Game publisher Sony Computer Entertainment surprised anxiously anticipating gamers of “Gran Turismo 7” when it announced during the recently concluded Paris Games Week 2015 held on October 28 to November 1 an entirely different car racing video game.
Instead of “Gran Turismo 7,” Sony Computer Entertainment announced “Gran Turismo Sports” at the event, proving earlier speculations wrong that the widely-anticipated “GT7” would finally surface at the Paris Games Week 2015.
Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, confirmed during the event that the company will not be announcing “Gran Turismo 7” but “Gran Turismo Sports.”
While details about “Gran Turismo Sports” remain scarce, Ryan assured fans and gamers that it is not going to be a prologue version of “Gran Turismo 7.” He explained that series director Kazunori Yamauchi has been making the “GT” games for some considerable time already and it is only reasonable to assume that something new might come down the road.
Ryan reiterated that “Gran Turismo Sports” is more than a prologue because it is going to be a full GT. He added that when the game becomes more of an online connected experience, the distinction of the game from being a prologue and a full “GT” will not be clear, notes Venture Capital Post.
Coming out in VR
Game developer Polyphony Digital has previously said that it is planning to make “Gran Turismo 7,” the latest iteration to its car racing video game franchise, the best car racing title there is when it comes out exclusively on the PlayStation 4 in 2017 if not earlier.
In addition to ensuring great visuals, sound, collision physics, artificial intelligence, availability of more premium cars, and superb overall gameplay, it looks like “Gran Turismo 7” will further move a notch higher as latest reports now say that the game would also be capable of supporting the PlayStation VR.
Previously known as Project Morpheus, the PlayStation VR is Sony’s bet against the Oculus Rift and both feature full virtual reality technology for video games as well as supported media including movies and TV programs.
No less that Sony Computer Entertainment president Shuhei Yoshida confirmed recently that “Gran Turismo 7” may support the PlayStation VR when the game finally comes out soon.
Sony does have several IPs that would fit well with the PlayStation VR technology so having “Gran Turismo 7” onboard as one of the titles therein would not be a problem at all. The company has already done many tests on various video games of different genres, one of which is racing games, explains Yoshida.
As a racing game, “Gran Turismo 7” has all the trimmings of becoming a serious racing simulator so much so that it is also perfect for a virtual reality idea.
A thirst-quencher
Some critics aver that “Gran Turismo Sports” was meant to quench the thirst of fans and gamers for the long wait that they have been doing on “Gran Turismo 7.”
In a recent interview, Yamauchi said that people will not wait so much on a game that is way too far from being released. He said that since the game is “Gran Turismo,” fans and gamers deserve that it come to them earlier.
Yamauchi’s latest statement about the release date of “Gran Turismo 7” was consistent with his pronouncement sometime in October 2014. He also hinted that it seems pretty clear that the game will come in the next year and a half so it is likely that “Gran Turismo 7” will be released later in 2016, with the latest being early 2017.
With the announcement of “Gran Turismo Sports” and its release next year, it seems unlikely for Polyphony Digital to roll out “Gran Turismo 7” exclusively on the PlayStation 4 next year.
According to Sony Computer Entertainment, “Gran Turismo Sports” will be finished and rolled out sometime next year. There will be a beta testing phase for the game in the spring so it is likely that “Gran Turismo Sports” will exclusively hit the PlayStation 4 in the summer of 2016 or later.