About Gran Turismo (series)

Gran Turismo (Italian for "grand tourer" or "Grand Touring", abbreviated as GT) is a series of popular and critically acclaimed racing simulation video game developed by Polyphony Digital.

Developed specifically for the PlayStation, Gran Turismo game is meant to simulate the look and performance of a large selection of vehicles, almost all of which are licensed reproduction of the real world cars. Since the entry of the first franchise in December 1997, more than 63 million units have been sold worldwide for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3.

Gran Turismo can trace its origins back to 1992, when Kazunori Yamauchi departed with seven groups to develop genuine Gran Turismo, which took five years to complete

Overview

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, broad and detail of the simulation, and the ability to tune performance. Handling of the vehicle is modeled on real-life driving impressions, tuning based on the principles of physics, and sound engine is based on recordings of the actual vehicle. This game has been seeded for the PlayStation console graphics capabilities, and is often used to demonstrate the potential of the system.

Although Gran Turismo has the arcade mode, the gameplay comes from the simulation mode. Players start with a number of credits, usually 10,000 (18,000 in Gran Turismo 3; used car is not present in this game, and 20,000 in Gran Turismo 5), which is used to purchase a vehicle from a manufacturer-specific shops, or from used car dealers, and then tune their cars at the appropriate parts store for the best performance. Certain events that are open only to certain types of vehicles. In order to enter and progress through more difficult races, a license-testing system has been implemented, that guides players through skill development. Players may apply prize money won in events to upgrade their existing car or buying a new one, collecting a vehicle garage.

Since Gran Turismo 5 Prologue was released on the PlayStation 3, an aspect of online gameplay have started to develop. GT5 Prologue has allowed users to online races with up to 16 players on the track at once. Gran Turismo 4 for PlayStation 2 is actually the first online-enabled games online, but Gran Turismo aspect of the game is not made it past the beta stage.

According to Yamauchi, the car in the first two games are made of 300 polygons, [3] while in Gran Turismo 3 and 4 consisting of 4,000 polygons, [4] and those in Gran Turismo 5, which consists of 500,000

Game history

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

References

1. ^ "Polyphony Digital Software Title List". Sony Computer Entertainment. http://www.polyphony.co.jp/english/list.html. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
2. ^ http://venturebeat.com/2010/01/14/gran-turismos-creator-takes-a-fifth-stab-at-a-perfect-racing-game/
3. ^ http://www.psxextreme.com/feature/29.html
4. ^ http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/products/gt3/
5. ^ http://www.geek.com/articles/games/gran-turismo-5-only-uses-80-of-ps3-processing-power-20100115/
6. ^ "Official Polyphony Digital sales page/". Polyphony Digital. 2011-03-05. http://www.polyphony.co.jp/english/list.html. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
7. ^ Katayev, Arnold (2001-07-10). "Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec Review". PSX Extreme. http://www.psxextreme.com/scripts/reviews2/review.asp?revID=61. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
8. ^ Thorsen, Tor (2004-06-02). "Toyota offering free Gran Turismo 4 demo disc". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/news/6099820.html. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
9. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2004-11-09). "New Gran Turismo". IGN. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/564/564793p1.html. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
10. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2004-12-29). "Gran Turismo For Boys in 2005". IGN. http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/575/575913p1.html. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
11. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2006-09-25). "Gran Turismo Still For Boys". IGN. http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/735/735034p1.html. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
12. ^ Jackson, Mike (2008-04-04). "John Power Interview". CVG. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=186087. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
13. ^ "http://www.gtplanet.net/5-5-million-copies-of-gt5-sold-series-tops-60-million/". Sony Computer Entertainment. 2010-12-10. http://www.gtplanet.net/5-5-million-copies-of-gt5-sold-series-tops-60-million/. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
14. ^ Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 108, page 28, Future Publishing, March 2004