Back in September, Sony announced the first Gran Turismo entry for the PS3 (story). Titled Gran Turismo HD, it would not only showcase the high definition capabilities of the PS3 but it would be primarily financed through micro-transactions. Today, Sony announced the game has been canceled and production on Gran Turismo 5 is underway. GT developer Polyphony Digital announced that the content for HD will be released as a free download in Japan on December 24th, but no mention if it’ll be released elsewhere. Gran Turismo 5 is set for release in 2008.
The download will be called Gran Turismo HD Concept and future "Concept" releases are planned for GT fans. According to Sony, this download will give a first-hand look at the HD visuals the PS3 can provide along with unveiling Polyphony’s next-gen driving engine built specifically for the next GT game.
In the eyes of many, this seems to be a victory on avoiding micro-transactions that some companies are adapting for their products nowadays. The reaction is split, some are in-favor for micro-transactions since they can spend money on specific content they want and it’s not necessary for them to buy them while others are opposed since you’ll have to spend money on content that could of been included in for free or just paying more money in-general for a game.
