Gran Turismo 5 Staying Up North For Christmas. Another Delay Rumored To be in the Works.

Fans of the seemingly vapor-ware Gran Tursimo 5 will want to take a seat if they’re envisioning a holiday full of GT5 racing. It appears that GT5 may not make it in time for the end of year celebrations. Shocking, I know…

Dynamic weather in Gran Turismo 5 makes my eyes ooze gobs of joy…

If you follow Gadgetsteria on a rather consistent basis, you’ll know I have a thing for racing games — Forza and Gran Turismo in particular. Since Forza 2 came onto the scene, I’ve largely ignored Gran Turismo (any version) mainly due to the damage modeling and more precise physics in Forza. There’s something about GT’s 200mph wall bouncing that just isn’t very…real. However, GT 5 is changing all of that. The damage modeling that we’ve seen so far looks kind of cheap and pretty unrealistic. The physics, however, are leaps and bounds better than even GT 4. But there’s something even better that should make GT5 the kind of racing sims at least for a few months — dynamic weather.

It’s not a new development and has actually been demoed several times before. However, the video waiting for you just after the break is a a thing of beauty. Not only does it feel real, it looks like it will add a completely new set of challenges. Grab the popcorn and jump on in…

GranTurismo 5 delayed indefinitely. Forza looking even better.

What type of racing gamer are you: Gran Turismo or Forza? It’s quite simply really. You’re one or the other. You either crave for the seemingly life-like visuals of Gran Turismo or the more (physically speaking) real world of Forza with it’s active damage modeling and more advanced physics engine. Whatever the case, a delay in either games next gen title is a deafening blow. It isn’t hard to guess who the tardy entry is…GT5.

Originally slated for release nearly 3 years ago, GT5 has continued to get pushed back, delayed, and played down in the public eye. Meanwhile, the biggest contender to the sim racing genre, Forza for the Xbox 360 has enjoyed building success with each subsequent release since version 1.0. I for one can attest to the massive improvements the newly released Forza 3.0 depict over the title’s 1st gen release. Everything is prettier. The cars handle more life-like. Crash damage modeling both looks real and affects the car as it would in the real world. The latter is something Gran Turismo can’t claim.

Never before has Gran Turismo displayed any type of damage or modeled it’s effects whatsoever. Though, the stunning visuals for the time period during each game’s reign seemed to make this no damage issue a moot point. Although, mid-way through ’09 pictures and a few short YouTube clips were published showing active damage modeling in Gran Turismo 5 development. Perhaps that’s the reason for such a delay? With over 1,000 cars and 70 racing locations, getting the physics down for damage modeling is no small chore.

I’m a stickler for actual real gameplay. After Forza 1 was released, it was good-bye GT and hello Forza. I quit almost cold turkey. ‘Till this day, I spend a majority of my time on the ‘Box playing Forza giving only a few minutes here and there for glory runs on GT 4. I was hoping Gran Turismo 5 would be “the one” to bring me back, to wow me, to get me excited for GT again. Sadly it appears I won’t get that feeling anytime soon with a “TBA” date for a North American release following shortly after the “delayed indefinitely” verbiage found on the Playstation website.

If you’re still there, who are you before this announcement and who are you after this announcement?

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Total development costs for Gran Turismo 5 — $60 million

No, I didn’t misplace a zero. The simulation racing game that has spanned the ages of video gaming time packs a wallop in the latest installment, Gran Turismo 5. $60 million is a lot of money, especially considering it was spent on a single video game. Now I’m not to deep in development costs for other big gaming titles, but I’m surprised to say the least. I’ve been playing Gran Turismo since v2 and have loved every minute….and then Forza came along. In order to keep a Forza vs. GT flame war, I must stress that each game has it’s pro’s and cons. Gran Turismo 5 is graphical eye candy at it’s finest. No game on any platform has ever come away looking so realistic (relative to the time period of course) than GT. Boundaries and hardware are constantly pushed to the limit. Forza on the other hand has the one up with real physics/damage modeling that brings a completely different level of realness that GT has lacked. Though several months back, shots of GT running with damage modeling inside surfaced leading many GT enthusiasts to finally have something to compete with their Forza frenemies. In the end, both games are worth of a spot in your collection. I wonder just how much Forza 3 cost to develop. Anyone care to wager a guess?

What would you do with $60 million?

Geek

Gran Turismo 5 getting damage modeling!

Since the first Gran Turismo graced my TV set and infiltrated my eyes, I have been begging for damage modeling. Any true racing sim can’t go on without it yet somehow Gran Turismo managed to go years through 4 different games without it. I must admit, while I am a Playstation guy, Once Forza came out for Xbox it was a done deal as the added complexity, eye candy, and game involvement of damage modeling instantly catapulted Forza to the top of my list for racing sims. However, the Gran Turismo team appears to finally be getting all of the ducks in a row as the screenshot above shows some pretty good damage modeling on a car being flung around some track in GT5. According to Cnet, out of the 1,000 vehicles, 170 will be “premium” models that will have fully rendered interiors that will feel the full affects of the games new damage modeling engine. The other 830 lesser models will only have visible external damage. A fair trade off I suppose for years of neglect.

Perhaps one of the juiciest rumors is that due to the new physics engine, vehicle rollovers will now be possible making GT5 a lot more realistic and on par with the physics engine that powers Forza 3. I love carnage…what can I say? And finally, for the few of you who make frequent use of the PS Eye add-on, there are rumblings that the game will be able to track your head with said device making turning left and right to check your side view mirrors all the more realistic. The racing sim wars have just been re-ignited!

Source: Cnet

Logitech G27 racing wheel to make virtual driver in all of us a little more lifelike

Some gamers lover 1st/3rd person shooters. Others are drawn towards RPG’s. And some are pulled towards the wild world of racing. While nothing can recreate the 120 degree temperatures and overpowering aroma of racing gas and burning rubber like an actual trip around the track, as technology improves, games mimicking that very activity are becoming better and more life like. In an attempt to bring the track home, Logitech has released an update to the popular and highly realistic G25 steering wheel, the G27.

The updated G27 now features a dual-motor force feedback mechanism with a helical differential for a more true feel that should have you looking over your shoulder checking your blind spots all while sitting motionless at your computer desk/gaming chair of choice. Gamers of either PC or PS3 units will be able to pretend as if the wind is in their hair and gasoline pumping through their veins as they try to navigate the concrete jungle that makes up many a racing tracks today.

Other features of the G27 include an RPM/shift indicator light, 900 degree (2.5 lock-to-lock) rotation, 16 programmable buttons, D-pad, 3-pedal base (gas, brake, and clutch), and a 6-speed gear shifter. If racing games are your thing, you really haven’t played a game until you’ve used a steering wheel like the G27. Start your imaginary journey today for only $299 via Logitech’s Site.

Source: Geeky-Gadgets, Blogitech