WhatIs.Gran Turismo (Italian for "Grand Tourer" or "Grand Touring", abbreviated GT) is a popular and critically acclaimed series of racing simulation video games developed by Polyphony Digital.
Developed exclusively for PlayStation systems, Gran Turismo games are intended to simulate the appearance and performance of a large selection of vehicles, nearly all of which are licensed reproductions of real-world automobiles. Since the franchise's first entry in December 1997, over 63 million units have been sold worldwide for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable.
Gran Turismo can trace back its origins to 1992, when Kazunori Yamauchi set out with a group of seven to develop the original Gran Turismo, which took five years to complete.
The Gran Turismo series is developed by Polyphony Digital and produced by Kazunori Yamauchi.
The appeal of the Gran Turismo series is due significantly to the graphics, the number of licensed vehicles, the extent and detail of simulation, and the ability to tune performance. Handling of the vehicles is modeled on real-life driving impressions, tuning is based on principles of physics, and the sound of the vehicle's engine is based on recordings of the actual vehicles. The game has been a flagship for the PlayStation console's graphics capabilities, and is often used to demonstrate the system's potential.
Although Gran Turismo has an arcade mode, most gameplay derives from its simulation mode. Players start with a certain number of credits, usually 10,000 (18,000 in Gran Turismo 3; used cars were not present in this game; and 20,000 in Gran Turismo 5), which are used to purchase vehicles from several manufacturer-specific shops, or from used car dealers, and then tune their car at the appropriate parts store for best performance. Certain events are open only to particular types of vehicles. In order to enter and progress through more difficult races, a license-testing system has been implemented, which guides players through skill development. Players may apply prize money won in events to upgrade their existing car or buy a new one, collecting a garage of vehicles.
Since Gran Turismo 5 Prologue launched on the PlayStation 3, an online aspect of the gameplay has started to evolve. GT5 Prologue has enabled users to race online with up to 16 players on track at once. Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2 was actually the first online-enabled Gran Turismo game but the online aspect of the game didn't make it past beta stage.
According to Yamauchi, the cars in the first two games were made from 300 polygons, while those in Gran Turismo 3 and 4 were made up of 4,000 polygons, and those in Gran Turismo 5 were made up of 500,000.
The Gran Turismo series is represented by six primary releases, two for the PlayStation, two for the PlayStation 2, one for the PSP and one for the PlayStation 3. The series is also represented by many other "abbreviated" releases on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3.
GRAN TURISMO (1997/8) (Playstation)
Gran Turismo (abbreviated GT, commonly abbreviated GT1) is a racing simulator designed by Kazunori Yamauchi. Gran Turismo was developed by Polyphony Digital and first published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1997 for the PlayStation video game console. After five years of development time, it was well-received publicly and critically, shipping a total of 10.85 million copies worldwide as of April 30, 2008, and scoring an average of 95% in GameRankings' aggregate. The game has started a series, and to date has spawned over 10 spin-offs and sequels.
GRAN TURISMO 2 (1999/2000) (Playstation)
Gran Turismo 2 (commonly abbreviated to GT2) is a driving simulator / racing game for the Sony PlayStation. Gran Turismo 2 was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1999. The games serves as a sequel to Gran Turismo. It was well-received publicly and critically, shipping 1.71 million copies in Japan, 20,000 in Southeast Asia, 3.96 million in North America, and 3.68 million in Europe for a total of 9.37 million copies as of April 30, 2008, and eventually becoming a Sony Greatest Hits game. The title received an average of 93% in Metacritic's aggregate. Gran Turismo 2 was also the first PS1 game to be emulated on the Dreamcast via Bleemcast.
GRAN TURISMO 3: A-SPEC (2000) (Playstation 2)
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec is a racing game, the first in the Gran Turismo series released for the PlayStation 2. Gran Turismo 2000 was the working name used when demonstrated at E3 2000/2001. The game was a critical and commercial success, going on to become one of the best-selling console games of all time.
The objective of the game is to win all the provided races, championships, complete license tests and achieve 100% game completion. Every 25% of the game completed results in the player being awarded a car as a special prize. For GT3, the Gran Turismo Mode (Simulation Mode in the American version) has a reorganized layout, with a more structured and progressive arrangement of races and challenges. Races vary from short beginner events to multi-hour endurance races and also rallying events against an opponent. In addition, the car shops are now organized by country and then by manufacturer, which some find to be more intuitive than the East/West City method used in its predecessor.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec is considered a commercial success for Sony in Japan, Europe, and North America. The game is highly praised by game reviewers and players as one of the best racing games ever made. IGN scored GT3 a 9.8/10 and GameSpot rated it 9.4 out of ten. GT3 also received a Platinum Award from Electronic Gaming Monthly. Gran Turismo 3 has a 94% rating on GameRankings.com as of May 5, 2010, placing it among the top 50 of all games on the multi-platform site and in the top 10 of PlayStation 2 titles. It frequently appears on 'Top 100 Lists' such as that by IGN.
As of April 30, 2008, the game has shipped 1.89 million copies in Japan, 7.14 million in North America, 5.85 million in Europe, and 10,000 in Southeast Asia for a total of 14.89 million copies. It is the highest-selling game in the Gran Turismo franchise. It is a part of the PlayStation 2's Greatest Hits. It ranks fifteenth in the list of best-selling unbundled console games of all time, just below Wii Fit Plus.
GRAN TURISMO 4 (2005) (Playstation 2)
Gran Turismo 4 (also known as GT4) (グランツーリスモ4 Guran Tsūrisumo Fō) is a racing simulator for the Sony PlayStation 2 which was developed by Polyphony Digital. It was released on December 28, 2004 in Japan and Hong Kong (NTSC-J), February 22, 2005 in North America (NTSC-U/C), and March 9, 2005 in Europe (PAL), and has since been re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line. Gran Turismo 4 is one of only two titles for the PlayStation 2 that is capable of 1080i output, the other being Tourist Trophy which was also created by Polyphony.
GT4 was delayed for over a year and a half by Polyphony Digital, and had its online mode removed (later added in Gran Turismo 4 Online test version). The game features over 700 cars from 80 manufacturers, from as early as the 1886 Daimler Motor Carriage and as far into the future as concepts for 2022. The game also features 51 tracks, many of which are new or modified versions of old Gran Turismo favorites, with some notable real-world additions.
The Chinese, Japanese and Korean versions of the game were bundled with a 212-page driving guide and lessons on the physics of racing. A limited edition, Gran Turismo 4 Online test version, was released in Japan in summer 2006. A PSP enhanced port entitled Gran Turismo Mobile was originally planned for development, but was later renamed to Gran Turismo (PSP), which was released October 1, 2009.
GRAN TURISMO 5 (2010) (Playstation 3)
Gran Turismo 5 (Japanese: グランツーリスモ 5 Guran Tsūrisumo Faibu) (commonly abbreviated as GT5) is the fifth edition of the Gran Turismo racing video game series. Developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was released for PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010. It expands on the game's Prologue version and is the first entry of the series to be developed for PlayStation 3.
The game marks the first entry in the series with online races with support for up to 16 players. A damage model has been included with variations of damage depending on whether the vehicle falls into the "standard" or "premium" category. Over 1,000 cars, 26 different locations, and 71 different tracks are available in the game. Night racing also returns.
World Rally Championship, NASCAR and Super GT licenses are utilized for the first time in the Gran Turismo franchise.
Gran Turismo 5 is the first game in the franchise to provide a damage model, with variations of damage depending on whether a vehicle is a "Standard" or "Premium" car. The game also features weather effects, however they are only available on certain circuits. Optional Stereoscopic-3D resolution and Karting found a place in the game. Furthermore, new visual effects have been introduced, including dynamic skid marks, dust and the ability for drivers to flash their headlights. A course editor which allows the player to create new circuits by using tools that randomly generate track-parts according to certain player-selected specifications, including the amount of corners, the time of day and the amount of sectors. There are a variety of themes the player can choose from to act as a base for each circuit design.
Gran Turismo 5 is the first game in the franchise to include both mechanical and external damage modelling, including a real-time deformation engine that will process model deformation according to the speed and angle of impact. It is also possible to overturn cars for the first time in the series. The cars in GT5 are separated into "standard"- and "premium"-vehicles. Standard vehicles have a less detailed damage model with dirt, scratches and dents appearing on the car in the event of an accident. In addition, standard cars cannot receive aftermarket wheels - among other aesthetic upgrades, such as wheel paint. "Premium"-vehicles feature a slightly more advanced damage model. Gran Turismo 2 previously included damage, but was limited to mechanical failures only.
Gran Turismo 5 provides a total of 1,031 cars. Lamborghini and Bugatti make their first home-console appearance in the franchise, following their introduction in Gran Turismo PSP, and it has been confirmed the new "gullwing" Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG will appear, along with Ferrari's recently unveiled 458 Italia and the Lexus LFA supercar. McLaren will also make their first appearance as a native manufacturer with the inclusion of the McLaren F1 road car, the F1 GTR race edition, and the McLaren MP4-12C road car. The F1 GTR was present in Gran Turismo 4, but was included in BMW's dealership). Le Mans spec cars will make a return appearance. Hybrids were previously included in Gran Turismo 4 with the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight. At the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, Yamauchi mentioned that the latest hybrid and electric cars will be included, including the Tesla Roadster. At Gamescom 2010, it was also revealed that GT5 will include the Jaguar XJ13 race car prototype, as well as the Ferrari 330 P4 and the Ford GT40 Mark IV race cars, and as the developers put it, "will allow players to create the race that never came to be", since the XJ13 program was canceled before the car was ready for competition. Additionally, in association with Red Bull Racing, the development team worked on a new prototype car called the "X2010 Prototype" which was designed with the idea of, "If you built the fastest racing car on land, one that throws aside all rules and regulations, what would that car look like, how would it perform, and how would it feel to drive?" This car was worked on by Polyphony Digital and Red Bull's aerodynamics expert, Adrian Newey, and is one of the cars in the game. Up to 16 cars or 32 karts will be able to race on track at once whereas previous installments allowed only six cars per race max. Recently, Polyphony Digital released the official vehicle list which also shows which vehicles will be standard or premium.
The cars in GT5 are separated into two categories, "standard" and "premium". Standard cars have standard headlights, and basic damage modelling. In addition, standard cars do not have any interior camera views. Premium cars feature headlights capable of high and low beams, detailed interior camera views, and detailed damage models. Premium cars also have working windshield wipers which can be used on tracks with rain or snow. Around 20% of all cars in the game fall into the "premium"-category.
Gran Turismo 5 allows players to drive 26 different locations or "scenery" and 71 different track layouts (the previous iteration in the main numbered series, Gran Turismo 4, included 51 tracks total). Dunsfold Park, located in the United Kingdom – the test track of the British automotive television show Top Gear – will be included in the game. The playable demo of Gran Turismo 5 at Gamescom 2009 featured the Tokyo Route 246 track, seen in previous incarnations of the game. Various real-life circuits return from previous games in the series. These include (among others) Nürburgring, Circuit de la Sarthe, Tsukuba Circuit, Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway and Suzuka Circuit. New real-life circuits included in the game include (among others) Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Monza circuit, Daytona International Speedway and two new Rome and Madrid city circuits. Many fictional circuits return from previous games in the series including 'Trial Mountain', 'Deep Forest Raceway' and Autumn Ring. An official list of all tracks available in the game has been released by Polyphony Digital.
WhoIs.BLOCKLAND USERNAME - PLAYSTATION NETWORK ID - FAVORITE VEHICLEMackTheHunter - MackTheHunter - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (Tuned)
Shinji - Total137 - Volkswagen Kubelwagen
Comatose/RingsOfSaturn - iTechie - Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
TwenteFreak - TwenteFreak - Mine's NISSAN SKYLINE R34 GT-R
OneLastThing.This is a discussion for the Gran Turismo series. If you want to talk about Forza, Project Gotham, Need For Speed, rFactor or any other racing series, do it in another thread.
GranTurismo5Gallery.
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Regulations:
Vehicle type: Vehicle must be a standard vehicle, not a pre-bought racing type. This means Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes SLS AMG, anything like that you can use. Aero kits are allowed, all custom hardware (Lightweight kits, engine tuning, turbo/supercharge, etc) are all allowed. Racing Modification Kits are prohibited.
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