Why The PlayStation 3 Needs Gran Turismo 5 In 2009
See Full ImageIt likely won't happen, but I still cling to the reaction from Kazunori Yamauchi when he laughed at the idea of a 2010 launch for Gran Turismo 5. He even said it might release "sooner than everyone thinks," but that was late last year and recently...well, we've heard evidence to the contrary. But here's why the PS3 could really use GT5 as a massive holiday release.
We already know that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - a game that PSXE has already seen firsthand and we say it's the prettiest console production yet - will make a big splash. However, it isn't quite the established blockbuster franchise that GT is, and if the fifth entry in that critically acclaimed series launched for the holiday season this year, that'd be game, set and match for the PS3 in 2009 (we're just talking about this year, of course). The key to causing a hardware sales surge is to release must-have exclusive software; that's a fact we've learned many times over in the past. Last year, when Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots launched, we saw the inevitable PS3 sales spike. Later, when Gears of War 2 released for the Xbox 360 in the fall, 360 sales enjoyed a big rise. And lately, Killzone 2 has spurred more PS3 sales, although the surge in Japan can't be attributed to Guerilla's FPS...maybe we should just call it a happy turn of events.
Anyway, does anyone remember when everyone was anxiously anticipating Gran Turismo 3 for the PS2? The system launched towards the end of 2000 and like most all new platforms, it didn't have too many "AAA" games in the first six months of its existence. But as you all know, 2001 became one of the greatest years in the industry's history, and much of that was due to the PS2. One of the main draws? GT3. In fact, if you talked to anyone who hadn't yet bought a PS2 in the early days, there was a damn good chance they'd tell you this: "I'm waiting for GT3." And what happened? The game launched in a special bundle pack and sales went through the roof. Now, if you take into account that the PS3 needs a price cut, and it really won't be happening any time soon, wouldn't it be great to celebrate the GT5 launch with a price cut? We theorized before that the drop will come with Uncharted 2, but it'd make more sense if it coincided with GT5.
We'll have God of War III in early 2010 and we still don't have a release date for GT5, but it'd be a gigantic boost for the PS3 if the latter released just in time for the 2009 holiday rush. Timing is everything in any business.
Related Game(s): Gran Turismo 5
4/9/2009 Ben Dutka
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Comments (47 posts)
city96
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 6:57:18 AM
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NoSmokingBandit
Thursday, April 09, 2009 @ 11:01:24 PM
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King James
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 7:45:42 PM
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Xanavi23
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 7:16:16 AM
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godsman
Thursday, April 09, 2009 @ 11:30:38 PM
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HeXeN
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 12:14:42 AM
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Indigo_Dingo
Thursday, April 09, 2009 @ 11:30:41 PM
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And you forgot Heavy Rain and White Knight Chronicles.
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kokoro
Thursday, April 09, 2009 @ 11:38:20 PM
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Daedusian
Thursday, April 09, 2009 @ 11:43:02 PM
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But yeah, for GT to release during the holiday rush and alongside a price drop?.. well.. people would be getting killed all over again just like when the PS3 first launched, haha. ;)
Last edited by Daedusian on 4/9/2009 11:43:51 PM
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Soultaker
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 12:14:25 AM
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HeXeN
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 12:17:15 AM
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Xanavi23
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 7:27:30 AM
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ZubraZap
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 12:21:37 AM
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xnonsuchx
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 5:13:33 AM
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Highlander
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 10:15:24 AM
If GT5 Prologue is a demo, then it is the deepest demo I've ever seen.
IMHO Prologue is a game in it's won right that does show what is coming, and was GT for PS3 when there was no GT for PS3. It was released at a budget price on BluRay. I see no issue with that, it's had more than enough play time with most people to justify it's price.
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Deleted User
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 1:08:13 AM
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Jian2069
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 1:22:53 AM
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but I would love to see the inevitable sales boost.
Uncharted 2 needs to have some good ads on TV and stuff and not just advertised all over the playstation
also they are going to release gt5 when the time is right, not as soon as its done if they have other big releases already
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Highlander
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 1:24:26 AM
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As much as I want the game to be 'right', I also want the game to bloody well arrive.
At this rate I'll have to restart GT4....
Tell you what, here's a killer combo of three games exclusive to PS3 this winter.
Uncharted 2, Ratchet and Clank Crack in Time and GT5, if Sony can follow up with GoW III in Feb/March 2010 (or earlier) it will be damn near unbeatable. In japan, the arrival of FF XIII this winter will only reinforce the killer line up .
Uncharted 2, R&B and GT5 are three absolutely guaranteed buys for me. If FF XIII turns out to be good, I'll nab that one as well - though I remain to be convinced.
As someone else pointed out there's also Heavy Rain, White Knight, Twisted Metal and Tales of Vesperia...
Too many good games...
Last edited by Highlander on 4/10/2009 1:29:18 AM
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brandonctl
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 1:35:42 AM
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HOODGE
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 1:59:19 AM
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Oyashiro
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 2:25:05 AM
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Naga
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 4:57:36 AM
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*Off topic* why is the ads,the ps3 giveaway and the polls are on the side of the god damn browser I can't see the whole article now on the PS3 browser!!!
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N a S a H
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 5:32:11 AM
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Qubex
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 6:20:38 AM
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Lest us not forget ...MODERN WAREFARE II, that should be something. I doubt it will be as pretty as the Killzone 2 engine. Saying this, looking forward to the DLC which is on the way :)
Ben, just a quick question... I see on the site the ability to enter and win a blue PS3, but ever since I did so, never heard about the conclusion of this competition. Will anyone ever win the Blue PS3?
Q!
"i am home"
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Xanavi23
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 7:30:40 AM
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Just play Prologue guys. The action is hot, the racing great, the cars fine. If you know where to look for racing, you get incredible racing.
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Highlander
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 10:22:29 AM
As for just playing Prologue, that's fine to say, but Prologue is a taster, barely even an appetizer for the main meal. All the tuning options, cars, color options and courses to come in the full game are the meal to come. You can only eat so many free chips with Salsa before you want yor Fajita special to arrive.
While I'm waiting I may go back to GT4, it's better as a single player game than Prologue by orders of magnitude. As for this notion about the game being ready when it's ready, three years after launch is a hell of a long time. PD are close enough to Sony to have had access to early hardware and dev kits since well before actual launch, so they have been going at this for more than 3 years already.
If PD is chasing perfection with the game, then someone needs to step in and stop the chase because they could chase for another two years and get no closer. It's time to release this game.
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Xanavi23
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 4:58:40 PM
I don't get bored. Ive hard Prologue for well over a year, thats the Japanese copy days included and i've played it almost every day, likely continue to. So my point is, since we can't do anything til 2010, might as well have fun tuning different cars like the G35 Sedan or the Audi TT and have them race against a Ferrari F430 and a Nissan GT-R...You can do it. You can race against people most importantly. Isn't that the most important thing?
Race a car, YOU tuned?
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shadowpal2
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 10:19:28 AM
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I feel that keeping things planned out and having patience will help Sony. I mean we are already getting a good chunk of great exclusives this year. And we already got some. But once 2009 turns into 2010 - we'd know that there'd be more waiting for us such as God of War III and Gran Turismo 5. The two greatest first party exclusives.
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Scarecrow
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 12:50:52 PM
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Gran Turismo is Sony's most treasured exclusive and they must make sure that it's as perfect as it can be.
This year since there are not many other racing games(good ones) it has a chance to really take the checkered flag and a lot of money from racing games enthusiasts.
Me personally, love Gran Turismo to death. Been a loyal fan since 1998 so I can't wait!
Would be good this year, but we'll see.
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mikem
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 4:11:24 PM
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GT5 has to be right. With NFS:Shift just around the corner, and Forza 3 inevitability, Polyphony has their work cut out for them. It's not enought to just be a HD version of GT4- damage is needed, dynamic weather and so is night/day cycle and PD's achilles heels, an improved AI. I'm happy that even with Prologue, PD is constantly improving the physics and by the time GT5 arrives, I expect a physics that would rival most PC sims (in Pro/Sim mode). On top of that GT5 needs to fully support higher end wheels (Logitech G25 and Fanatec wheels). Of course I expect all the little nagging issues with the graphics (in Prologue) to be sorted out. And I fully expect a better implemented Online mode.
Undoubtedly, all the R&D done by Sony's other dev will trickle down to PD (GG, Naughty Dog etc.) and Kazunori Y's dream will be closer to being fully realised. I'm willing to wait but still I expect GT5 to arrive sooner than later.
Last edited by mikem on 4/10/2009 4:25:40 PM
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karneli lll
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 4:19:35 PM
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Scarecrow
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 4:33:20 PM
That's how Gran Turismo1 was, came out in a blazing hot summer, man that was great.
GT2 came out in the fall and did great too.
But I think a PURE Summer release would be the best thing ever.
Not sure if it'll be ready by this summer though, so we'll have to wait 'till Summer 2010 then.
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Xanavi23
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 5:00:54 PM
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Scarecrow
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 5:16:30 PM
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Scarecrow
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 4:34:12 PM
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And it's still the best selling GT!
Take notice Sony, take notice!
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jlch777
Friday, April 10, 2009 @ 10:58:42 PM
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there are already more than 6 months without any update for gt5p
so they has to be working very hard with gt5.
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Kersed3
Saturday, April 11, 2009 @ 2:31:39 PM
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Lovingit07
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:26:13 AM
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Nerull
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 10:06:46 PM
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Seems to me like 2009 already has/will have way more exclusives than 360 and wii, and there'd have been one more the WKC people would get off their ass. After this summer I'll have more games than to play than I can at once, why not save some of the AAAs for next year? Doesn't matter when it comes out to me though since I won't be buying it anytime soon, prolly once it finally goes greatest hits since to me 1-4 have been the same drudgeful game glorified by too many graphics-whores.
I'm now near the end of motorstorm 2 and even though its gotten annoyingly hard it and paradise are still more fun than GT ever was.
Oh and since when did twisted metal 5 get confirmed?
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Xanavi23
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 @ 7:21:49 AM
GT isn't just a game...throughout many challenges beyond licenses tests, Polyphony(makers of GT) continually try to push you to develop your skills further, to do things better, quicker, more consistently.
GT isn't just about making money and racing cars, the full games have always been about their learning curve.
This is coming from someone who mastered each and ever GT and had to rise to the new learning curve in each and every new GT.
PD isn't just a developer to the GT fanatics, they're our teachers and guides.
GT Academy is a sign in and of itself.
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dveisalive
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Thursday, April 09, 2009 @ 10:52:07 PM