Yamauchi: GT5 3D finished for two years

By Robert Purchese Published 21 June, 2010

Move now the sole reason for delays?

Sony might be banging the 3D drum now, but Kazunori Yamauchi has revealed that Gran Turismo 5 supported 3D two years ago.

"The 3D feature was almost complete two years ago, actually," Yamauchi told the US PlayStation blog. "We could see that it was in that natural flow of technology and where things were heading."

"Discussions with Sony regarding 3D technology began more than three years ago. More recently we have spoken with Evolution Studios, who have put a lot of work into stereoscopic 3D, about things like video formats.

"Because Gran Turismo 5 is built to run at 60 frames per second," he added, "it was easy for us to implement 3D. It's quite difficult to convert a game that runs at 30 frames per second to 3D.”

3D was reported to be one of the features causing the delay to Gran Turismo 5's public release; PlayStation Move was the other. Sony, however, has maintained that Polyphony's perfectionism was the reason the game missed its March 2010 Japan release.

Gran Turismo 5 now finally has a solid 2nd November release date for North America.

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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 (42) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • Dolly #1 2 years ago

    I predict a riot..

  • Arwin #2 2 years ago

    Sounds like Sony was right then, that is was mostly perfectionism, as I doubt the game was delayed just for head-tracking. Only a few months ago an interview mentioned that PD wasn't sure yet if/how Move should/could be implemented for Gran Turismo. If there had been 'team orders' from Sony on this, then they'd a) never have said that out loud, and b) had an answer to that question in the first place.

    And of course, PD has quite a track-record of being perfectionist.
    Edited by 1 at 21/06/10 @ 10:25

  • Dark_Era #3 2 years ago

    Could be true, but personally i think it's Yamauchi san who keeps pushing it back, he did it with gt4 didn't he.
    Am just glad its finally coming out.
    Edited by 1 at 21/06/10 @ 10:26

  • sfp_noodle #4 2 years ago

    You know, considering how long it took you to finish making this game, you guys really shouldn't be admitting stuff like this. It makes us wonder - what could have possibly taken you an additional 2 years to impliment?

  • banjo21 #5 2 years ago

    The issue is just how relavant is gt5 in late 2010. With 5 years of unchallenged Xbox dominance in the genre and two forzas on this gen out at least a year before one gt I just don't know if it can possibly challenge.

  • Dylbot #6 2 years ago

    I must admit, the thought of playing GT5 in 3D is giving me a bit of a semi. However, it'd mean shelling out for a 3DTV, glasses, a steering wheel and Move (if they're serious about head tracking). Which would be awesome, but hilariously expensive. Forza 3 is keeping me plenty entertained as far as car porn games go, anyway, and I don't know if I could go back to non-customisable paint jobs. Between Forza and the APB beta I've really gotten into heavy customisation, makes online that much more fun.

  • Beano #7 2 years ago

    Oh dear...

  • CrunchinJelly #8 2 years ago

    Shame they only managed to finish 20% of the cars.

  • linksdad #9 2 years ago

    Ha! The whole game was 'nearly complete' 2 years ago.

  • JonFE #10 2 years ago

    I highly doubt PD have been sitting on their arses doing nothing for 2 years, waiting for 3D and motion technology to be released, in order to be the first in line. They were probably adding content and polishing/perfecting everything off...

  • Johnson #11 2 years ago

    So we're expected to believe that Sony chose to delay the game for two years when the PS3 was near expiring from a lack of quality games? As though they wouldn't release a revision of it when Move was ready.

    Still, if it meets people's expectations...

  • Rodchenko #12 2 years ago

    id much rather have the 2 forzas and dirt/grid etc,, instead

    Nobody is keeping you from.

  • KillerMonkey #13 2 years ago

    Rodchenko: "Nobody is keeping you from."

    From voicing your opinion?

  • kangarootoo #14 2 years ago

    "Move now the sole reason for delays?"

    You might as well have ran with a sub-headline of "rutting hippos now the sole reason for delays?". In the interview that you linked to, the question of Move was not raised. Indeed the subject didn't raise its head at all.

    Maybe someone misunderstood the purpose of a sub-headline.

  • udat #15 2 years ago

    Doesn't the 3D implementation effectively half the resolution?

    Like, you get half the pixels in one frame for one eye, and the other half for the other eye? I am suprised the visual fidelity hardcore at Polyphony are cool with that.

  • Nuronv #16 2 years ago

    @udat No
    The 3D on PS3 works by given each eye 30 of the 60 frames per second, so you are getting a full resolution picture but one eye at a time

    The 3DS on the other hand works similar to how you said, the image is constant for both eyes but half the horizontal resolution is used for each eye

  • kangarootoo #17 2 years ago

    @udat

    "Doesn't the 3D implementation effectively half the resolution?"

    No, you render twice as many pixels but half as often.
    Edited by 1 at 21/06/10 @ 12:01

  • StooMonster #18 2 years ago

    Dylbot: and Move (if they're serious about head tracking)

    How are they going to do this? Do you need to wear a Stig like crash helmet accessory that the move controller plugs into, thus giving you a big glowing bulb on your forehead? :)

  • menage #19 2 years ago

    This game is going to be half finished shit even now.

  • jefranklin18 #20 2 years ago

    @StooMonster:

    "How are they going to do this? Do you need to wear a Stig like crash helmet accessory that the move controller plugs into, thus giving you a big glowing bulb on your forehead? :) "

    No. The Move APIs contain face-tracking algorithms, based on Sony's camera technology (used for smile detection). I recall reading an article somewhere that Sony's divisions are now starting to share technologies (at long last).

  • Dylbot #21 2 years ago

    @StooMonster

    What Jefranklin18 said, although I honestly thought I'd got my wires crossed with Move and Kinect before I read that. All this bloody motion control faddage is starting to get the better of me.

  • laharl80 #22 2 years ago

    At least we have a release date.
    Lets face it, we haven't had a decent, gimmick free racer since GT4 launched.
    I can't wait for this gens first full installment of the only driving sim on the market.

  • StooMonster #23 2 years ago

    jefranklin18 + Dylbot: that sounds great, so Move has a Kinetic like feature? Interesting. Would like to see that working.

    Although I still think my Stig headgear accessory is winner, especially for the Top Gear track in GT5. I am the Stig!

  • menage #24 2 years ago

    "Lets face it, we haven't had a decent, gimmick free racer since GT4 launched."

    I lolled. Seriously,....what???
    Edited by 1 at 21/06/10 @ 13:39

  • sherpa1984 #25 2 years ago

    "The issue is just how relavant is gt5 in late 2010. With 5 years of unchallenged Xbox dominance in the genre and two forzas on this gen out at least a year before one gt I just don't know if it can possibly challenge. "

    Will that have any bearing at all once GT5 is out? I can't picture the Sony execs shaking their heads saying "damn, Xbox are up to Forza 3, let's get PD to shell GT5".

  • menage #26 2 years ago

    It kinda will if it isn't significantly better, then the series will have lost the crown Sony likes to put on it

    I do agree that PS3 only owners finally will have their Forza like game then, so they won't care ... much
    Edited by 1 at 21/06/10 @ 13:54

  • laharl80 #27 2 years ago

    @menage
    I'm not Craig David mate, i don't need a rewind.
    Edited by 1 at 21/06/10 @ 13:59

  • menage #28 2 years ago

    It was probably balls out funny funny but I didn't get it.

    Rewind to what?

    Edited by 1 at 21/06/10 @ 14:15

  • Khanivor #29 2 years ago

    So two years before Sony had finished the software to allow the PS3 to do 3D Polyphony had already completed their software to use it?

    Fucking load of total bullshit. Jesus Christ, the cheek of the man! Still, people seem to believe it, I guess he's used to folk only taking a moment to blink as they process the latest reason given for its delay before they resuming with the sucking.

  • Bumbuliuz #30 2 years ago

    Is anyone else a bit scared that Sony hasn't confirmed an European release date yet? Makes me a bit worried that we wont see the game in 2010 if the wont soon talk about the date.

  • DoctorFraud #31 2 years ago

    Obsolete racing series gets irrelevant technologies, is delayed, few care.

    GT5 might have stood a chance of interesting more than just a few loyalists if it was launched 2 years ago. This release gets more pointless day by day.

  • Feanor #32 2 years ago

    Might want to wait for November's sales figures before calling it obsolete.

  • laharl80 #33 2 years ago

    Xbots
    If you aren't worried about it why troll a PS3 thread?

  • makeamazing #34 2 years ago

    The thing is, its actually its better to release it now than 2 years ago surely? Because the user base is so much bigger now. Not that i believe for a minute that it was finished two years ago.
    Edited by 1 at 22/06/10 @ 09:01

  • NotSoSlim #35 2 years ago

    Well they will sell a tons more now than 2 years ago...same with Sony and the consoles. Hope the online is good...this will compliment F1 nicely

  • des #36 2 years ago

    Well it takes time to import PS2 GT4 cars...

    80% of the cars are from GT4...lol,amazing

  • UncleLou #37 2 years ago

    Seems like people missed today's news of a weather system, go-karting, stunt areas and a track editor.

  • SAH1977 #38 2 years ago

    'what could have possibly taken you an additional 2 years to impliment? '

    Perfect car models/tracks, day/night transitions, weather, head tracking, damage, online, track editor etc.?

    If Forza 3 and such are good enough for some people thats fair enough.

    That doesn't mean others aren't interested in a driving simulation that aims a little higher.

  • Laserbrain #39 2 years ago

    Lets face it, it's not going to have the gamning panache and visual fidelity of excite truck on the Wii.

  • DrStrangelove #40 2 years ago

    Porsche! Porsche! Porsche!

  • bladdard #41 2 years ago

    Why do EG publish these bullshit soundbites? It hardly constitutes news in fact all it does is gets fanboys all in a lather. Oh I seem to have answered my own question.

  • TexMurphy01 #42 2 years ago

    RRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDGGGEEEE RRAAAACCC.... no wait. Is this guy having a laugh or what?