Celebrating 15 Years of Gran Turismo

Features December 22nd, 2012 by amar212

On Sunday, December 23, 2012, Gran Turismo celebrates its 15th anniversary. First released on the PlayStation Console in Japan on December 23, 1997, the series has revolutionized the gaming industry, the automotive industry, and changed quite a few lives along the way.

This special guest post by Amar212, a GT insider and owner of Croatian fan site GTSurgeons, captures the feelings of many long-time fans as the series passes this important milestone.

- Jordan, GTPlanet Founder

We love cars. There is no other explanation.

I still remember my childhood memories, laying on my parents’ bed and watching coloured lights reflecting from cars passing below the windows of the bedroom, casting on the ceiling. I remember knowing the marquee of the every car I saw on the street, playing game of guessing with my mom that learned all car-types with help of her five year old son.

I remember drawing cars with friends during elementary school from the local automotive-magazine, both of us dreaming of becoming car designers one day. I remember spending all my money on car-collectors cards every time I traveled to Italy or Austria with my parents, and wasting insane amounts of time arguing with my friends at high-school about the perfection that was the first generation of the Subaru Impreza.

I remember watching F1 races and cheering for Villeneuve when he took the World Championship over Schumacher. I remember speeding around the city at 3am with my lunatic friend in his Renault 5 Turbo while praying I don’t die. I remember holding for the roll-bars inside touring-spec Skoda, trying to maintain my bottom on the reservoir at the back while car was eating the pavement of the Grobnik track and the Croatian Touring Champion yelling there is nothing I should worry about as he drove 200 km/h over bumpy chicanes.

“15 Years, 1 Lap: Trial Mountain” by daan

And I remember the day I started playing Gran Turismo. It was 1998, I was at college and had so many more important things to do in my life then playing video-games. I remember a guy I knew from clubbing telling me about some crazy new game that just arrived which I could be interested with. He gave me the disc the day after, commenting that he is not really interested because everything has to be unlocked and he does’t have patience for that. I came home, made my ordinary coffee and closed the doors of the room. Seeing dawn at the Grand Valley for the first time, flags opening with the breeze that brought a bird on the signal-light and mechanics walking near delivery truck that had just brought a GT-R at the empty course. And that day everything begun.

I still have my original GT save. White Mazda Demio as the first car, proud owner of Nismo 400R, both black Castrol Supras and all 3 colours of Cerbera LM. I still remember all races, vivid dreams of chasing that NSX with a Viper in the Normal Car Championship, and the beautiful colours of midnight in the SSR11 Endurance with the GT-One. Memory Card Battles with my friends. 99 laps replays of the Trial Mountain races. And golding all Licenses with my d’Oro signature pasted all over the leaderboard. All those memories are still alive.

Everything in the genre changed with Gran Turismo. One small group of enthusiasts lead by a dark haired guy that smokes his menthol cigarettes while smiling and patiently explaining his teenage visions brought one passion alive for millions of players around the world. Since 1997 Gran Turismo re-invented one complete genre and paved the foundations for what we have today. Looking back, I really can’t even imagine the distance we’ve actually traveled in just 15 years.

“15 Years, 1 Lap: Deep Forest Raceway” by daan

Back in my college-room I played the first Gran Turismo with ordinary controller on a small Sony Trinitron, imagining this just has to be the best simulation I will ever play in my entire life. It just couldn’t be better then that. No way. It was pure perfection.

Today, just 5500 days later – and it is just 5500 days later – we can play that same Gran Turismo in FullHD on multi-monitor setups in 3D, with stunning 7.1 PCM audio, insane FFB wheels and pedals under our palms and feet and our friends blasting around us in online multiplayer races. Everything has changed, but nothing has changed. The same passion drives all of us today.

When I look back, I have so many stories spanning over the last 15 years that are Gran Turismo related. Waiting until midnight to get my copy of GT2 to play it on small Amiga monitor in B/W because it couldn’t display the NTSC signal in colour. Taking pictures in front of the giant GT3 light-board at E3 2001 and standing in line to try the game for the first time, ten thousand kilometres from home. My ex-girlfriend going insane over me cancelling the weekend plans because GT3 just arrived. My friend being the first of us that bought a FFB wheel that revolutionized the GT experience towards what we take as granted today. Organizing the first Croatian GT Championship sponsored by Sony back in 2002. Travelling to London almost a decade ago to play GT4: Prologue on the revolutionary 900-degree wheel and having a chance to try the Subaru GT simulator. Watching that smiling Japanese guy blasting though Citta di Aria with Nissan 350Z LM Concept LM Race Car while security-guy politely asking him to stop playing because showfloor is closing, without having idea that guy is the Vice President of the company that is paying him that day. Writing my first article on the www.granturismo.com (Kenji, thank you for memories!) about two hours talking with Yamauchi that same rainy day in London, which is still buried somewhere within GTPlanet’s archives. Dreaming about having my own GT community one day. Getting hold of infamous BMW Series 1 demo and coding the 480MB video of Nordschliefe for Jordan, back in the time when YouTube didn’t exist and 480MB of data was the size of mountain. Carrying insane amounts of equipment for 6-player LAN weekend-parties at my friends’ who lived on the top floor of a building without an elevator…

“15 Years, 1 Lap: Grand Valley Speedway” by daan

And playing Gran Turismo. For all those years.

Many games have something that Gran Turismo does not have, but no other game have what Gran Turismo has. It is not easy to explain what it is and I really think it will never be. It is not just the beautiful graphics, stunning attention to detail, chasing the last possible technical innovation with every iteration of the series, unique musical background, great physical feel of driving delivered by magic of Tan-san or the insane amount of content that allures all type of players that even remotely love cars.

It is not the poetry of driving at dusk over LeMans with no HUD with rain just starting to pour over Mulsanne and going through every car in garage in order to change oil and repair the mechanical damage of the engines. It is not collecting all possible variations of Skylines, coming back to GT3 to compare the specs of the models between games or visiting GT2 to remember the trills of driving 155 Touring Car over Rome Night. Is is also not spending hours and hours in online lobbies with your friends chatting about everything in life while lapping Top Gear course or losing the podium for 0.300 after 20 laps race in some of the thousands inter-forums championships. It is nothing of that – and it is all of that. And it still can’t be easily explained by words.

You have to feel it. And you have to fall in love with it. In the same way that small kid fell in love with bouncing coloured lights on the ceiling of his parents’ bedroom.

“15 Years, 1 Lap: Special Stage Route 5″ by daan

Thank you for everything in the past 15 years Polyphony Digital team. Thank you for your sleepless nights under the tables of the offices at Tobu Toyosu Building. Thank you for your love of cars, photography, history, French wines, Italian sceneries, American muscle cars, beauty of the nature and philosophy of human civilization. Thank you for the passion that drove you even in the hardest personal and professional moments during past 5500 days. Thank you for your unexplained commitment to stand against all criticism and always newfound strength that make all your efforts even greater.

Thank you for everything Kazunori Yamauchi and all other people who made Gran Turismo becoming reality. Thank you for everything all of you Gran Turismo players over the world. Thank you for everything all the numerous GT communities worldwide.

All of us together made one love alive.

Thank you for the 15th anniversary of the Gran Turismo.

Commemorative desktop wallpaper (1600×1200 & 1920×1280) by Amar212.

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125 Comments

Newest comments are displayed first.

  1. December 29th, 2012 at 7:59 pm - #
    Tenacious D

    Oh yes, and hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and have a happy 2013.

  2. December 29th, 2012 at 7:58 pm - #
    Tenacious D

    I really can’t add anything to what was already said, but…

    Love Gran Turismo

    Love Polyphony Digital and its extended family

    And love the team captain and pro-race car driver, Yamauchi Kazunori-sensei

  3. December 26th, 2012 at 1:45 pm - #
    Jump_Ace

    Biggest. Rumble Strips. Ever.

    That was a quick 15 years. I remember my friends thinking I’m nuts for trading in my N64 and a bunch of games to get a Playstation and GT1, I never regretted that move and still don’t.

    I remember reading an article about the game in a GamePro magazine and I thought it would be great to play it since I’ll just have gotten my license and wanted to see how accurate the game was vs. real driving.

    I also remember after I completed the sim and aracade modes, I still wanted to play more, so I erased all my gamesaves and started over from scratch and did it all again, this time using a manual transmission. And I’ve never stopped using it since.

    Such great memories, especially for GT4. I’ve met so many great guys (and gals!) because of that game and this message board, I’m pretty thankful for that.

    I, for one can’t wait for the next installment and I actually got around to making my own Console Racing website; http://www.consoleracing.net. Aside from a TON of data entry for the cars and tracks of GT6 and FM5 that will come, it’s all ready with hotlap records, car tuning, car/track data.

    Thanks PD for inspiring all of us in so many different ways.

    Jerome

  4. December 26th, 2012 at 10:50 am - #
    skylinevspecII

    Been playing since GT1 when I was a mere 7 years old, and ever since then, I’ve become a car nut! This game molded me into what I am today!

  5. December 25th, 2012 at 5:50 am - #
    sdkflu

    Merry Xmas Happy New Years to all….

    Peace brothers in the whole world…

    …and Congratulations PD and Kaz for this for this incredible driving game…

    …from the sunny in the middle of winter beautiful Greece.

    • December 25th, 2012 at 6:02 am - #
      ElGreco

      +100000000

  6. December 24th, 2012 at 11:01 pm - #
    Pit Crew

    We’ve come a long way Baby. Happy Anniversary. Merry Xmas Happy New Years. Congratulations PD. Thumbs up to Jordan and the crew for their dedication to the series.

  7. December 24th, 2012 at 9:03 pm - #
    GRAFX21

    I cant believe how fast 15 years went… From me not having a car plying this game at my grandparents house and dreaming of every car in the game that I wanted of my own, to now being able to drive, now owning a car. I have learned a lot about cars, brands, set ups/tuning and history thanks to GT. Thank you Kaz for teaching us gamers/drivers what a real good game can do and teach people indirectly while having fun via online and during simulations.

    Its been an honor playing GT and the whole series…I cant wait for more series to come and it keeps getting better and better.

    Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. God bless

  8. December 24th, 2012 at 6:57 pm - #
    CorvetteConquer

    It took five years. In those five years, we could not see the end. I would wake up at work, go to sleep at work. It was getting cold, so I knew it must be winter. I estimate I was home only four days a year.- KY

  9. December 24th, 2012 at 5:37 pm - #
    Quakebass

    I only started with GT5… But GT has stuck with me ever since. I remember first doing the license tests and experiencing what a true driving simulator felt like.

  10. December 24th, 2012 at 5:36 pm - #
    BobbyBRAKEaNek

    To the GT Series for being my main squeeze for 15 years.

  11. December 24th, 2012 at 2:59 pm - #
    Normalaatsra

    My first lap was on High Speed Ring. I remember when that circuit was long!

  12. December 24th, 2012 at 11:56 am - #
    Racin-Rev

    Thanks for the article. I remember my first lap also. My son brought home GT and said it was the best racing game ever. I had been racing Andretti game and said he couldn’t have something better. I was so wrong. One lap Trial Mountain after doing some adjustments on the car ( unheard of at the time) and the next day I bought a PlayStation and haven’t looked back since. Bought a PS2 when GT3 came out and a PS3 when GT5 arrived. I’m 66 years old and still play almost daily. THANK YOU PD and Sony.

  13. December 24th, 2012 at 11:26 am - #
    NoonenF1

    Great article Amar! Great site Jordan! Great work & passion Polyphony Digital! Cheers to a spectacular 15 years of Gran Turimso!

  14. December 24th, 2012 at 11:04 am - #
    steebz

    I rented GT1 from my local Blockbusters the same week it came out. When I played it for the first time i used a Honda Civic SiR-II ’93 on the High Speed Ring. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up instantly and i knew i had to get this game ASAP. The next day I bought it, and here I am 15 years later, at the age of 33, still playing Gran Turismo daily. No other game series comes close. Not even Forza (which i also have).

    Oh and i think GT2 was the best version for pure gameplay, but GT5 obviously wins on the graphics. (but not the sounds)

    I just hope we don’t have to wait too long for GT6, five years was far too long to wait for GT5 ;)

  15. December 24th, 2012 at 7:09 am - #
    Renan_

    I remember it like it was yesterday, the first time I played GT, on my uncle store back in 98, red Efini RX7 on High Speed Ring, I was 5, I’ve won a PS1 months after that day, I searched for that game but didn’t know the name of it, but in the end of 99 my mother bought GT2 for me, and what a blast it was, all that cars, no other games had such a vast selection, GT1 came 2 years later, in 2004 I’ve bought GT4 from my cousin, the problem was, I don’t even had a PS2 yet :D, it would came at the end of 2005, during that time I’ve played GT concept and GT3, truly loved both GT3 and GT4, I’ve bought GT3 in fact in 2008, because of lazyness I didn’t finish GT3, but I did GT4, also because I wanted to run everycar in GT4, what I did finished a few days before bought PS3, at 2011, did not find GT5 at first place, no place had because it saled to fast, 6 months after bough PS3, I’ve bought GT5 and man, I was in love again, and stiil I am, everyday I play GT5, at least a little, and I bought again GT2, just for fun. Really thank you PD, what a amazing ride that was and will continue to be with GT6, 7, 8…. 12, let´s keep alive. :,)

  16. December 24th, 2012 at 6:51 am - #
    tpark103

    Hey thank for the memories Jordan, you def brought back me back to my younger days as I can rember drawing cars as a youth as well. Happy Holidays to all

  17. December 24th, 2012 at 5:46 am - #
    Hetseeker

    Thank you for making an awesome game like this :)

  18. December 24th, 2012 at 3:45 am - #
    magawolaz

    Happy anniversary! Thank you amar for the article, thank you PD and thank you Kaz for all these incredible games :)

  19. December 24th, 2012 at 3:15 am - #
    CarMad26

    Wow. Cannot believe its been 15 yerars of GranTurismo. I still remember the day I first saw GranTurismo back in the late nineties. And now in 2012 the game is still going strong and gets better every time. Here’s to the next 15 years!

  20. December 24th, 2012 at 3:08 am - #
    Stephanos82

    First car series that let you drive mortal cars and not only extravagant exotics!