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Gran Turismo (1997 video game)

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Gran Turismo
Japanese cover art featuring a Nissan Skyline GT-R (left) and a Toyota Supra (right).
Developer(s)Polys Entertainment[a]
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Producer(s)Kazunori Yamauchi
Designer(s)Kazunori Yamauchi
Takeshi Yokouchi
Hirotaka Komiyama
Programmer(s)Seiichi Ikiou
Artist(s)Masaaki Goto
Composer(s)Masahiro Andoh (JP)
Isamu Ohira (JP)
Jason Page (EU/US)
SeriesGran Turismo
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
Genre(s)Sim racing[3][4]
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Gran Turismo,[b][c] originally released as Gran Turismo: The Real Driving Simulator in Japan and Europe, is a 1997 racing simulation video game developed by Polys Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation video game console. Designed by Kazunori Yamauchi, the game's development group was later established as Polyphony Digital. It is the first title in the Gran Turismo series.

After five years of development time, it was well-received publicly and critically, shipping a total of 10.85 million copies worldwide[1][5] (making it the best-selling PlayStation game), and scoring an average of 95% in GameRankings' aggregate, making it the highest rated racing video game at the time of the site's closure in 2019.[6] Many publications have deemed it one of the greatest video games of all time. The game has started a series, and has spawned over 10 spin-offs and sequels.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot featuring a Mitsubishi FTO GPX on Trial Mountain Circuit

Gran Turismo is a racing game. The player must maneuver a car to compete against artificially intelligent drivers on various race tracks. The game uses two different modes: Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode (Gran Turismo Mode in PAL and Japanese versions). In the arcade mode, the player can freely choose the courses and vehicles they wish to use. Winning races unlocks additional cars and courses.

However, simulation mode requires the player to earn different levels of driver's licenses in order to qualify for events, and earn credits (money), trophies and prize cars by winning race championships. Winning one particular championship also unlocks a video and a few additional demonstration tracks. Credits can be used to purchase additional vehicles, and for parts and tuning.

Gran Turismo features 140 cars and 11 race tracks (as well as their reversed versions). Two Honda NSX cars from 1992 were included in the Japanese version, but were removed from the North American and European versions. There is also a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1998 Mazda Roadster exclusive to the Arcade mode.

Development

The game took five years to complete.[7] The development personnel were largely the same team which was behind the earlier PlayStation racers Motor Toon Grand Prix and Motor Toon Grand Prix 2, and Gran Turismo uses parts of the Motor Toon game engine, such as the physics model.[8] Kazunori Yamauchi said that development of Gran Turismo started in the second half of 1992. Yamauchi added that at different times there were only seven to fifteen people assisting him.[9] Since Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 was still in development when work on Gran Turismo started, several people only joined the development team after the completion of Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 freed them up to work on Gran Turismo.[8]

When asked how difficult it was to create Gran Turismo, Yamauchi remarked: "It took five years. In those five years, we could not see the end. I would wake up at work, go to sleep at work. It was getting cold, so I knew it must be winter. I estimate I was home only four days a year".[7] While the team used standard PlayStation libraries in part, to get the game to run at optimal speed they had to use assembly code, and even then, they found the limitations of the PlayStation's CPU would not allow them to meet their initial goal of having 12 cars in each race.[8] Sound design was one aspect that Yamauchi believed was compromised due to a lack of time. Although Kazunori considered the game's artificial intelligence to be superior to its competitors, he remained unsatisfied with its development.[10]

Gran Turismo was the first game designed to fully support the PlayStation's DualShock controller.[11]

When Gran Turismo was released in Japan, Polyphony Digital was still a development group within Sony Computer Entertainment. The studio was established in April 1998, before the Western release of the game.[12] Yamauchi estimated that Gran Turismo utilised around 75% of the PlayStation's maximum performance.[13]

Reception

Commercial

Gran Turismo was a commercial hit.[1][2] In May 1998, Sony awarded Gran Turismo a "Double Platinum Prize" for sales above 2 million units in Japan alone.[28] According to Weekly Famitsu, Japan bought 1.34 million units of Gran Turismo during the first half of 1998 alone, which made it the country's second-best selling game for the period.[29] It was also a high-seller in Australia, selling over 100,000 units in the first two months and with sales exceeding 130,000 by October 1998.[30] In the United States, it was the best-selling PlayStation game of 1998 with 1,431,483 sales and $58,568,520 (equivalent to $109,484,150 in 2023) revenue.[31][32] It was again the best-selling PlayStation game of 1999 in the United States, where it sold 1.3 million units and grossed an estimated $35,000,000 (equivalent to $64,000,000 in 2023) that year,[33][34] adding up to 2,731,483 sales and about $62,000,000 (equivalent to $116,000,000 in 2023) revenue in the United States by 1999.

It received a "Gold" award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) in August 1998,[35] for sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[36] It sold 270,000 units in the German market from January through September 1998, which made it the region's best-selling console game of the period across all systems.[37] The VUD raised it to "Platinum" status, indicating 200,000 sales, by November.[38] At the 1999 Milia festival in Cannes, it took home a "Platinum" prize for revenues above €66 million or $78,000,000 (equivalent to $150,000,000 in 2023) in the European Union during 1998. This made it Europe's second-highest-grossing game of the year, behind Tomb Raider III.[39] It was again Europe's second highest-grossing game of 1999 with €94.444 million or $100,658,000 (equivalent to $184,000,000 in 2023) grossed that year,[40] adding up to over €160.444 million or $175,658,000 (equivalent to $328,000,000 in 2023) grossed in Europe by 1999, and over $238,000,000 (equivalent to $445,000,000 in 2023) across Europe and the United States by 1999.

By March 1999, Gran Turismo had sold over six million units worldwide,[41] of which two million were derived from the United States.[42] By February 2000, it had sold 7 million units worldwide, for which it was awarded the Guinness World Record for Best-Selling Driving Simulator.[43] By December 2000, it had sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, including 3.7 million units in the United States.[44] As of April 2008, the game has shipped 2.55 million copies in Japan, 10,000 in Southeast Asia, 4.3 million in Europe, and 3.99 million in North America, for a total of 10.85 million copies. It remains the best-selling video game for the PlayStation and the fourth highest-selling game in the Gran Turismo franchise, behind Gran Turismo 4, Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec respectively.[1][2][45]

In Australia, the game sold more than 110,000 copies in its first two months.[46]

Critical

Gran Turismo received widespread acclaim from critics and consumers alike, with praise for its graphics, soundtrack, tight controls and number of cars. It was classified as "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic.[14]

Next Generation reviewed the PlayStation version of the game, rating it five stars out of five, and stated that "as it stands in the Japanese version, everything about Gran Turismo is a class act, and it raises the bar for racing games on almost every possible level. Our highest possible recommendation".[24]

Gran Turismo won Best Simulation of 1999 at the Spotlight Awards,[47] won "Best Driving Game" and "Best Graphics" of 1999 according to the staff of PlayStation Official Magazine,[48] and was voted the sixth best game of all time by the magazine's readers in the same issue.[48] In 2000, readers of Computer and Video Games voted it the eighth best video game of all time.[49] Game Informer ranked it the 21st best video game ever made in 2001. The staff felt that the racing genre had not offered as "complete [a] package" as Gran Turismo.[50] In 2017, Gran Turismo was declared the best driving game ever by Top Gear.[51]

In 1999, Next Generation listed Gran Turismo as number 15 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "Gran Turismo features cars that handle better than any other racing game ever made".[52] In 2006, Gran Turismo was inducted into GameSpot's list of the greatest games of all time.[53] In 2015, IGN listed Gran Turismo as the second most influential racing game of all time (after Pole Position), calling it "the grandfather of all modern console racing sims."[3]

Notes

  1. ^ With assistance from Cyberhead.
  2. ^ Japanese: グランツーリスモ, Hepburn: Guran Tsūrisumo
  3. ^ "Gran Turismo" is Italian for "grand touring"

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f ""Gran Turismo" Series Software Title List". Polyphony Digital. June 2008. Archived from the original on 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
  2. ^ a b c "Gran Turismo Series Shipment Exceeds 50 Million Units Worldwide" (Press release). Sony Interactive Entertainment. 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
  3. ^ a b "The Top 10 Most Influential Racing Games Ever". IGN. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  4. ^ The Greatest Games of All Time: Gran Turismo, GameSpot
  5. ^ "Gran Turismo Series Software Title List". polyphony.co.jp. 2013. Archived from the original on 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
  6. ^ "Reviews and News Articles". GameRankings. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Vaughn, Mark (June 3, 2009). "Six questions for the creator of Gran Turismo". AutoWeek Magazine. Archived from the original on July 12, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  8. ^ a b c "NG Alphas: Gran Turismo". Next Generation. No. 36. Imagine Media. December 1997. pp. 110–111.
  9. ^ Takahashi, Dean (2010-01-14). "Gran Turismo's Creator Takes a Fifth Stab at a Perfect Racing Game". GamesBeat. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  10. ^ "Prescreen: Gran Turismo 2". Edge (68). Future Publishing: 48–49. February 1999.
  11. ^ "GT Gran Turismo: Sony's New 'Driving Simulator'". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 102. Ziff Davis. January 1998. p. 92.
  12. ^ "Corporate Profile". polyphony.co.jp. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  13. ^ "Prescreen: Gran Turismo 2". Edge (68). Future Publishing: 46. February 1999.
  14. ^ a b "Gran Turismo for PlayStation Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  15. ^ Broesder, Chris. "Gran Turismo - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2014-11-22.
  16. ^ Alex C (1998). "PlayStation Review: Gran Turismo". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  17. ^ Edge Staff (February 1998). "Gran Turismo review". Edge. No. 55. Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2015-03-08.
  18. ^ "Gran Turismo". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 175. January 2004. p. 188.
  19. ^ Air Hendrix (1998). "Gran Turismo Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2005-02-12. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  20. ^ Baldric (May 1998). "Gran Turismo Review (PS)". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
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  22. ^ "R.I.P. PlayStation: The best of 1995-2001". Hyper. No. 90 (April 2001). 28 February 2001. pp. 44–51.
  23. ^ Boor, Jay (1998-08-23). "Gran Turismo". IGN. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  24. ^ a b "Finals". Next Generation. No. 40. Imagine Media. April 1998. p. 97.
  25. ^ "Play Test: Gran Turismo". Official UK PlayStation Magazine (Platinum Special): 24–31. 1999.
  26. ^ "Gran Turismo". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1998.
  27. ^ Walk, Gary Eng (1998-06-19). "Gran Turismo". Entertainment Weekly. No. 437. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  28. ^ Johnston, Chris (May 18, 1998). "Sony Awards Top PlayStation Games". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 8, 2000.
  29. ^ Ohbuchi, Yutaka (August 20, 1998). "First Half '98 Top Ten Japanese Games". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 2, 2000.
  30. ^ "10 million PAL PlayStations". Official PlayStation Magazine (Australia) (15): 14. October 1998.
  31. ^ "High Scores: Top Titles in the Game Industry". Feed Magazine. April 22, 1999. Archived from the original on May 8, 1999.
  32. ^ The Veronis, Suhler & Associates Communications Industry Forecast. Veronis, Suhler & Associates. 1999. p. 247. While Nintendo 64 titles dominated the top-10 best-seller list in 1997, PlayStation software rebounded in 1998, occupying six of the top-10 spots. Nevertheless, the leader in sales, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, is the continuation of a popular fantasy series manufactured by Nintendo. The second leading game, Gran Turismo, is a car-racing game produced by Sony for its PlayStation platform.
  33. ^ "Nintendo Dominates Videogame Sales: A small crop of N64 games followed the pace set by Game Boy titles". IGN. January 13, 2000. Archived from the original on 2002-08-12. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  34. ^ "Games Industry Sales Top $7.4 Billion in 1999". Spectrum: Interactive Media & Online Developer News. PC Data. 7 February 2000. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  35. ^ "Uhr TCM Hannover – ein glänzender Event auf der CebitHome" (Press release) (in German). Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland. August 26, 1998. Archived from the original on July 13, 2000. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  36. ^ Horn, Andre (January 14, 2004). "VUD-Gold-Awards 2003". GamePro Germany (in German). Archived from the original on July 18, 2018.
  37. ^ Müller, Eva; Canibol, Hans-Peter (November 23, 1998). "Die Spaßmaschine". Focus (in German). Archived from the original on December 6, 2018.
  38. ^ "Neues aus der Verbandsgeschäftstelle" (Press release) (in German). Paderborn: Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland. November 27, 1998. Archived from the original on June 10, 2000. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  39. ^ Staff (February 12, 1999). "Milia News; ECCSELL Awards Name Winners". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 30, 1999. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  40. ^ "Le Milia 2000 Annonce Les Gagnants Des Prix ECCSELL, Organisés Par Le Sell en Partenariat Avec Gfk Et Chart-Track" [Milia 2000 Announces Winners of ECCSELL Awards, Organized by Le Sell in Partnership With Gfk and Chart-Track]. FHCOM (in French). Reed Midam. 15 February 2000. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  41. ^ "Results For The Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 1999" (PDF). Sony. April 28, 1999. p. 4. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  42. ^ Staff (July 12, 1999). "Turismo Races Past Two Million". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 29, 2000.
  43. ^ "Computer Games: Best-Selling Driving Simulator". Guinness World Records 2001. Guinness. 2000. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-85112-102-4.
  44. ^ "Gran Turismo™ 3 A-spec Delivers the Most Technologically Advanced Racing Experience Exclusively on Playstation®2". Sony.com. Sony Computer Entertainment America. December 22, 2000. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  45. ^ "製品情報 | Polyphony Digital - ポリフォニー・デジタル". 2018-04-27. Archived from the original on 2018-04-27. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  46. ^ Hawley, Jonathan (September 13, 1998). "Video killed the racing driver". The Age. p. 116. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ "Game Developers Choice Awards". Gamechoiceawards.com. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  48. ^ a b Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 50, page 38, Future Publishing, October 1999.
  49. ^ Computer and Video Games issue 218.
  50. ^ Cork, Jeff (2009-11-16). "Game Informer's Top 100 Games of All Time (Circa Issue 100)". Game Informer. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  51. ^ "The top 50 best ever driving games: 10-1". Top Gear. 23 December 2016.
  52. ^ "Top 50 Games of All Time". Next Generation. No. 50. Imagine Media. February 1999. p. 79.
  53. ^ "The Greatest Games of All Time: Gran Turismo". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007.
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