handling specific to each car.
• A new in-cockpit view provides a unique perspective for racers and features a customized dashboard for each of the cars in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Real-time gauges and human animations accurately represent the true performance and handling of each vehicle.
• All-new and improved opponent AI for a nail-biting and more strategic race racing experience.
• Access to Gran Turismo TV: a clearinghouse of great motoring TV (video) programming (both HD and SD - all broadcast quality) online through PLAYSTATION Network.
• To extend the realistic driving experience, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is also compatible with the new DUALSHOCK®3 controller, which has vibration functionality.
• Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tires, suspension and more.
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue runs in stunning High Definition at 1080p (race: 1080p-60fps, replay: 1080p-30fps)

Seasons Greetings From Polyphony Digital

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:40:38 MST

The team at Polyphony Digital have created a video Christmas card for Gran Turismo fans, which they say celebrates "10 years of passion and enthusiasm for cars." It features the stock smooth jazz soundtrack of any Gran Turismo game, this time with a finger-snappin', mute-button reachin' cover of "Jingle Bells." The rest of it is the typical car smut, with plenty of motionless bystanders that have become a staple in GT over the past decade and a guest appearance from Santa. Good times.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue To Feature Car Damage, Improved AI, Better Physics

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:20:06 MDT

We just had a chance to sit down with Gran Turismo series creator Kazunori Yamauchi to not only watch the Polyphony Digital president play some expert-level Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, but catch up on how the teaser version of Gran Turismo 5 will play. The early taste of the first proper PLAYSTATION 3 release will feature a number of firsts, including online play, damage effects for cars, and fully modeled interiors.

We spent a good portion of our session going through Prologue's "My Page" features. Most of it is rather self explanatory—Options, Home integration, Garage—but Polyphony touched briefly on the TV functions. The developers plans to show videos of non-game content, including (potentially) real life races, television shows, and "how to" clips created by Polyphony themselves. The My Page Profile aspect was pitched as very straightforward, containing information about the user's personality, but we weren't shown what it actually looks like.

Kaz seemed pretty proud of his latest car museum disguised as a PlayStation game, giving us ample eyeball time with the lovingly crafted car models. He showed us details on a 2006 Ferrari F430, making sure we didn't miss the stitched leather details to our left. Yes, Kaz, very pretty. Players will be able to inspect Polyphony's hard work even during races, as the GT driving wheel will let drivers pan left and right, an option supposedly not available with the SIXAXIS controller.

We also got a bird's eye view of the Lotus Elise convertible from the same model year which he took out for a spin on the familiar Suzuka Circuit. This probably won't come as a surprise, but Kaz was pretty good at playing Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. The one curiosity I noticed was that he steered with the D-pad, not the analog stick. He told me to chalk it up to habit, having learned how to play his own game on the original PlayStation, before the controller became the analog stick-equipped DualShock.

Hardcore racer will be pleased to learn that GT5 Prologue will also add a new level of mastery for expert drivers, with a Professional driving physics option. Apparently, fan requests for a more intense driving experience led to the change.

Also at the behest of fans is a working damage model, one of unspecified depth. We didn't see Kaz run into anything during our session, so it was hard to tell if the game features the system in place yet. When asked about the new built-from-the-ground-up AI code and the option for car damage, Yamauchi indicated that CPU controlled drivers are aware of the new penalties for playing "bumper cars." With up to sixteen cars on the track, they need to be aware of each and the danger of spinning out when one comes in contact with another.

Yamauchi says these changes will lead to fewer cars lining up as they had in previous Gran Turismo games.

Apparently, with GT5 Prologue being built on a car and component basis, virtual racers will be given a better perspective on how their changes in hardware will affect cars from a performance basis and how they'll look when decked out. After learning this, I asked Yamauchi if the new guys at PD are stuck building just components, like aftermarket wheels and bonnets. No, he said, but that is one of the tests when someone comes on at the developer. Get your tire models right, then you can move on to cars.

Yamauchi also confirmed, via his translator Tsubasa Inaba, that a new force feedback wheel is being developed specifically for the release of the game. The Polyphony Digital staff declined to give us additional details on what changes we could expect, but I think we can safely assume that they're not adding motion control.

The bad news? A North American release has not yet been confirmed. The Europeans and Japanese will get their driving gloves on the game this year, but Yamauchi asked us to solicit fan feedback. They said they'll be evaluating fan interest to see if a US and Canada version makes sense.

You know what to do. If you want it, say so.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Details Peel Out

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:20:23 MDT

Polyphony Digital's main man Kazunori Yamauchi dished plenty of details about Gran Turismo 5 Prologue recently, telling Famitsu about the networking features the driving sim is expected to ship with this fall. For the early look at the real Gran Turismo 5, Yamauchi is planning for 40 cars, 4 tracks, 12-player online races, friends list support and an online mode with chat.

1UP's report of the Famitsu interview also gives us a hazy vision of what that mysterious PlayStation Home integration would be like, indicating that a "Gran Turismo World" game space will be included, giving players the ability to switch from Home to GT5 Prologue and vice-versa.

No mention of hovercar support, Yamauchi? No sale!

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Online Details [1UP]

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Hits Japan In October

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:20:12 MDT

Polyphony Digital announced at the PlayStation Premiere 2007 event in Japan that the teaser version of Gran Turismo 5, dubbed Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, will arrive in Japan this October, giving gamers a sneak preview of the full game. The release will coincide with the Tokyo Motor Show, scheduled for October 26, but further details on the delivery method, the number of included cars and price were not given.

The official Japanese site for the game is now up, loaded with new screenshots and a new film of the game in motion. The brief video, in 720p, shows off the game's improved lighting effects and physics model but reveals little in the way of radical new features.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue does sport unspecified interactivity with PlayStation Home, a feature we hope to learn more about at Tokyo Game Show.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Official Japanese Site [Playstation.com]