SCEA Announces GTHD Demo for NA! (12/24/06)

[Epix]

We knew the Japan market was getting the demo on 12/24 but we've been speculating about when the US was going to get it's hands on it. Here's the latest from SCEA:

PLAYSTATION(R)Store Offers Gran Turismo(TM) HD Concept Free for PLAYSTATION(R)3 Owners This Holiday Season

World's Most Popular Driving Videogame Franchise Available in Full HD

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced today the December 24 North American release of Gran Turismo(TM)HD Concept, available for free download, exclusively on the PLAYSTATION(R)Store (PS Store) for the PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system. Developed by Polyphony Digital Inc., this driving game features an all-new course for players to be the first to drive a Ferrari on a PS3, as well as have the option to select a car from nine other worldwide manufacturers that include Infiniti, Lotus, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Suzuki. Available only for a limited time, Gran Turismo HD Concept takes full advantage of the PS3 PLAYSTATION 3 hardware performance by providing full HD 1080p resolution and next-generation car physics ushering in a new era of racing for the gaming industry.

"Gran Turismo HD Concept provides PS3 and automotive fans a glimpse into the future of Gran Turismo," states Kazunori Yamauchi, famed creator of the Gran Turismo franchise. "With the power of the PS3 technology, the world of Gran Turismo is refined by its full HD visual presentation and unique interactive experience, resulting in an even more realistic and true driving simulator."

Upon downloading Gran Turismo HD Concept, PS3 users have access to the Eiger Nordwand course and can compete in Time Trial races to collect and unlock new cars. Upon unlocking the initial 10 cars, the player has access to 10 more "Tuned Cars," as well as access to a new driving mode called "Drift Trial."

In the "Drift Trial" mode, the player can master the art of drifting and achieve ultimate control of their car. Furthermore, when connected to the PLAYSTATION(R)Network (PS Network), the player can upload their times and view the Top 10 rankings for each car and mode, as well as play and save replays online.

Featured Automobiles in Gran Turismo HD Concept (Year, Manufacturer, Model)

In order of appearance in game (available in stock and "tuned" versions):

-- 1995 Suzuki Cappucino
-- 1989 Mazda Eunos Roadster
-- 2004 Honda Integra TYPE R
-- 1996 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR
-- 2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe
-- 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR
-- 2005 Lotus Elise 111R
-- 1994 Nissan SKYLINE GT-R Vspec II
-- 1995 Toyota Celica GT-FOUR Rally Car
-- 2006 Ferrari 599

Additional Information About The Game Modes in Gran Turismo HD Concept In "Time Trial" mode, the player selects a car and must complete the Eiger Nordwand course within the target time indicated at the top of the screen. Each time the player beats the target time, a new car is unlocked and made available for selection. As stated, upon unlocking all of the cars, the player can access tuned cars, along with the option to race Eiger Nordwand in the opposite direction.

In "Drift Trial" mode, the player's drifting technique is tested, rather than their lap time. The player earns drift points based on their drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course. For each evaluation zone, the results are based on the number of flags and a numerical figure. The point total from all zones determines the player's drift points for the lap and is counted toward the rankings.

The following settings are available during gameplay: 1) Transmission -- the player can select either Manual or Automatic. 2) Stability Management (SM) -- the player can turn this ON or OFF during gameplay. ASM is designed to prevent vehicle skidding by controlling each of the four wheel brakes independently. 3) Traction Control (TC) Level -- the player can set the TCS level, which senses drive-wheel slip and prevents wheel spin. 4) Tires -- the player can select front and rear tires from nine types of brands.

[user friendly]

nice,

[jaxmkii]

Team America Fuck Yea!

[GTAce]

Yeah now i can hope it will come to Europe too.
Great Christmas gift for all PS3 owner out there in North America!

[GTAce]

2 New videos and new pictures! (http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/)

Direct link to the screenshots. (http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/gthdc/screen/)

[Smokey]

how do you download it?

edit: duh worked it out lol

[GTAce]

When you mean the videos: Right click and save as on these buttons with the arrow.
When you mean GTHD: Via PS Store.

[Smokey]

2 New videos and new pictures! (http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/)

Direct link to the screenshots. (http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/gthdc/screen/)

awsome mate the scenery looks spectacular :) i couldnt take my eyes off that background. even the people look decent/great.

[dockthepod]

Looks like crap... I mean, I paused it and I think I saw a polygon edge on a car. Total crap!


;)

... hah. No, it looks amazing. Please have the cockpit view in the demo :)

[Smokey]

Looks like crap... I mean, I paused it and I think I saw a polygon edge on a car. Total crap!


;)

... hah. No, it looks amazing. Please have the cockpit view in the demo :)

lmao i got down read the top bit & thought hmmmmm...ive got bad eye sight.... then i scrolled down &.... lmao :) got me

[julps31]

Great news...good to see Sony show NA some love. And not to mention its free? Sounds good to me lol.

[GTAce]

http://img314.imageshack.us/img314/8431/gthd07nu1.th.jpg (http://img314.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gthd07nu1.jpg) http://img314.imageshack.us/img314/2329/gthd08mg9.th.jpg (http://img314.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gthd08mg9.jpg)http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/2462/gthd09ja8.th.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gthd09ja8.jpg)http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/8935/gthd10ts7.th.jpg (http://img106.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gthd10ts7.jpg)http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1569/gthd11vs9.th.jpg (http://img106.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gthd11vs9.jpg)http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/6720/gthd12sk6.th.jpg (http://img176.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gthd12sk6.jpg)

I hope you guys like them. 8)

[venomv]

Hey! I see people that don't look like cardboard!

[Inspectre]

Looks amazing!

[Leedogg]

looks like Sony's is giving us our Christmas gift, one day early!!!

:rave:

[travmas]

looks like Sony's is giving us our Christmas gift, one day early!!!

:rave:

nah it just takes one day to download it!! :look:

heh just kidding.

[Garfunkel]

Euro/Pal better get an update version PD ;)

i don't know why you think the spectators look like cardboard, they look pretty good to me at this early stage in the game.

[GTAce]

Nobody say they look like Cardboard. :huh:

[Lekko]

And after I spent all that time figuring out how to set up an account in Japan...

[dockthepod]

You know... the 24th starts a lot earlier in Japan than it does here (west coast USA). Maybe setting up a Japanese account wouldn't be such a bad idea...

[curryking1]

If I get a PS3 soon, I am going to cry, I'm serious, this is just too awesome.

After watching those 1080p videos.......

I love you Polyphony, you make my videogaming great.

[-gin-]

looks incredible, i can't believe some people think the scenery looks awful ( in other forums ) *cough *GAF* cough*

[venomv]

Euro/Pal better get an update version PD ;)

i don't know why you think the spectators look like cardboard, they look pretty good to me at this early stage in the game.

Hey! I see people that don't look like cardboard!

[GTAce]

looks incredible, i can't believe some people think the scenery looks awful ( in other forums ) *cough *GAF* cough*

Awful is BS but not much better like in GT4 (a PS2 game dont forget that) .
But we talk here about GTHD and not GT5 so its full ok. :cheers:

[-gin-]

I guess it just goes to show how good polyphony really is

[Garfunkel]

@venomv

I think he was being sarcastic, many have said they look like cardboard, have no idea why.

[Domination]

We knew the Japan market was getting the demo on 12/24 but we've been speculating about when the US was going to get it's hands on it. Here's the latest from SCEA:

Great find! I guess that beats canceling the game, and the great news is it'll be playable at no extra cost while the wait continues for GT5. :thumbl:

[OmniCloud]

Where's the motion control Polyphony?

[Garfunkel]

maybe they could use the tilt for weight transfer?

[Lekko]

So, anyone try hooking up a wheel to the PS3 for the demo yet?

[Applefiend]

Had a sleep now. The logitech wheels should work, the gt hd demo was full of logitech references.

Very good demo, but not a Polyphony Digital good demo. PD do miracles, you look at your PS1 or PS2 and think "How in god's name did they get that box to do that?!"

No miracles yet, just a great demo. It's fan service.

Detailed car on well textured road is nice. Ten detailed cars on road with breathtaking scenery is GT5. :)

[ddaryl]

And after I spent all that time figuring out how to set up an account in Japan...

LOL

Me Too

[EvilTaru]

Had a sleep now. The logitech wheels should work, the gt hd demo was full of logitech references.

Very good demo, but not a Polyphony Digital good demo. PD do miracles, you look at your PS1 or PS2 and think "How in god's name did they get that box to do that?!"

No miracles yet, just a great demo. It's fan service.

Detailed car on well textured road is nice. Ten detailed cars on road with breathtaking scenery is GT5. :)

The car models and the lighting are pretty crazy. The track looks great but I think they can make it look even better, can't wait to see what the other tracks look like. I think GT4 really set the bar high for the team and the franchise in terms of expectations.

GTHD demo + Motorstorm demo = two PSN killer apps to promote PSN am total.

[Applefiend]

Yeah, this is a prime candidate for a frosty "Evolution of GT HD", in the time between GT HD E3 06 and today they seem to have added.

- HDR Lighting
- Non carboard cut out spectators
- Full 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound (!?!)
- Detailed car models
- More detailed landscapes with much better textures
- Much better reflections on cars
- Motion Blurring
- Sunlight highlights on the cars(more than specular)

And a bunch more stuff. What a difference 6 months makes. Going to dig out my High def E3 05 video.

And the drift game is great fun, and you can get a good ranking right now easily. I got 144 no problems.

[julps31]

Yeah, this is a prime candidate for a frosty "Evolution of GT HD", in the time between GT HD E3 06 and today they seem to have added.

- HDR Lighting
- Non carboard cut out spectators
- Full 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound (!?!)
- Detailed car models
- More detailed landscapes with much better textures
- Much better reflections on cars
- Motion Blurring
- Sunlight highlights on the cars(more than specular)

And a bunch more stuff. What a difference 6 months makes. Going to dig out my High def E3 05 video.

And the drift game is great fun, and you can get a good ranking right now easily. I got 144 no problems.Yea and I expect it still to improve a good deal in the next 6th months. Enough that we'll be shocked at much it improves.

[Applefiend]

Just loaded up GT HD from E3 05. Oh man GT HD Concept makes that look real uuuuuuugly. I'd go as far as fugly.

[Nameless]

I'm extremely impressed with this demo!!!
Sony just delivered an early christmas present, because I will be playing this demo for some time... I'm a big GT fan and even own the Force Feedback Pro steering wheel; BTW the wheel works with the demo! (no force feedback :( )
I won't recap the visuals overview, because you guys covered all that stuff well; the game looks amazing in 1080i can't wait to see 1080P! Also, I know the game still is missing many effects so this can only get better and that's amazing... :shocked:

Also, the leaderboard replays is a brilliant idea! You can even set your demonstration mode to download and play the leaderboard replays! This feature is addictive and I'm determine to have a replay for the world to see and be in the top 5... This demo is a great foundation for GT5 and it can only get better; GT5 for the win... Peace

[LaLiLuLeLo]

It's so beautiful and great. Right down to the BGM it's just a classy game, epitomizes the PS3, beautiful sleek and classy. It's already a little daunting, can't wait until GT5.. But yeah, really impressive. I haven't played a gran turismo in so long, I suck at this game, hahaha.

[OmniCloud]

I'm happy that you guys are happy...:-)

[julps31]

Lol..^ Yea me too. :) Looks like the demo is a winner.

[Lekko]

Really really easy to get everything in the demo. I'm used to GT liscence tests that are almost impossible sometimes. I'm glad the demo is lenient on the learning curve.

I need to get my wheel out soon and really go to town with this demo.

[Garfunkel]

i gather the demo is easy because they really want you to test a variety of cars and not try to hold you back. Remember PD are utter perfectionists so expect a huge improvement in the coming months

[woundingchaney]

Im downloading now.

Thanks for keeping me up to date guys, it is appreciated.

[Garfunkel]

I think we can all agree that this looks a hell of a lot better then at e3 or tgs, a hell of a lot better, they just need to fix the environmental stuff and it is phenomenal.

[Effulgence]

Playing the actual game is a lot different than looking at these screenshots, at least on my tv in 1080i. On some cars in certain colors the trunk and spoiler are so jaggy you can't even make our their shape. The only other gripe I have besides the jaggies are the poor shadows. As your car rotates in the showroom you can see that the self shadows on the car are pretty poorly done. Knowing Polyphony, they probably got pissed at these minute problems and decided to build the game from the ground up.

[Garfunkel]

^the jaggles were a result of 1080i, on 720p or 1080p it will look 10000000 times better.

[Domination]

I think we can all agree that this looks a hell of a lot better then at e3 or tgs, a hell of a lot better, they just need to fix the environmental stuff and it is phenomenal.

Sony gave a small peak of this here trailer (http://www.gametrailers.com/umwatcher.php?id=4066) from TGS '05. Since it was suspected to be prerendered, it didn't gain much attention. But like Kojima, Polyphony uses a lot of in-game assets for the replay mode, so I kinda kep a close eye on this here trailer for awhile now.

Notice how close they are getting to that trailer as far as the new stuff with every other update. Remember, GT5 launches in 2008. Imagine for a second what else can be achieved. :stirpot:

[Garfunkel]

oh 2008, forget about it, make it 2010. PD never make their dates :) GT4 and GT4 for the psp were delayed many times.

[Sephiroth_VII]

oh 2008, forget about it, make it 2010. PD never make their dates :) GT4 and GT4 for the psp were delayed many times.

Make that; "Is still delayed". I want my GT4 on PSP...:cry2:

[Xerxes]

Make that; "Is still delayed". I want my GT4 on PSP...:cry2:

Yea. I'm still waiting for my GT4 for the PSP. One of the main reasons I bought one. :(

[FantasyGhost]

Anyone made a good video capture yet, instead of those crappy compressed youtube ones?

[Z]

tell me about the driving, does it feel like GT4 or is there any change?
I'm not expecting the full engine till the finished game ships, but I am curious to see if there is any changes at this early stage or not in the driving engine.

[dockthepod]

It seems like the cars have some more weight to them. It's hard to say. I was only been able to do the first 4 time trials before I had to drive 300 miles over to my parents for christmas... I should have brought my ps3 :cry2:

I was up in the top 50 on the first 4 cars and I'm sure that will be gone when I get back (I'm not the greatest driver, must not be too many people playing yet :) )

From what I did play, it was looking pretty good. Up close, you can still tell that it's a video game... mostly due to the somewhat barren tracks and some jaggies. But from across the room it looks damn near real. It's crazy. The lighting on the cars is great. The replays also seem to sex things up quite a bit by adding in some blur and whatnot that hides "simplicity" of the tracks. Don't get me wrong, the track still looks very good. It's just not the same sort of OMFG good that the cars are. I'm sure they'll be addressing this. Overall, I'd say that this is a great sneak peak at GT5. I can't wait to see some city tracks!

[VideoGame mania]

Here is 10 minutes gameplay video:beer:,quality is kind of crappy but it's worth watching
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3NEFXLSU

[Garfunkel]

I think their main objective for this early demo was to show their capability with car models, later they will do environmental/track stuff.

[curryking1]

Here is 10 minutes gameplay video:beer:,quality is kind of crappy but it's worth watching
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3NEFXLSU

You should give credit where it's due.

Liveinabox of TXB made this and posted it, kudos to him.

[FantasyGhost]

Megaupload is sucking seriously with that damn toolbar... i can't get it on my mac. Everytime i try to dl something they tell me the country dl limit is full for my country and gotta dl this toolbar to get it going...

[Garfunkel]

i hate it how you have to wait for a minute to start downloading for no reason whatsoever.

[frosty]

the reason is to make you sit and stare at their ads for 60 more seconds before clicking.

[Cless]

Detailed impression:

Source h**p://ps3.ign.com/articles/752/752330p1.html

December 23, 2006 - Sony's big year end gift for those who put up with long lines and a sparse lineup of launch titles to become an early adopter of the PlayStation 3 arrived to the Japanese PlayStation Store on Saturday night at midnight, right on the dot. And as a surprise bonus, the US store received the demo at the exact same time.

That's right, in case you haven't already, log on to the PlayStation Store with your PS3 and start downloading the 630 megabyte demo, because it's already live!

For those who weren't lucky enough to get their hands on a PS3 in time for Christmas (or, perhaps, you're waiting for Santa to deliver the new system in a couple of days), here's our impressions having unlocked everything in the demo.

As detailed in our story from earlier in the week (go there for a full demo car list, and some comments from GT series producer Kazunori Yamauchi), the Gran Turismo HD Concept demo includes ten cars, selectable in a variety of colors, and one track. Spend some time with the demo, though, and you'll find a whole lot more than that.

You start off with one car, the Suzuki Cappuccino, which can be raced on the Eiger Nordwand track, itself a lengthier version of the track that was included in the Tokyo Game Show build of the game. You only have access to a time attack mode initially. That means you, by yourself, racing against the clock. The game gives you a target time. Clear a single lap under this time, and you earn a new car.

There's an interesting little progressive game in this mode of play, as you unlock the cars. New vehicles are given out in order of increasing performance. Each new car requires that you clear the course in even less time than the one before it. This isn't too much to ask, since you have a faster vehicle at your disposal, but as you'll find out once you get your hands on the faster vehicles, a fast ride comes with some challenges of its own.

Once you've cleared the time attack mode with the Ferrari 599, the entire game opens up. You gain access to a reverse version of the track, as well as tuned versions of each vehicle. You also gain access to a drift attack mode, which awards points for drifting through those tough turns.

Unlocking all the content took me about a half hour. I'm not the best racer out there, so perhaps Polyphony hasn't been too tough with the time goals.

Even once you've unlocked everything, there's still plenty to do in the demo, thanks to its network features. The demo includes a network ranking mode, which lets you view separate rankings for all cars in all track and mode configurations. You can even view and save replay data from the top ten performers. A couple of our new videos have been taken from Japan's finest racers (or, at least, the best among those who actually own a PS3 and stayed up until midnight to download the demo).

With this early look at GT5, Polyphony has managed to show how things are supposed to be done on the PS3. Visually, the game is far improved over the Tokyo Game Show build. That version had framerate problems, no lighting, and blurry crowds. Those problems have been taken care of here. The framerate is solid, the environment is fully lit, with environmental reflections on your car and actual shadows when entering the tunnel midway through the course, and the crowds actually move around. The game has also been spiced up with some nice effects, like an impressive glare as you emerge from the track's tunnel, and those waving flags that PS3 developers seem to love (see MotorStorm and Heavenly Sword).

One thing we've come to appreciate with the demo is how much detail Polyphony has been able to push out. In addition to just about the finest car models out there, the track is packed with detail, from dozens (or possibly hundreds!) of animated spectators, to thick patches of trees, and even fully realized mountains in the distance. In our new videos, in addition to racing and replays, we've included a clip focused exclusively on the background scenery of the tracks, so you can see for yourself why we're so impressed. This video consists of footage that loops in the background as you wait to begin a race.

As good as it looks, the demo still shows room for improvement. The spectators are still pretty stiff overall, with some elements of the crowd standing perfectly still as others move around in fixed patterns. The game also has some imbalance in its cars and backgrounds. The cars look so perfect that the occasional blurry texture and flat surface in the background stands out. Then again, these two problems are really only notable when you drive slowly through the tracks, something you probably won't be doing during real races.

As a slight correction, we made a comment in an early version of this article about having problems with the game's image quality. This was actually a problem with a setting on the IGN Japan television. GTHD looks nice and smooth, at least running in 720p, which is how we tested it.

Considering GT5 is a ways from release, and Polyphony has managed to come this far in just three months, we wouldn't be surprised if the final product ends up looking even better than it does right now. The GT series pushed the PS2 and PS1 to new visual territories, and GT5 may well do the same for the PS3 at its release. Although, given that the demo supports up to 1080p, one could make the case that it's already doing so now.

The demo also manages to give us something that has been lacking from most early PS3 titles: a clean interface. From the title menu to the options screens, the interface Polyphony has put together is smooth enough to work just fine in a full game. Particularly notable is the lack of load times when selecting a car and going out to the track. We're praying this can be replicated on the Blu-Ray disc version of the final (the demo has an advantage, of course, in that it's on your hard disk).

We're also pleased at how well Polyphony has managed the online rankings. You can play replay data directly from ranking screen, without having to download anything. You can also select to load up ranking data just before the start of your race, and the game will grab the data off the ranking server after only the slightest of pauses. A full online Gran Turismo is off to a great start, if Polyphony's implementation of these basic features is any indication.

While the E3 and Tokyo Game Show versions of the now cancelled Gran Turismo HD product had us concerned about the future of the world's most popular racing series, this demo has wiped away all those concerns. Unfortunately, we're going to have to wait over a year before the final version of GT5 arrives. We'd suggest rationing out the demo slowly.


Guys, my apologize for over-reacting on the topic I created yesterday and not thinking thoroughly (like giving Konami and Namco the fault). Yesterday I couldn't connect to the internet after I made that topic (very odd, lol) so I couldn't post a reply, when I read it today I was already too late to post a reply cause it's already locked. As someone mentioned the reason it angered me is because multi platform games don't utilize a console power and moreover games will either have frame rate problems or glitches if it isn't ported correctly.

On top of that, I don't like Micrsoft doing their thing in the software industry (like web browser, they didn't take initiative to add functions to the web browser after Firefox (with added functionality) stole some market share). That's the reason I hope it won't happen to the console market.

Though I am lil happy that I created that topic to piss Undercover Cop off with my opinion towards Microsoft. :smile:


Please don't reply to my off-topic post, I just want to clear things up which I couldn't yesterday. ;)

Merry X-mas by the way!

[julps31]

Thanks for posting the artical Cless. Its crazy how far the game has come since it was last shown. I can't wait to see how far it'll come in the next several months.

[frosty]

Cleared that neg rep from you cless. You've proven yourself worthy.

[Garfunkel]

i agree with you Cless, on MS.

I reckon, what we are seeing here is only 1/2 of what GT5 will be, going by PD's record, if anyone can push a system it is them.

[gnznroses]

downloading now. hope it's good. read on the Resistance forum it wasn't.
[oh and yeah, i bought a ps3 today :) now i need an hdtv tho...]

[julps31]

downloading now. hope it's good. read on the Resistance forum it wasn't.
[oh and yeah, i bought a ps3 today :) now i need an hdtv tho...]If you have nothing nice to say, please say nothing at all (I remember that from Kindergarden lol). Oh yea..and congrats on the PS3. :hugegrin:

[gnznroses]

played it now. it's boring at first. you unlock more cars that are faster and makes it a bit better, but with one track, no opponents, and an sdtv, it's not great.

[Garfunkel]

well it is a demo

[VG Aficionado]

played it now. it's boring at first. you unlock more cars that are faster and makes it a bit better, but with one track, no opponents, and an sdtv, it's not great.Yeah, well, it's a simulator. It's about skill rather than crazy fun. I think you will be happier with MotorStorm.

[Garfunkel]

well some would say ms flight sim is boring but others would say it's fun.

as VG said, it is a sim