2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Interior

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Interior

Playstation gamers who enjoy racing and driving games eagerly await the release of Gran Turismo 5, also known as GT5, exclusively for play on the Playstation 3. Some gamers anticipate GT5 will be one of the best on track racing games. Made exclusively for Playstation the Gran Turismo is often viewed as a selling point for the gaming console.

Based on hype and pregame snapshots, GT5 is expected to deliver the most realistic graphics and videography to date. Cars are realistic, at times difficult to tell from the real thing. Graphics on Gran Turismo 5 are expected to be exceptional.

Gran Turismo has always had good graphics for each era of gaming, but Gran Turismo 5 aims to put virtual drivers more realistically in the driver's seat than ever before. According to Playstation: The Official Magazine, Nissan, who has partnered in the Game since 1998, has worked even more closely with Polyphony Digital guru Kazunori Yamauchi to implement technical production elements of the Nissan into the gaming version. This has taken intense effort and collaboration on behalf of Nissan and Polyphony Digital.

GT5: Prologue offers a glimpse of what GT5 has to offer. Yamauchi has said that the Prologue version offers Playstation an opportunity to work out any technical or graphic issues prior to the release of the big one: Gran Turismo 5. Actual specs on the GT5 have been shrouded in secrecy, security, and speculation.

A few things we do know about GT5 is that game lap times have been developed with sophistication. Times were derived from Nissan lap times around real test tracks featured in the game. The makers of GT5 and the PSP3 are working hard to bring virtuality and reality closer and closer together. Accurate timing is just one perk of the new Gran Turismo for Playstation 3.

The one thing Gran Turismo players have been waiting for is online gaming. According to Playstion: The Official Magazine, GT5 will accommodate 16 racers at a time. I can already feel the competition rising.

For players unfamiliar with Gran Turismo, it plays much like other driving and racing games. Players begin with a lower class of car and work their way up by winning races. In the garage, players are allowed to pick car model, color, and tuning details. The pit crew joins the racer to check out the tires.

According to some avid gamers, the cars make the game. Still shots from the game look realistic, the most realistic I've seen. Players are treated to the likes of a red Ferrari F430, Audi R8, R8, Mercedes, and a Dodge Viper. If you can't really sit behind the wheel of the world's greatest sports cars, you may as well pretend.

A perk of GT5 for PS3 is the ability to look at your car from nearly any angle. While driving, you'll notice the glint of sun off the windshield and shadows in all the right places. The beauty of Gran Turismo 5 is in the details. Details, details, details. The bodywork is exquisitely curved, and the detailed interior puts you in the driver's seat.

In Gran Turismo Prologue, the introductory game to the grand release of Gran Turismo 5 for the PSP3, there will be five detailed racetracks to include London, Suzuka, and Eiger Nordwand. Prologue supports up to 16 players and runs at 60 frames per second in full 1080p.

Gran Turismo Prologue is smaller compared to GT5. Prologue will run as a test version for the ultimate release of GT5 for PS3. Prologue will also allow Polyphony Digital to analyze functionality and visual effects.

GT5 was a grand undertaking for Yamuachi and his team at Polyphony Digital on behalf of Playstation 3. Gran Turismo is not an improvement on previous games, it is all new code written from the bottom up. All the while, Yamuachi and his team were aware of the high level of visual detail demanded by modern in home theater systems and HD TV's.

Gran Turismo 5 is expected to hit the gaming scene with furor in 2008. Users will be able to upload snapshots of their cars and games to MySpace, opening up an unlimited field of competition and gaming interaction.

Rumor has there will be over 900 cars. Daytona Racetrack will also be introduced for the first time. DualShock 3 adds to the racing experience, and according to Playstation Magazine using the PS3 racing wheel will add to the dynamics of the game. One more neat addition is the inclusion of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course used by Formula One races.

According to Yamauchi the only aspect of the game that doesn't focus on the cars is the Formula One NASCAR for US and rally racing in the UK. Addition of this content is designed to appeal to local audiences because of video content that complements the game.

The release of the Playstation 3 game also spurns a new television show: Gran Turismo TV. Viewers can enjoy everything Gran Turismo, talk cars, talk profiles, and maybe even learn a cheat code or two. Gran Turismo TV will be like a virtual online community, it will just be joined via the medium of television.

Believe it or not, Gran Turismo is credited with pushing car sales. The Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer car sales have increased in the U.S. It is believed that GT has played a major role in increased sales.

One thing is certain Gran Turismo 5 is sure to be a sales hit when it hits the shelves in 2008. According to ign PS3, the release date of GT5 is still to be announced. Rating on this game is unavailable at this time, it is still pending.

Sources:
Smith, Rob. "Gran Turismo 5: The Juggernaut Rolls." Playstation: The Official Magazine, Premier Issue. Holiday 2007.
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