Gran Turismo (2009 video game)
A PSP sim racer with 833 cars and 72 track layouts.
Gran Turismo, a sim racing game for the PlayStation Portable, was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2009. First announced alongside the original PSP at Sony's E3 press conference on May 11, 2004, it endured five years of delays and speculation under various working titles before reappearing in playable form at E3 on June 2, 2009. Released on October 1, 2009, as a launch title for the PSP Go, it sold 4.67 million units by September 2017, ranking among the best-selling PSP games. A re-release under Sony's Greatest Hits budget line followed on June 1, 2010.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Polyphony Digital
- Publisher
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Designer
- Kazunori Yamauchi
- Composer
- Masahiro Andoh
- Platforms
- PlayStation Portable
- Released
- October 1, 2009
- Genre
- Sim racing
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The game uses an open-ended design, with the single-player menu offering three variables: mode (Time Trial, Single Race, and Drift Trial), car, and track selection. Rewards such as credits and cars are earned based on difficulty, performance, and the number of laps chosen, which can range from one to 99. Unlike Gran Turismo 4's open-ended map, Gran Turismo centers on completing driving missions to advance. A new trading system allows players to acquire cars. There are 45 tracks including layout variations, plus reverse on most tracks, bringing the total to 72. For the first time in the series, custom soundtracks can be used after unlocking the option by completing section B or C of the Driving Challenges. Hidden tracks such as Smokey Mountain and Tahiti Circuit from Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec were removed prior to release and are only accessible on systems with modified firmware. Tracks like Valencia Ricardo Tormo are sourced from Gran Turismo 4 and Tourist Trophy, while the physics engine is based on Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. The game features 833 vehicles, with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, and other cars fully licensed. There is no damage model. Players start with a low-powered car and upgrade as they progress; dealerships change after every other race.
Development and marketing
Fitting a full-scale Gran Turismo on the PSP was a challenge for Polyphony Digital. Series director Kazunori Yamauchi stated the main problem was fitting the game into a small memory space, though it runs at 60 frames per second and takes up only 1GB of storage. Originally titled Gran Turismo 4 Mobile, it was to have a release date in April 2005, but was absent from the 2004 Tokyo Game Show and E3 2005. At the end of 2005, Sony Computer Entertainment announced the game would be pushed back to 2006. Despite no news for most of 2006, Yamauchi assured audiences it was still in development. Development slowed to focus on Gran Turismo 4 and Gran Turismo 5. Yamauchi wanted the game to be a fully specced title, not merely a subset to the series. Difficulty in designing for the PSP Go, which has a relocated analog nub, required adjustments. Polyphony Digital's busy schedule with releases of Gran Turismo 4, Tourist Trophy, Gran Turismo HD, and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue also slowed development, and the company refused to outsource the game. Other titles considered included Gran Turismo 4 Mobile, Gran Turismo 5 Portable, and Gran Turismo Spyder, but the latter was dropped as it did not represent a fully specced Gran Turismo. In April 2008, Yamauchi stated that developing Gran Turismo 5 took more time and effort, making it unlikely the PSP version would be released by the end of 2008. A version was shown at E3 2009 on June 2, 2009, and released on October 1, 2009, coinciding with the PSP Go launch.
Reception
Gran Turismo received mixed or average reviews according to Metacritic. It was praised for its realistically handling cars, large number of vehicles, and AI improvements, but criticized for lacking a traditional career mode and the ability to upgrade cars. The game was a commercial success, selling 2.22 million copies in its first year. It was re-released on June 1, 2010, as part of Sony's Greatest Hits budget line.
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