Sony hits brakes on Gran Turismo HD

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Dec 1, 2006 10:23 am PT

Polyphony Digital's PlayStation 3 driving sim will only be released in free downloadable demo form in Japan; no word on game's US fate.

Last week, Gran Turismo fans might have been concerned by a change in an online retailer's product listing for the series' PlayStation 3 debut. Instead of the winter 2006 date Sony had originally pegged for the title, GameStop was listing Gran Turismo HD as releasing December 1, 2007.

Sony today updated the game's Japanese Web site with some good news and some bad news for eager fans of the game. The good news is that a free demo version of Gran Turismo HD with 10 cars and two layouts of a single track will be available for download in Japan from the PlayStation store on December 24, 2006. The bad news is that the full version of the game has been canceled, as the Polyphony Digital team is switching its focus to the next PS3 installment of the series, Gran Turismo 5.

"The Gran Turismo series will change its core principles," Polyphony Digital head Kazunori Yamauchi said about the next installment in the series, which was not given any kind of release window. As for what direction Yamauchi is taking with the series, Sony has only said it "will be a fully realized Online Car Life Simulation."

Back in August, Yamauchi confirmed in an interview with Famitsu that development on the next PS3 version of Gran Turismo had begun. "We are working on a version of GT that supports the full PS3 specification," he told the magazine.

Gran Turismo HD may not be the last downloadable demo edition of the popular racing sim. The Japanese Gran Turismo site says that Sony might be able to offer more "concept" versions of the series before the full release of Gran Turismo 5 arrives. However, any such editions would be included in the final retail release of Gran Turismo 5.

While the free downloadable demo of Gran Turismo HD was confirmed for Japan, it's currently unclear if it will make its way to the US. When asked for a status update on the game's domestic fate, a Sony rep said only, "As of today, there are no official announcements for a North American release of GT HD."

627 Comments

  • alberto2045

    Posted Jan 2, 2007 6:08 pm PT

    What xd3usx is saying its true still i was playing it and of cource it was much better then GT4 but was bad I did not like the demo at all pretty lame, they do have a Ferrari but it isnt that big of a deal anyways. For all of you that think this game is good dont download it I mean if you want a "taste" of it get it but if not then keep playing GT4 lol. I hope that when they do finish the real game its good

  • xd3usx

    Posted Jan 2, 2007 9:13 am PT

    FYI: Gran Turismo HD *IS* available for free download from the Sony PS3 Store for ALL North American PS3s. The download is just over 700MB.

    NOTE: Sony says that it will only be available for a limited time. To Gamespot: Please update your sh1t. kkthx

  • dano82

    Posted Dec 29, 2006 8:09 am PT

    i wanted a ps3 because of this game gran turismo is the best game ever now i might buy xbox for forza motorsport 2 i cant wait 2 years for sony to release this

  • rockstar_88

    Posted Dec 13, 2006 1:17 am PT

    Wait, I thought HD WAS 5.

  • cyborg100000

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 2:17 pm PT

    Well I think Sony is gonna win the war next year beacause that will be really when they kick in, with hundreds of great games and increasingly advanced graphics all the time. I never liked GT much anyway it just wasn't what I called...fun, the same with need for speed. The races were lame. My favourite and only racing game i liked was burnout 3, SUPER INTENSE BABY!!!

    Anyway, go sony, all the way!

  • Beesond

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 2:07 pm PT

    Thank the Heavens! The screenshots of this game look terrible. Unless they take some radical crazy turn, I don't htink I will be gettting this game no matter how good it looks, these GT games get old.

    Yeah and I have to concur, PS3 is kinda a bummer, but cant wait to see when the second year wave of games comes in, I will deffientely be getting one just to play MGS4 and FFXIII/VS. But I really hope there are more than just those 3 games to play....

    ...In the meantime need to get my hands on a HDTV.

  • mydasx

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 12:50 pm PT

    Of course they scrapped it. I probably didnt even exist. They just wanted to see how we would react to "NO FRIGGIN CONTENT WHEN YOU PURCHASE." That's right folks this game was a pay to download cars model. No, in game earning of cars, simply paying hard cash to buy them. The one thing that the GT series has always done is given us the "RPG" feel for racing. Modifications and upgrades is the name of the game. when games said, i'm not paying 800 bucks for all the content in the game, Sony pulled the plug on the idea. Likely this was a marketing ploy to test the waters. THANK GOD IT FAILED. Best news all year. Really. Past that, GT is the only reason in my mind to buy a PS3 in that Final Fantacy looks like its going the XBox 360 route. To all you suckers that paid 600 bucks for a console that has jack for games i'm laughing all the way to my highend pc.

  • childe_roland

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 1:09 am PT

    SNES didn't launch with Zelda, the Wii is the first system EVER to have Zelda as a launch title...

  • Gabkicks

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 7:32 pm PT

    omg xrm you got me so bad i thought u were serious about PGR being realistic for a sec :p

    I've just been playing Live For Speed. I've bought every gran turismo game... but ever since i started playing Live For Speed.... i stopped playing gt3, and then when i got GT4, i was very very disappointed.
    Live For Speed is pretty much the best racing game out right now.

  • Xrm150

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:42 pm PT

    well im sure most of you are with me in saying BIG DEAL!! Who cares if it got canceled....PGR is THE MOST REALISTIC GAME EVER!!!!!!! na im just kidding...but pgr is good..but big deal this game got canceled. I wouldn't get a ps3 for 3-5 years anyways. Cost to much.

  • trackmanep233

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    this sucks!!!!!

  • smokey_77

    Posted Dec 10, 2006 10:30 pm PT

    i didnt read all of the posts but why does everybody think gt5 is no more only gthd mob of drongos?

  • crimson_axe

    Posted Dec 10, 2006 4:47 pm PT

    I have to agree with Hollywood_RFC. Sony really bit the big one with the PS3 release. In fact, I was standing in line on launch day to buy one, but when I got to the games selection, I walked right out of Best Buy, and didn't buy a damn thing. Why? Because having MacGuyver skillz isn't enough. You have to know how to use them. What does that mean? PS3 aint crap without great games, and at launch Sony had nothing - which is written in the bible that you have to have at least one great title that everyone is familiar with. Nintendo even had a friggin Zelda game for the Wii launch. They haven't launched a system with a Zelda game since the SNES. Microsoft barely even did it with Perfect Dark... but it helped that it was a pretty sweet game.

    The only good games I see coming out by First Party developers for the PS3 are all due to release this time next year. Furthermore, the only other good games that are coming out are just ports that will also be released on the XBOX360. Which, sure, they're just ports - but the thing is, if someone wants to play those, theyll always buy the XBOX360 because first off, they can find one to buy, and second of all, its cheaper.

    Somehow, Sony blew it big time on this one. I don't know what the hell is going on with them. They're totally screwed. And no, I don't even think Metal Gear Solid is going to make the difference. Why? Because it'll be the same Metal Gear we've been playing for the past 10 years... only better graphics. If it has some truely unique gameplay... I may eat my words. But I highly doubt it.

    Anyway... XBOX had a pretty good launch, despite the fact you couldn't find them. But look at them now - they aren't having problems with merchandise. They're Online service is up and running without a hitch. The console itself is pretty great, even if the PS3 is better. But most importantly, it has some really great games, with more to be released before Christmas. Sony is going to have a hard time trumping this, even when it starts to pick up steam. The only advantage it will have over the XBOX360 will be around 4-5 years from now, when the XBOX360 starts to show its age. But even then, Microsoft will have a new console ready to release - so its hardly a big deal.

  • Hollywood_RFC

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 11:35 pm PT

    i feel really bad for sony. I'm a xbox 360 guy myself. I waited 18 hours for one, and i dont regret a single second.

    Sony is a great company, but they got way to cocky with the ps3. Smart ass remarks, delayed launch, crappy line up for the launch, high prices. They just keep adding problems on to their list. At the moment, the only reason to buy a ps3 is for Resistance. i haven't played it, but i wont deny its good reviews and graphics. But after resistance, the third-party games on the ps3 are actually worse. How can a system that was so hyped up to be this over the top visual machinery fall behind a system that was supposed to be less powerful.

    People say that over time Sony games will start to look better, but there comes a problem needing more time for their games to look better. That problem is the 360, microsoft isn't just gonna sit on their ass, xbox 360 games are going to continue to advance graphicly as well. Developers have to seriously pick up the pace to catch up. And honestly, with how visually stunning Gears of War was, i doubt sony can catch up. The way i see it, Sony will live on, learn from their mistakes, and do better when they ready their next console. As of right now though, the console wars are really between the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii.

  • gearmeister5

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 8:36 pm PT

    With all the research and development of the PS3's blu-ray capability, it would make sense that they use that technology with GT5. That's the only way to bring all the content to the game as a full package upon purchase. Since the blu-ray can hold 50GB + (with more layers), you can run the entire game using the full PS3 specification. Games coming out now on DVD format can only contain just under 10GB of data.... The launch games don't even scratch the surface of what the PS3 is really capable of. I did make a decision and will not purchase a PS3 until GT5 comes out. It seems that if they came out with a version of GT without using blu-ray, then it would nullify the reason for the format.

  • halodude1990

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 12:10 pm PT

    LMAO sony doesn't kno wut theyre doing at all. first delaying the ps3 4 like 3 more months, now this.

    LOLOKOLOLOLOLOL

  • ekisom

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 8:10 pm PT

    what a dissappointment... dec '07... sony's been misleading consumers with release dates of major titles. shouldnt this be bad for business... guess not..

  • oscarVD

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 6:24 pm PT

    what this game havent been cancel they just change the name\

  • WetVein

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 5:28 am PT

    To -mjfru

    You said "Have fun with Halo" ?? Are you serious? How is that an insult? That's like saying "Have fun with my slutty sister while I go on a beer run" Of course we're gonna have fun with halo. Have fun watchin us.

  • sensaike

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 12:11 am PT

    so what is just got canceled and thats it? ah, interesting. so now we just wait for the better version which is the 5th one. with no release date on sight. damn i still cant believe my gundam game got ruin so bad! Maybe the 360 version is better. i rather wait with gran Turismo then see it happen again. how can developers screw a game like that! is shameful. lol

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