Gran Turismo 5 unveils luxury game bundles

Nowadays, publishers can't simply just release a game; the gamer public expects much more fanfare. Activision set the bar high last year when it gave away a working pair of night-vision goggles with preorders of its prestige edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2--arguably the most extravagant collector's item yet. Sony seems keen to reach deep into the pockets of Aussie racing fans with the announcement of the Gran Turismo 5 signature edition. Many wondered if Polyphony Digital's opus would ever see the light of day, but it seems it will, and it comes in your choice of three colours.

Gran Turismo 5 standard edition is your run-of-the-mill case and disc affair, but it’s the two premium versions that will really make your hip pocket hurt. The collector’s edition includes all of the content found in the standard version of the game, packing in a bonus box sleeve, a 200-page "Apex" magazine with future racing technology, advanced driving tips, and car tuning guide. Also inside are five exclusive art cards, an in-game "ChromeLine" vehicle pack with five performance cars, and a dynamic theme for your PlayStation 3. The collector’s edition will cost A$129.95; $10 more than the A$119.95 RRP of the standard game.

If that’s not enough--and money is no object--then you can pony up for the signature edition. Coming in at a whopping A$299.95, it takes the collector’s edition one step further by sealing the game in a special steel case with the same "Obsidian Black" finish as the gull-winged Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG that adorns the cover of the game. A 1:43 scale model of the car is also in the package alongside a Gran Turismo leather wallet and key fob, a coffee table book with rides and locales from the game, and six bonus unlockable "stealth" cars, including the McLaren F1.

If all that isn’t enough to get your engine purring, then there’s one extra bonus. Fans over the age of 18 who purchase the signature edition of Gran Turismo 5 are also eligible to enter a competition to win their own real-life Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar. No details are available to confirm if one vehicle will be given away per region or if it is one car worldwide. Full information should soon be available at the Gran Turismo Web site.

GT5 will be dropping the clutch and racing onto shelves down under this November.