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Upcoming 'Gran Turismo' Games Come in PSP and NASCAR Flavors

by Tim Stevens on June 5, 2009 at 05:17 AM



'Gran Turismo' is hailed by many gaming racers as the /true/ driving simulation. There are plenty of other racers out there that offer more realistic physics or a more immersive experience, but none have become anywhere near as popular and none have had the massive impact on American car culture that GT has. This week at E3, Sony had two different versions of the frequently-delayed franchise on display, and we checked them both out.

'Gran Turismo 5' (GT5) is the latest-and-greatest version of the title (it's also known as the version that's been delayed so many times, nobody remembers exactly when it was first supposed to come out, least of all Kaz Yamauchi, the series' car-crazy producer). Yamuchi is something of a perfectionist, and that shows in the immaculate graphics of the franchise as well as its constant inability to release on time.



GT5 is no exception, and while a cut-down version, GT5 Prologue, did ship last year, the full release is still not due for some time. There was a more complete version of the game on display at Sony's booth this week, and the company unveiled two major partnerships, the first being with the World Rally Championship, or WRC. That means a series of high-spec off-road racers will be making an appearance. The second is rather more notable, at least in the U.S., with NASCAR making an official appearance. So you can expect plenty of Cup cars will be in the game, and we presume a number of licensed ovals as well. Developers are still targeting a 2009 release date, but call us skeptical.

The other game on display is 'Gran Turismo PSP.' This is the portable version of the game that Sony has been showing since it first introduced the handheld PSP back in 2004. The game looks to offer something of a simplified experience as compared to the home console version, meaning fewer settings to tweak and customize, but with over 800 cars on tap, it will offer plenty to do. The physics feel a bit simplified, but overall it's the same great driving experience and should make for a great travel-time waster for racing fans.

Sony is pledging that it'll get Gran Turismo PSP in stores by October of this year, which is exactly the same time as its new PSP Go handheld will release. Obviously Sony's looking for a big bullet in the gun to get sales of the new portable going, and this could certainly do it -- if it gets done in time.

Tags: e3, e32009, granturismo, gt, gt5, GtPsp, ps3, sony, top

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