Takau Imasaki, producer for Gran Turismo 5 at SCEA, recently talked a bit about the upcoming US release of the game. Slight tweaks are being made to make it a more user-friendly title for the Western audience. By releasing this trial game, Prologue will serve as a testing ground for Polyphony's first real foray into online gaming. They're trying to "catch up to Microsoft in that regard," they said.
Car damage? It will eventually happen in the series, but not until the designers are able to "perfect" it. Don't expect it any time in this series of GT games. Also, because users are already being charged for this early preview of the full GT5 experience, there won't be much DLC in Prologue. That would be a little mean, no?
[Thanks, Patrick!]
[Update: Clarified wording.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-28-2008 @ 10:09PM
ryan said...
"They're trying to catch up to Microsoft in that regard, they said"
in what regard, the online part or the releasing of one "game" before the title? please explain.
"It's coming, they said, but probably not in this first batch of games, we would imagine"
meaning...this generation or as in the first batch of GT5 games? The Batch being Prologue, Full Title and then Epilogue.
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2-29-2008 @ 4:54AM
Addy said...
They were probably referring to the Halo 3 beta.
Frankly I like this idea (new on consoles, old on PC). GT5 will be an awesome game, and no doubt the Prologue (beta?) will polish the netcode and overall gameplay, making the final product even better than if there were no Prologue.
Too many games rely on patches nowadays. COD4 for example. Even Halo 3's melee needed work. But at least betas like these will make games near perfect.
2-28-2008 @ 10:24PM
Devin said...
Honestly, car damage needs to be there, so people are penalized when over-taking too often (without thinking it through) because that would (in real life) affect the course of the car for that driver whose car has damage due to wind turbulence and resistance.....
If they want a simulation, then there needs to be damage and that's something that's holding them back from the competition I think.
I also wish they brought back the ability to race more "normal" cars that people may/might have owned in their lifetime such as the Firebird/Trans Am or the Camaro/SS, Pontiac GTP, etc. Cars like these....I have yet found a racing game (NFS series, Midnight Club, etc.) that includes them.....
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2-28-2008 @ 11:02PM
ryan said...
i can ride my Sentra SE-R in Forza 2! ^_^
2-28-2008 @ 10:29PM
miglaugh said...
No damage would cripple GT5.
And lose at least one sale.
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2-29-2008 @ 3:19AM
OAKside said...
There has never been damage in GT, and with the insane amount of work Polyphony puts into every detail, it's silly (and hard to believe) that someone would not buy it because that. I've always crashed less in GT due to it's extremely realistic everything, anyway; it seems to inspire carefulness. And lastly, less DLC means more/all content included at retail: No complaints here! (Esp. at $60-80.) I must be a GT/Polyphony fandude...
2-29-2008 @ 12:28PM
Steve Childs said...
As the guy said, the team would want to do it right - think about how Burnout Paradise does its damage, there is a hell of a lot of physics work involved and BO isn't even bang on accurate with its physics.
But its also getting the cars to graphically deform as well.
It is a hell of a lot of work to do it accurately, and to be honest, I'd rather they did GT5 and then added it in GT6 or 5.5, or whatever!
2-29-2008 @ 10:51AM
watcher said...
No car damage means they would gain several sales from friends looking to buy it on day one. Car damage isn't for everyone. Frankly, my friends and I never cared for it.
2-29-2008 @ 5:57PM
Popfrogs said...
I'm with you watcher. I want the option of car damage if they're going to include it...but for a quick pick-up game, damage like F1 has is a deal breaker.
2-28-2008 @ 10:59PM
playcrackthesky said...
If you want damage? then the game wont be out until 2010. If they're going to do it then they will have to do it right. As he said, they're pedantic. So you wont see a half-assed attempt at it.
Personally I couldnt care less about damage, Id rather it without it. Not just because we would get it earlier, but because I think it would add to much hassle to online racing. Players could just take out one another, knowing you could end someones race.
All I ask for is - penalties for drivers who hit other drivers etc...
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2-29-2008 @ 3:23AM
OAKside said...
I couldn't agree more. I can't imagine how long it'd take for the perfectionists at Polyphony to create a damage model (probably unique for every car). Penalties for damage, perhaps accurate loss of funds, for car damage would be spiffy.
2-28-2008 @ 11:07PM
Santino said...
I am a long time GT fan, and i agree that i think its about time they include damage, that and better AI, i dont want any of this, AI follows the same line each and every lap, business
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2-29-2008 @ 3:35AM
sibbor said...
Agreed. I've been playing GT since the first game came out. Side note: GT2 was my favorite.
I'm really looking forward to love to have car damage implemented; I've been longing for it! Also I'm missing skid marks, more realistic sound effects when sliding and nice mud and dirt on the car when driving in the grass etc..
Another thing I reacted on in the interview; there will be "no downloadable content or add-ons"... I know they'll bugfix the game and patch it up. Although I would love to see cars on the market... like the new 2009 car models that would appear first in their next game in the series, the GT6. THAT WAY the game wouldn't grow old as fast as the previous versions of the game (that I still play). Another nifty feature would be that by competing online you either win cars or gain "online money" so you can buy cars, just accesible for those who play online.
Give me GT5... and I'll buy the new steering wheel from Logitech! Oh... It would rock with a GT5+steering wheel bundle :-)! The bad news is I/we have to wait... I frigging know! :(
Too bad my GM script* won't change the title of news... because this title is confusing (like someone said); you think there won't be any car damage in GT5, when he's talking about GT5 Prologue in the video.
* http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/23058
2-28-2008 @ 11:30PM
Fiddlesworth said...
"GT5 video interview reveals little DLC, no car damage"
This is a GT5 Prologue Interview, not GT5. The news title's misleading people into thinking GT5 won't have damage which isn't true.
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2-29-2008 @ 7:11AM
harrisk954 said...
Exactly... This title is totally misleading... These sites are always using headers that attract attention but are far from what the article itself says... In this case, the title is blatently false. If you listen to the interview, he says that they are working on damage for GT5 that will be "realistic" because they are perfectionists... Unlike some other racing games out there... So, for GT5 Prologue, no... For GT5, YES!
2-28-2008 @ 11:34PM
leiwei said...
If it's Prologue interview, i'm glad. If it's indirectly related to GT5 though, I'll be very disappointed. They're clearly not listening to user feedback if they haven't even gone on to figuring out a way to implement some kinda damage. Giving us the f#cking black flag penalty for bumping into other cars or riding on grass whether intentional or accidental, and not giving it to the other AI (crappy) racers is bullsh~t IMO. I hope they changed this for the American version.
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4-21-2008 @ 9:38PM
The Real DVO said...
I completely agree. I get black flagged for cars that ram into me! What the hell! He hit me! I got flagged 8 seconds one time for knicking a car at 180 in the mines skyline. It does get really annoying. And I mean a knick cuz there was no sound of a collision nor was i slowed by an impact. SONY please fix it.
2-28-2008 @ 11:34PM
Bobby Boobs said...
I would love to have damage ! What about moutable miniguns ? Ony kidding ;)
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2-28-2008 @ 11:37PM
leiwei said...
so when is ps3fanboy going to have a forum for these comments?
Anyway, I hope the interview is really for GT5P. If it's indirectly related to how GT5 is gonna be, I'll be severely disappointed. At least implement some kinda damage. They're clearly not listening to user feedback if they're not even trying to get something in. That stupid black flag penalty when bumping into cars or driving off the track whether intentionally or accidentally is bullsh~t if they don't apply it to the other crappy AI drivers.
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2-29-2008 @ 12:02AM
Nick Doerr said...
Don't take my word as official, but apparently a forum of some kind may or may not be in the works.
That may sound ambiguous, so let me just say "I think you guys will be pleased".