The VisionRacer Blog

Official Press Release on Grand Turismo GT5

Sunday, November 14, 2010
Auckland, New Zealand.  13th November 2010: Sony Computer Entertainment today confirmed that Gran Turismo® 5 will go on sale across Europe from Wednesday 24th November.
 
“Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Programme!” commented Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. “When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre. With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with GT5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans. Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologise to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed.”
 		In Gran Turismo 5, you can tackle the world’s most famous racetracks, rendered in high definition that is as vivid as the real thing, and get behind the wheels of some of the most legendary cars in motor racing from past to cutting-edge present. Today, the impressive complete list of over 1,000 in-game cars was unveiled, including the Lamborghini  Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, the Lexus LFA and the McLaren MP4-12C. The full track list was also revealed, which will see players going head to head to on famous legacy tracks such as Autumn Ring, Deep Forest Raceway and the Grand Valley Speedway plus renowned real-life circuits such as Nurburgring and the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
 
For more information on Gran Turismo 5 visit: http://www.gran-turismo.com
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Yamauchi Interview the latest

Sunday, October 24, 2010
Car Magazine has just posted a new interview with Kazunori Yamauchi, as part of their big feature on the Red Bull X1 Prototype. It’s a good read (keep in mind it was conducted before the delay), but the most interesting revelation actually comes from a small new screenshot included in the article, taken from inside the X1’s cockpit at the Monaco F1 circuit.

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Gran Turismo 5 – NASCAR Damage Video

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

We´ve seen quite a bunch of videos showcasing Gran Turismo 5’s damage model but none involving the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars yet. This changes now as the video below gives us a first impression on how damage on the NASCAR cars will look.

A few months ago, Kazunori Yamauchi promised that the NASCAR cars could be “destroyed up to the smallest bolt” and while that can’t be seen in the video yet, damage on the Cup cars already looks more advanced than on other vehicles. Keep in mind that this is footage from the Playstation BETA event that happened earlier this month, the full damage model is said to not be revealed before the GamesCom expo later this month.
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VisionRacer on the Podium at the Nurburgring 24 hour

Monday, May 31, 2010
For the second year VisionRacer has been used as a training tool for a the big race.  Last we assisted in getting another Team Kiwi Honda Civic Type R to a second.   Check out the forum for the report. 

This year David Glasson who has never driven the "Ring" came to us early.  We started David on a program to learn the track.  From a personal point of view I know simulation works but its something which is hard to convey unless you "try and apply".  In flying its accepted a par for the course but driving has been slower to adopt.  Lets see what happens.

We started with GT4 an oldie but a goodie, then changed to Need for Speed: Shift when it became available.  We gave David the mission to turn as many laps as he could.  When  he came back after a couple of weeks reckoning he had is sussed out we upped the stakes and got him to count down from 1000 laps.  David turned at least 700.  He was confident, mentally, he had the track embedded in his memory.



Here is David's thoughts just prior to leaving.

“I depart for the Nurburgring 24 hr race in Germany on May 2nd. The race itself is on May 15/16, with practice and qualifying on the 2 preceding days. I have arranged 3 “training sessions” with a local company RSR Nurburg when the track is open to the public during the week before the race. I will be using a Renault Clio which is the closest match to the Civic TypeR I will be racing.

I am practising every night on my VisionRacer with PS3 and Need For Speed Shift. I have now done at least 700 laps, and the track does seem familiar. While my main purpose has been to learn the corners, jumps, brows, ascents and descents, it has been good to develop a line and bring my lap times down. I use an Audi A3 and have a fastest time of 7mins 54 secs. It will be very interesting to find out how the virtual experience translates to the on-track one.


Kiwi Team Nurburgring has an excellent website www.ktn.co.nz (http://www.ktn.co.nz). The cars are specially prepared Type Rs, with modified clutch, diff and suspension. Engine and gearbox are standard and have proven reliable in the past. Reliability, and avoiding damage are key elements to success in this difficult event. Max speed is 230 – 240 kph.

I was skeptical about the use of a driving simulator, and I have never spent more than a few minutes on a PS in the past. Once I got used to the lack of G force feedback through the seat that you get in a real car, I could really appreciate the amazing technology and accuracy of the track simulation, and the real driving experience gained from the images and steering wheel feedback. It does give a level of confidence before driving the Nordschleife for the first time.”  more to come

As many of you know, the father of the Gran Turismo series was competing in the Nurburgring 24 Hours race also.  We will check his final standing also.
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GT5 Creator Kazunori's Latest Interview

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

By Dean Gibson 20th April 2010


Gran Turismo is one of the biggest video game franchises in the world, having sold more than 53 million copies worldwide since the first game was released on Sony PlayStation in 1997, but the series has gone beyond the realms of the gaming world, and Gran Turismo’s creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, has become involved in projects with real-world car manufacturers.


From the centre console display on the Nissan GT-R to Toyota’s forthcoming data logging system, and even the GTbyCitroen concept car, Kazunori and Gran Turismo’s influence is firmly felt in the motoring mainstream.


Another avenue being explored by Gran Turismo is the concept of turning a computer gamer into a fully-fledged racing driver. The GT Academy by Nissan found its first star last year with Spaniard Lucas Ordonez, and now the contest is in its final week to find this year’s winner. The final two, Luca Lorenzini from Italy and Jordan Tresson from France, are competing for a seat in a Nissan 370Z run by RJN Motorsport, and will take part in the European GT4 Cup, which starts on 2 May at Silverstone.


Both drivers were competing in the Britcar championship at Snetterton, Norfolk, as part of their training, and Kazunori was there to check them out. We caught up with the Gran Turismo creator for a quick chat.


Have you been keeping up with news on the competitors in GT Academy?

Yes, it’s great to see Luca and Jordan transferring their skills in Gran Turismo to the real world. And it looks like it’s going to be a tough decision to pick a winner from the pair of them.

The GT Academy opened with an online time trail that more than a million people entered, and you posted a time on there for people to aim for. How much practise did you put in to set that time?

Only about an hour or so.

This is the second year of GT Academy in Europe, do you have any plans to run similar competitons in Japan or the US?

The GT Academy came about because of the collaboration between Sony Europe and Nissan. To set up similar packages in Japan and the US will be a lot of work, but we’re working to make it happen and we would like to see an international contest take place next year.

As well as GT Academy, you worked with Nissan on the centre console display for the GT-R. Plus, you’ve collaborated with Toyota on a data logging system and Citroen on the GTbyCitroen concept. Do you feel that these collaborations encourage other car manufacturers to get involved with Gran Turismo?

I think one of the reasons car manufacturers are interested in the GT series is that while it’s basically a video game, it has a far greater reach into the mainstream than you would expect from other video games.

How is your training for the Nurburgring 24 Hours going? (Kazunori is set to race a Lexus IS F in this year’s event (15-16 May), and will co-drive with Auto Express road tester Owen Mildenhall)

It’s going well. I tend to divide my time between practise playing GT and the physical training in the gym.

Does real-life competition help you to guide the way the GT series goes?

It’s certainly an inspiration. From my point of view, you have to try the real thing to convey what it’s like when playing the game.

How are you finding Snetterton today? How does UK motorsport compare with Japanese club racing?

In general it looks like people are having a lot more fun here. Sometimes racing in Japan can get very serious and they look like they’re not having that much fun.


Do you like to have fun when you race?

When you’re racing competitively it’s serious, but I know it’s not just about winning and losing. The fun factor you feel when racing is something that I want to bring across in GT.

On the subject of Gran Turismo, how do you decide which cars you are going to include in the game?

There are three factors, my personal choice, the cars that players want in the game and of course what the manufacturers want to see included.

Have you bought any cars lately that you want to add to the game?

I haven’t bought any cars lately, the last car I bought was a Nissan GT-R!

We have seen preview pictures and videos of Gran Turismo 5 that feature new cars such as the Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Gallardo and Mercedes SLS. These are pretty exciting models - are there any more cars that are still to come?

Yes, we’re holding back more exciting models for when the game is released.

A Japanese release date of March was announced for GT5, but this didn’t happen, can you offer any explanation why?

Deciding a release date for a game is always difficult, as it’s not something I can decide on my own. The agreement on a date comes between various parties at Sony, and it’s not necessarily a date I would be hoping for.

Would you have liked GT5 to be released by now?

Actually, I think that March would've been too early. We could have produced the game in time to make that deadline, but the finished product wouldn’t have had everything that I wanted to include.

You’ve been to the Pebble Beach Concours in California a number of times. Is that an indication that more classic cars will be making an appearance in the GT series?


There are a lot of cars that I’d like to see in the game, but it’s a long waiting list, and there’s not enough time to get them all in.

Are there any car makers that won’t be appearing in GT5 that you’d like to see in GT6?

GT5 will have a few historic models in it, but looking back at automotive history there are a lot of cars that would be nice to have. I couldn’t narrow it down to one manufacturer, but Porsche is definitely at the top of my wish list.


Thanks to: Rupert at Jardine International and Jordan at GTPlanet


Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/251008/kazunori_interview.html#ixzz0lhjvVWoQ
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Mr Gran Turismo, Kazunoru Yamauchi, "walks the walk" on the "Green Hell"

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Kazunori Yamauchi’s latest motorsport outing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife as the creator of the Gran Turismo series competed in a round of the German VLN series.

Yamauchi shared a Lexus IS-F touring car with journalists Peter Lyon & Owen Mildenhall, racing against more than 150 competitors on the 16 mile track. If you wonder how well game designers do in a real race car, you can check out a full lap around the Nordschleife with Yamauchi in the driver seat to the right.


From GTPlanet

The Lexus IF250 threw the towel in after 40 minutes with a variable diff problem but KY shows his skills while its holding up.  Its good to watch this video to get the rhythm of the track versus some of the closer to low flying in GT4.



Click YouTube logo to watch in higher resolution
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