When it comes to racing simulators there are few which can stack up next to the Gran Turismo franchise. With unparalleled realism and jaw dropping graphics, Gran Turismo has earned its wings for being considered the premier racing sim (although the Forza franchise has been carving out its own impressive niche).
On November 1st, Sony Computer Entertainment America hosted the fifth annual Gran Turismo awards in Vegas. In addition to a live performance by Chris Cornell, lead singer of the now dead Audioslave, the winner for the "Best of Show" custom car was also chosen. The grand prize is the impressive immortalization of the winner’s ride in the next Gran Turismo. This year’s winner was a 2007 Audi TT, and it will be featured in the upcoming Gran Turismo 5.
While the festivities were the highlight of the evening, one spec of enticing information was dropped. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the preview edition of Gran Turismo 5, is set to be released in the first quarter of 2008; specifically in February. GT5 Prologue will ship as both a Blu-Ray disc as well as a download from PSN. Sixteen player races will be possible, and there are plans to release more cars via download in the future.
Senior manager Yoshimoto stated he was very excited about the prospect of additional downloads, and that the team was fully committed to making sure it was an incorporated component to the game.
"We used to ship a game disc and that was it," said Yoshimoto. "With the online capabilities of PS3, we’re able to keep the content fresh and the team is very committed to taking advantage of that."
With February right around the corner it looks like GT fans are going to get their first chance at a new Gran Turismo game.
[Via GameDaily]
