There’s a lot of people out there who have waited a long time to play a “proper” Gran Turismo on the PlayStation 3. The free Gran Turismo HD Concept was a gift welcomed by many, however with one track and ten cars, it was relatively short lived. With the full Gran Turismo 5 due in 2009, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is Polyphony Digital’s latest attempt to kill the hunger pains - and it’s another demo - this time, with a price tag.
I was well and truly stuck about a third of the way through the A Class races in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. When you’re starting in last place and playing catch up with an equally powerful car, making just one mistake means you’re toast - especially on a speedway-style circuit. I’d all but given up on the thought of beating the game until Logitech told me they were sending over a Driving Force GT.
It probably won’t come as a shock when I tell you that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue comes alive when it’s played with a force-feedback wheel. The jump between a Sixaxis and the Driving Force GT is of a similar magnitude to the jump between the 8-way digital joysticks of the 16-bit era and the dual-analogs of recent years. You can feel the car lose traction, and intuitively wrestle the back end into submission.
Canadians who spend CAN$59.99 on a DualShock 3 at any participating Best Buy store will be given a free copy of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, valued at CAN$39.99. That’s a pretty good deal for those of you who were hesitant to either pay for a demo, or replace a perfectly functional Sixaxis.
via Opposable Thumbs
Today marks the oh-so-happy day that SCEA releases its highly-anticipated Gran Tourismo 5 Prologue. The Blu-Ray version hits the streets as of today, while the downloadable version will be available on the PLAYSTATION Store at 12:01 AM EDT on April 17. While the Blu-Ray version will include an exclusive behind-the-scenes HD video feature called “Beyond the Apex,” both versions will be available for $39.99 (kinda seems stupid to download it then).
With screenshots of Prologue looking more real than reality itself, a big question to emerge is whether driving videogames can be used as simulators, perhaps improving upon the terrible driver education programs that exist today. In the latest episode of Garage 419, Gran Turismo director Kazunori Yamauchi reveals that he wholeheartedly supports this idea, and also gives us his personal perspective on all things GT5.
via AutoBlog
With the new Gran Turismo 5 Prologue trailer hitting last night, a previously unreached level of Oooing and Ahhhing has been reached. The game is certainly shaping up to be one of the most if not the most photorealistic game ever released.
via GameTrailers
Mike from our sister site Gizmag just sent me a few happy snaps from the Gran Turismo 5 Prologue booth at the Tokyo Motor Show. If he worked for a gaming blog he’d know that a majority of you only read show coverage for photos of booth girls, but you’ve got to admit - those racing cockpits are pretty cute…
More after the jump.
The Japanese website Impress Watch have a heap of new screenshots from Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. I dare you to not be impressed.
via MaxConsole
The Japanese seem to get everything before the rest of us, don’t they? Until November 11th, a demo version of Prologue will be available on the Japanese PSN. There’s no online play in this demo, with single player allowing you to race against 15 opponents. It will feature one playable track and seven cars:
And from October 23rd to the 25th, new cars will be unveiled in the game, coinciding with those in the Tokyo Motor Show running that week.
via PS3 Fanboy
Sony has revealed that a free download of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue demo will be available to the public on October 24th. This tantalizing news is good for the rest of the world, as unlike Japan they will not be able to grab the retail release until a few weeks after the 24th. Europe is set to get the game on the 13th of November while the US release date is still unknown.
via Gaming Today
