GTHD Concept on 23rd March

By Robert Purchese Published 26 February, 2007

Free from PS3 online store.

Gran Turismo HD Concept will be available to download from the PlayStation Store on 23rd March, Sony has announced, to coincide with the European launch of PlayStation 3.

It will be free to digitally snatch, and will let you race around the Eiger Nordwand track in the Swiss Alps until your heart is content, either ploughing around the course the normal way, like a sane person, or in reverse, like a weirdo.

Complete it in various set times and you'll be able to unlock all of the nine cars in the game, including a Ferrari 599, which presumably is shiny, fast, and makes good rumbling noises.

Get a really good time and you'll be automatically entered into an online leaderboard, ranking the best players from around the world: "We expect a lot of dedication to be put in," said Sony.

Sony and developer Polyphony previously announced they were scrapping plans for a full version of GTHD and focusing on GT5 instead. The result of which is this 'concept' demo, a taster of what we can expect when the full Gran Turismo next-gen title revs its engines sometime in the future.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JediMasterMalik #1 5 years ago

    Will download. Just for the prettiness.

  • Darren #2 5 years ago

    Nice. And what about Tekken: Dark Resurrection, will that be available too?

  • Blerk #3 5 years ago

    If it's free, why didn't they just preload this onto the machines? Would've thought that was a pretty obvious PR stunt.

  • dadrester #4 5 years ago

    "If it's free, why didn't they just preload this onto the machines? Would've thought that was a pretty obvious PR stunt."

    so that people sign up to the sony network stuff and go download it, another rather obvious PR stunt.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #5 5 years ago

    makes good rumbling noises

    Shame it won't be making good rumbling rumbles, then eh?


    Unless, perhaps, you can play it with a PS2 USB force feedback wheel. Can you?

  • kissthestick #6 5 years ago

    Troll?

  • stuarty_2003 #7 5 years ago

    Nice rumble sounds. No rumble sensation, because it's so laaaaast-gen!

    I'm just bitter 'cause one of the slave monkeys in Game told me I'd have to shell out over half a grand for a console.

  • Pooley #8 5 years ago

    You can play it with a wheel, I've been using my Logitech GT4 force feedback one, but this demo does not support force feedback or rumble.

    Hopefully they'll sort something out for GT5.

  • Machiavel #9 5 years ago

    Will they not drive backwards on Euro machines?

  • mattigan #10 5 years ago

    No, Backwards Compatibility is limited in Europe

  • Beano #11 5 years ago

    "Will they not drive backwards on Euro machines? "

    Of course... but only at "limited" speed :)

  • peterfll #12 5 years ago

    I saw some of this in motion, and like, the cars right, when they passed through shadows right, the car remained fully lit. This is soooo like last-gen...........

    ps When it GT going to be available for the PSP? Whatever happened to THAT?

  • [maven] #13 5 years ago

    Pooley: The demo does not support force feedback even with the Logitech Driving Force Pro wheel?

    What mockery is this?

  • Xerx3s #14 5 years ago

    PS network crash in the making. ;)

  • lennon #15 5 years ago

    What from the 5 people who manage to make it work? :)

  • Zane #16 5 years ago

    GT5 = taking too long.

    Forza 2 is breaking the innovation barrier racing games have suffered for a long time. It's offering the online auctioning for created car models which is interesting, doing much more than simply razzing round tracks.

    With PGR4 on the way too. Sony are going to have to pull something really special off to edge people to stick with Gran Turismo for their racing fix.

  • chronom4n #17 5 years ago

    ever since sony ballsed up on the rumble issue, i can't see myself buying the ps3. gt5 will feel empty without the rumble and even worse with the lack of force feedback when used with the DFP, this is insulting to the die=hard GT fan(s).
    Edited by 1 at 26/02/07 @ 12:18

  • Hughes. #18 5 years ago

    GTHD force feedback

    Shadows in the tunnel.

    I would have posted a link for the PSP game as well, but that's NEVER EVER COMING!

  • peterfll #19 5 years ago

    What about the goddamn shadows from the TREES man?!?!

    I agree that with PGR and Forza in the opposite camp, Sony really need to make GT geeereat and available sooner rather than later......

  • Hughes. #20 5 years ago

    Trees don't cast shadows, crazy fool!

    I'm afraid I can't work up Zane's enthusiasm for becoming a used car salesman in Forza 2, and PGR realy has nothing to do with GT, except it has cars in it. I do hope both games are great though, as there is no doubt Polyphony need a good kick up the arse to get some long term flaws sorted out.
    Edited by 1 at 26/02/07 @ 12:29

  • Scimarad #21 5 years ago

    Sony related thread full of moaning bastards...who'd have guessed?

  • peterfll #22 5 years ago

    Yes, trees are transparent, light passes through them.

    EDIT: No, they do cast shadows, but only on roads, not passing objects....

    And YES I KNOW am being pedantic.
    Edited by 1 at 26/02/07 @ 12:31

  • Hughes. #23 5 years ago

    Trees are made of cheese, and cheese is transparent, if you hit it with a hammer for 7 hours.

    FACT!

  • Pooley #24 5 years ago

    @ [maven] and Hughes.

    I have the Logitech FF wheel that came bundled with a copy of GT4. I think this wheel is also known as the DFP.

    Whilst the wheel works properly with GT HD, there is no force feedback or rumble through the wheel. You can feel the motors friction, when you try to turn for instance, but that's it. No force feedback.

    The YouTube clip shows a different type of wheel, and iirc, the force feedback feature was removed from the current version of GT HD on the Playstation Store. Therefore there may be different versions of GT HD on different versions of PS Stores. That's just my view, and I can't confirm whether this is correct or not.

    As Polyphony are a subsidiary of Sony, and Sony have stated previously that they do not support any form of rumble or force feedback, I don't think at this stage that it'll be featured in the final version of GT5. Which is a massive pity, as it was one of the best features of GT4.

  • Scimarad #25 5 years ago

    How very daft. Is this rumble thing that much of a legal issue?

  • enzima #26 5 years ago

    "including a Ferrari 599, which presumably is shiny, fast, and makes good rumbling noises. "

    Yeah, the rumbling part especially will be left to your fervid imagination......;P

  • Scimarad #27 5 years ago

    You know, that comment was SO funny, particularly because no one had come up with it yet...

  • Pooley #28 5 years ago

    From what I've read, rumble and ff were supported in version 1.0 of the GT HD download, but were both removed when 1.1 was released.

    So, the PS3 can support rumble and ff, but this is not available for the latest GT HD download.

    Apparently, NFS Carbon supports rumble and ff through a wheel at this time.

    Sony need to sort this out, as it looks to be purely a legal issue rather than any technical one.

  • enzima #29 5 years ago

    Maybe not everybody has the time to real all the posts? Some of us actually do something in their life.....

  • ruttyboy #30 5 years ago

    So you only have the time to read the posts after yours to check if anyone appreciated your brilliant sense of humour?

    I have a DFP wheel and if I can't use it with all the functionality if provides for GT4 they can stick it, can't go back to a pad now.

  • in5ane #31 5 years ago

    Unfortunately the 1.1 update was forced on everyone wanting to sign in on GTHD, so if 1.0 had rumble support, it's lost forevers.

  • enzima #32 5 years ago

    I actually do so. Thank you.

  • kangarootoo #33 5 years ago

    @Blerk

    Why on earth would they pre-load the thing? Its not like they have enough other far more important stuff to be concerned with. Talk about conspiracy theories.

    I think the conversation might have gone something like this.

    "Excuse me. Can we pre-load GTHD on the internal disc?"

    "Fuck off will you, we are really busy here. Why can't you just make it available for download like everyone else?"

    "Oh, ok, that makes sense. Sorry."

  • fiery_jackass #34 5 years ago

    zane said:"Forza 2 is breaking the innovation barrier racing games have suffered for a long time. It's offering the online auctioning for created car models which is interesting, doing much more than simply razzing round tracks."

    I find this terribly depressing, I want nothing to do with this "auctioning" or microtransactions or (really) customisation. I'd rather a race game was utterly focussed on "razzing", provided that that's a modern phrase for racing, and not some weirdo mobile phone sex term.

  • SharkVLion #35 5 years ago

    Cant believe what Sony and Polyphony are doing with the Gran Turismo IP.

    GT5 should be here now with PS3 and it should fully support the DFP and G25 for rumble and FF. What the hell have Polyphony been doing other than sitting back on their laurels whilst Forza steps up and steals their thunder. Unbelievable.

    GT2 was the best thing Poly ever did imho, since then they've been tossing it off by the looks.

  • Scimarad #36 5 years ago

    Has a GT game ever been available at the launch of a new console? I think this is the closest it's ever come.

    I really don't think Forza2 is a threat to GT as gamers already know which series they like. I suspect I will buy both as I liked Forza and also really enjoy GTHD.

  • AOFanboi #37 5 years ago

    At least they don't charge for itthis time, unlike GT4 Prologue.

  • Jamaicangmr #38 5 years ago

    Glad the got it ready for the Euro launch because with no Football (Am Jamaican so it's football not soccer thank you.) games at launch. Sony is really tryin to hit the ground running in Europe.

  • Ryze #39 5 years ago

    Yeah, Sony are really leaving everyone in the dust with their late, overpriced console with missing features.

    No ta.

  • crouchy #40 5 years ago

    GT5 should be here now with PS3 and it should fully support the DFP and G25 for rumble and FF. What the hell have Polyphony been doing other than sitting back on their laurels whilst Forza steps up and steals their thunder. Unbelievable.
    -----
    PS3 is a new console. It can take years to develope games you dont just click your thumb.

  • grandmaster Verified Director, Digital Foundry #41 5 years ago

    Am I missing something here? The same demo already out in foreign versions of the Store will be available on the European one? Is that it?

  • ruttyboy #42 5 years ago

    That's just it grandmaster. Another brilliant visionary move by Sony.

  • SharkVLion #43 5 years ago

    >>PS3 is a new console. It can take years to develope games you dont just click your thumb.

    Oh, I didnt know that. I thought you just clicked your thumb. I've only been working in the industry for 12 years now but hadnt realised that.

    The other 30 launch titles, presumably the devs must have just clicked thier thumb as you say.