With more than 47 million units shipped worldwide, the award-winning Gran Turismo franchise has raced far beyond a Driving Simulator experience; it is a global lifestyle. Setting the bar to unprecedented heights of realism, quality of design and physics technology with every product release, famed developer Polyphony Digital, Inc. continues to obscure the line between simulation and reality with the newest iteration of its blockbuster franchise, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, exclusively for PLAYSTATION3.

Available on Blu-Ray Disc and as a download via PLAYSTATION Network, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue showcases the automotive experience that is imminent with Gran Turismo 5. Featuring over 40 meticulously detailed cars - including vehicles by Ferrari, Lotus and Nissan - for users to race on five beautifully rendered tracks from around the globe, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue runs in stunning Full High-Definition at 1080p. Additionally, in conjunction with a robust offline experience, for the first time in the history of the franchise Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will support up to 16 players racing head-to-head online, complete with global leaderboards, to quell any question of who is the best driver in the “World of GT.” Furthermore, a feature called My Garage allows users to develop a personal profile page within the game and interact with other car enthusiasts from around the globe.

Dedicated to expanding the user’s immersion in automotive culture, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will feature access to Gran Turismo TV, a dedicated online channel available exclusively from PLAYSTATION Network that delivers some of the greatest motorsport and manufacturer content that television has to offer.

KEY FEATURES

• A first for the franchise, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue supports online racing with up to 16 drivers racing simultaneously on a beautifully rendered race track.
• Race 30 high-performance and exhaustively detailed cars, including vehicles from Ferrari, Lotus, Nissan and Mitsubishi.
• Race on five stunningly realistic tracks, including the Eiger Nordwand, the London City Track and Suzuka – then race them in reverse and with alternative routes.
• A new physics engine delivers next-generation vehicle handling. True to the heritage of the Gran Turismo franshise, this new physics engine provides unprecedented realism and authentic handling specific to each car.
• A new in-cockpit view provides a unique perspective for racers and features a customized dashboard for each of the cars in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
• All-new and improved opponent AI for a nail-biting race experience.
• Access to Gran Turismo TV: a world of great motoring TV programming online through PLAYSTATION Network.
• My Garage is a personalized homepage feature with a friends list, chat functionality and personal game records to expand the interaction between car enthusiasts in the world of Gran Turismo.
• Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tires, suspension and much more.
• All in stunning High-Definition at 1080p (race: 1080p-60fps, replay: 1080p-30fps)
• Photo Mode gives players the opportunity to photograph their car during the race where they can take advantage of zoom, depth of field and motion blur.

FRANCHISE STATISTICS

North American sales - More than 17.77 million units shipped
• Gran Turismo (May 1998 release): 3.99 million
• Gran Turismo 2 (December 1999 release): 3.96 million
• Gran Turismo 3 A-spec (July 2001 release): 7.12 million (Includes GT3 Racing Pack)
• Gran Turismo 4 (February 2005 release): 5.69 million

Worldwide sales - More than 47.22 million units shipped (including GT Concept and Gran Turismo 4 Prologue, which only released in Europe and Asia)

• Gran Turismo: more than 10.85 million
• Gran Turismo 2: more than 9.37 million
• Gran Turismo 3 A-spec: more than 14.87 million (Includes GT3 Racing Pack)
• Gran Turismo 4: more than 9.21 million

Kev J.

04/10/07

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 Each of these articles has been written either independently of Electronic Theatre or by an external viewer. The opinions discussed in these articles in no way reflects the opinions of Electronic Theatre.

If you wish to inquire about pricing of any titles for these formats not listed on this site, drop me a line at kjoyce@electronictheatre.co.uk