GT HD repackaged as demo

By Tom Bramwell Published 1 December, 2006

Due out this month in Japan.

Sony and Polyphony Digital have scrapped plans for a boxed version of Gran Turismo HD and now plan to release a free GT demo on the PlayStation Store for a limited time instead.

Due out on 24th December, and currently only for Japan, Gran Turismo HD Concept will consist of ten cars and two layouts of a single track according to translations of the announcement and a message from designer Kazunori Yamauchi.

It will also offer Time Attack and Drift Trial modes, with a Network Ranking feature so you can marvel at how rubbish you are compared to some bloke from Osaka.

Apparently Polyphony is throwing all its weight behind Gran Turismo 5 when this is done, although there's the possibility of more "Concept" releases between now and the fifth GT title's release, which is expected in 2008.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • Mildew #1 5 years ago

    Well that turned out to be a big fat load of nothing...

  • xandoodle #2 5 years ago

    'Sony and Polyphony Digital have scrapped plans for a boxed version of Gran Turismo HD and now plan to release a GT demo on the PlayStation Store for a limited time instead.'

    Clarification is welcome...

  • spongebob #3 5 years ago

    Does this mean that GT HD won't get all those pesky microtransactions and that it'll be just this small demo.

  • lambtron #4 5 years ago

    Haha, polyphony in unable to finish something in time shocker.

  • Steroyd #5 5 years ago

    No i think this means that GTHD is.... on time. o_O

    There were rumours that GTHD wouldn't come out anywhere until the later half of next year.

  • Blerk #6 5 years ago

    Polyphony really need to learn how to finish stuff. :-)

    Anyway - good move, probably brought about by total customer revolt when the microtransactions bullshit was announced. ^_^

  • Dirtie #7 5 years ago

    I think it's good that it's been downgraded to a demo as it seemed quite underwhelming when it was announced - and now the developer can focus on GT5.

  • Valver #8 5 years ago

    Err, and the price of this demo is...?

    Doesnt say its gonna be free at any point does it!

  • Steroyd #9 5 years ago

    <a href=http://ww w.gran-turismo.com/jp/sp/d375.html>It is Free.</a>

    Edited by 1 at 01/12/06 @ 09:27

  • Valver #10 5 years ago

    source?

    edit: LOL, you edited and linked me up as I typed that... OK, yep - that clearly has a "Free" icon.

    /cynicism off
    Edited by 1 at 01/12/06 @ 09:29

  • Rambaldi #11 5 years ago

    Good, good, good, good, good.

    Let those cash cow motherpluckers get the message that we will not be whored by DLC

  • Steroyd #12 5 years ago

    hmmm... i wonder how they're going to Beta test their online then if they've taken it out.

    Or have they?

    /is confused.

  • JediMasterMalik #13 5 years ago

    Yeh, they've aready tested the online. The talked about it on IGN.

  • Muddtallica #14 5 years ago

    That seems so much more sensible than the ridiculous system they were planning at first...

  • patlike #15 5 years ago

    Sony did this the GT when they launched PS2. The original "next gen" version they showed was called GT2000, and it was playable for the first time at PlayStation Festival 2000 in Tokyo. Afterwards, they gave it away as a two (?) track demo under the same name, then binned GT2000 as a title and started promoting GT3, which came out in Europe the following summer. It's all the same game, innit, it's just a question of how to market new versions to the public.

  • Psychotext #16 5 years ago

    So wait... a demo that you can buy cars for? I'm confused.

  • Steroyd #17 5 years ago

    I'd be surprised if they didn't do the microtransaction or at least throw in some free cars for a public beta testing.

  • playgen #18 5 years ago

    bloody hell get it sorted polyphony, hire some developers!
    And put crashes in the game, intelligence in the computer drivers, and a fun arcade mode

  • mkreku #19 5 years ago

    I think this sounds kind of cool!

    You download the demo (with only two tracks aand a few cars), then, if you like it, they'll have a shitload of other tracks and cars for you to buy on the marketplace! It's an awesome system! Except.. it may end up being disgustingly expensive after a while. If they release 500 cars for 1€ each..

  • penhalion #20 5 years ago

    oops I guess GT HD doesn't have full game potential at 1080p after all. Could Microsoft have been right about the tradeoffs for making 1080p games, not being worth it?

    I know PS3 fans always tout 1080p as the holy grail that their console can apparently do but, I think the reality of what needs to be traded off to achieve it is sinking in. They may finally realise that 600 dollars for a console that really doesn't have that much more potential than the already plentiful 360 (and way cheaper), isn't a good thing after all.

    At 1080p the GT graphics must really be hurting the PS3. I predict a full version at 720p will mysteriously be announced for retail some time soon.

  • Steroyd #21 5 years ago

    Are you okay what does 1080p have to do with anything.

    and a 720p Gran Turismo would be a downgrade from a 1080i GT4.

  • penhalion #22 5 years ago

    @Steroyd

    The demo of GT HD I saw in Tokyo was touted as being 1080p and they were raving about it. It didn't look much cop and lacked any real content. I asked them about this and they dismissed it as being an early beta (it wasn't but, that remark seems to be their excuse for everything).

    I should add that I program for the PS3 and have had a lot of problems with Sony tech support. 1080p isn't realistic for any games out there at least not yet and certainly not with the libraries they give us! It's starting to annoy me when they shout about new games being 1080p and I know for a fact that this is complete bull and they can't actually achive it without severely limiting game content.

    I also forgot to mention that PS3 games are pretty much required to be 720p not 1080i/p so this is the level you will get. Without the upscaler (and it really doesn't have one!) you can't even do a simple thing like allow the user to select their required resolution!

    It pisses me off that 360 may win by default purely because it's a frak load easier to get anything done on it!
    Edited by 2 at 01/12/06 @ 12:11

  • JediMasterMalik #23 5 years ago

    They're releasing a demo...I thought that was clear. :s

  • penhalion #24 5 years ago

    @JediMasterMalik

    GT HD was supposed to be a full update running at 1080p. It is now only appearing as a demo!

  • JediMasterMalik #25 5 years ago

    A full update people were shunning for thepayment system. Now that it's free, you complain?

    From what I can see it's the same as it was before, only now it's free.

  • thinktank #26 5 years ago

    every one seems to be missing the point. How can u release a demo of game that isn't going to come out as a full fledged version?

    Surely it becomes tech demo in that case?

  • penhalion #27 5 years ago

    @JediMasterMalik

    You miss the point. GT HD isn't supposed to be just a demo. A demo of what exactly if there is now no plan for a full game (not strictly true it just will not look like the demo does!).

    This is the point. It isn't a free product it's a two level game effectively. This is what they wanted you to pay for. When it comes out, I suggest you go play it and then you will see for yourself why even the hint of having to pay for it pissed so many people off at the tokyo show!

  • kangarootoo #28 5 years ago

    @Mildew

    "Well that turned out to be a big fat load of nothing..."

    Except for a free demo of course. Miserable bugger :)

  • spongebob #29 5 years ago

    I think this sounds kind of cool!

    You download the demo (with only two tracks aand a few cars), then, if you like it, they'll have a shitload of other tracks and cars for you to buy on the marketplace! It's an awesome system! Except.. it may end up being disgustingly expensive after a while. If they release 500 cars for 1€ each..

    I agree. This might work for other kinds of games as well. You get the core, game engine and some demonstration content but the rest you pay for. And you can build it as you like, big or small. Of course it's crappy if you end up paying 500 euros :)

  • penhalion #30 5 years ago

    @Spongebob

    Thats not quite how it works and many people twigged after hearing the explanation. Let me elaborate.

    If I buy 3 tracks and twenty cars. You need to own the same three tracks and at least have a car in common with me in order to play me online. So rather than being open. My online community choices now are limited to the core content, which everyone will have i.e. the demo. If I'm an elitist with my car choices I may only have two people I can play against and heaven help me if they are not online when I am.

  • Freek #31 5 years ago

    Come on, the writing was on the wall for this one.
    They previously did the same thing for Gt 2000, remember? The souped up version of GT2 that was supposed to come out for the PS2? Canned, wich they eventually turned into GT3.

    Trying to sell a game without content was always going to be retarded anyway, making it into a demo (wich it always was) is much more sensible.

  • chupachups #32 5 years ago

    It probably makes sense to wait until 2008 to release a major PS3 game, the userbase is clearly going to be very small in 2007 because of Sony's manufacturing problems.
    Edited by 1 at 02/12/06 @ 00:56

  • Redeye #33 5 years ago

    AlMcD: "Finish the PSP version muddy funsters!!!!"

    Indeed, funny that most of the pre-release bollocks for PSP had GT all over it, and where is it now...?

    Polyphony - get on with it, you pilchards!

  • MaxiSleep #34 5 years ago


    @JediMasterMalik

    "A full update people were shunning for thepayment system. Now that it's free, you complain?

    From what I can see it's the same as it was before, only now it's free."

    Just shows how badly thought out the process was inside sony when they can turn what is now a goodwill demo into (yet another) pr bodge

  • manic_mouse #35 5 years ago

    "Polyphony - get on with it, you pilchards! "

    They've said that the PSP version is essentially complete and has been for a while. Apparently they just can't be arsed releasing it!

  • secombe #36 5 years ago

    All well and good, but is this just another graphical update of a very very average game? Sure they look nice and have loads of cars and tracks, but if they had an 'EA' logo stamped on the box a lot more people would be moaning about the lack of any real advancement in the series.

    If the relatively small SimBin can keep nailing the art of racing sims (GTR, GTR2, GT Legends, RACE) why the hell are Polophony struggling so much? If the AI isn't at least 200% improved then the 1 player experience will quickly become a car collecting game with a good time-trial mode, much like GT4 has for so many people.

  • Hughes. #37 5 years ago

    I only just noticed Play.com are still advertising this as an pre-order item, at £49.99.

    Pretty slow on the uptake over there.

    I was always a bit uneasy about this DLC deal, and a GT was just about the only game that would have tempted me to buy anything. Being free I'd not object to buying a brace of cars and 4 or 5 tracks, which should still come in substantially cheaper than those less than bargain-mungous £25 "Comcept" and "Prologue" editions, which as big a fan of the series as I was, I never bought.

    But now, it seems like they've stripped out online play for an online leaderboard, wtf is wrong with Polyphony? GT4 was supposed to be based entirely around online play, and yet, despite delay after delay after delay, it launched with no such thing available (unless you can get some tunnelling software working for a network game). GT Mobile was supposed to be online, but it slips and slips and slips further away, ostensibly so PD can work on getting GT HD ready to release. Two titles supposed to be online that aren't, and now, and a third title supposedly due to be online that slips further and further from view (and I'm starting to suspect will be offline only too). What is so damned hard about getting GT online?