Celebrating 15 Years of Gran Turismo
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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Newest comments are displayed first.
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December 23rd, 2012 at 10:22 pm - #doodooshorts
Everything i feel about this game, is right up there^^^^. Thank you for years of super rad gaming nights with my buds. they are still going on today…..
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December 23rd, 2012 at 8:34 pm - #auto44e
*tear*
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December 23rd, 2012 at 7:54 pm - #kalakanto
Arigato PD, arigato KY of this journey with Gran Turismo over 15 years. Keep up the good work! (and annouche GT6 soon ;))
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December 23rd, 2012 at 7:16 pm - #TheeFrogmanlego
I think part of this games popularity is , its a sane game for all ages. Any one can play it and get into it and car culture is so embedded in our society.
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December 23rd, 2012 at 7:15 pm - #Blood*Specter
I miss Special Stage Route11. I hear it was a memory hog. So maybe that’s why it did not make it to GT4 and 5.
But man what a track. I really wish you would show a replay of action on SSR11.Happy Birthday GT. Thanks for the write up Jordan. And yeah, it’s all about love of cars. Hard to explain to those who have not experienced that love.
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December 24th, 2012 at 11:11 am - #steebz
I hear ya man, i miss R11 too. It was the most technical track in the GT series, one mistake and you hit the wall. No mercy. I LOVED IT!! I’m hopeful it could make it into GT6. . . . .
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December 23rd, 2012 at 7:04 pm - #sangdude82
Happy Birthday Gran Turismo :D
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December 23rd, 2012 at 7:02 pm - #TheeFrogmanlego
This game made who I am , a crazy car nut =D .. I still remember busting out my hot wheels and pretending I was playing some GT. I probably own the world record for playing Gt1 the most. Played it every day since it came out up until I got my ps2 in 2008 * then I got my ps3 5 months after * =D I love GT and always will !
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December 23rd, 2012 at 7:00 pm - #diegorborges
Damn amar… eyes full of water after reading this. I still remember that afternoon, inserting that “japanese car game” cd into my Playstation… me and 2 other friends (one of them, unfortunately is not among us anymore)…
15 years of battles, friendship, good memories.
Gran Turismo is part of my life. Some can say: “its only a game”.
No. It isn’t.
Thank you PD, Thank you Kazunori Yamauchi. Thank you GTPlanet!
And, all the best for the next 15 years!
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December 23rd, 2012 at 6:15 pm - #tigersharkdude
Great article. I usually just skim through them, but this one I read from start to finish.
I’ve been playing since I got the Demo for GT1. I greatly contribute GT for my love of cars.
Shout to PD for 15 years of memories
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December 23rd, 2012 at 6:06 pm - #wejhvabewjty
Gran Turismo was born 23 Dec 1997. I was born 26 Dec 1997. Really close! I love Gran Turismo! Happy bday!!
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December 23rd, 2012 at 6:16 pm - #tigersharkdude
Happy early birthday from another 12-26er
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December 23rd, 2012 at 6:05 pm - #swynder
Still can´t believe this series has already got 15 years, thanks PD for one of the best racing games ever. Happy 15th anniversary, and many, many more amazing driving years to come!
Happy seasons and a wonderfull new year!
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December 23rd, 2012 at 5:38 pm - #tube chaser
Nostalgia, what a trip. Nice one amar.
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December 23rd, 2012 at 5:04 pm - #notStig
Man, I miss that blue Viper GTS in GT1… Good days, good memories.
Why can’t I have that blue/white stripes anymore?
I remember the first time I played GT. It was one of the demos in the CD that came with my PlayStation. It had 2 cars and 1 or 2 tracks available. Since that day I am a fan of the franchise. GT may not be the most accurate sim (I believe it never will because that is not it’s purpose) but no one can deny that it’s one of the most important games for the genre. Every series has it’s ups and downs and I think GT5 is a bit on the down part but I hope it’s just a phase and future games will blow our hats off. Long live to GT! -
December 23rd, 2012 at 4:34 pm - #Elitekilla29
Gt3 was the first gran turismo game i played back when i was 5 years old. My skills have gotten better and better ever since. I had Gt3, Gt4 and Gt5 and i can’t wait until gt6 comes out. I also had gran turismo for psp as well.
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December 23rd, 2012 at 2:39 pm - #Griffith500
Great article, indeed, I guess the reason so many of us are here on this site is because of the personal way Gran Turismo has affected us. Playing the original when there was nothing else but arcade-style racers or full-on sims, was quite the revolution – it’s easy to forget that.
Love those comparison videos, too. What strikes me is the difference in sound from GT to GT2, where they start using more, and more accurate, samples (although the idle sounds in GT are much better, somehow.) The progression from GT2 to GT3 brought hi-res audio control, so the crisp fly-bys and throttle blips are already present, along with 60 fps. GT4 went for a more realistic mix of engine, tyre and aero sound, and GT5 introduced transmission delay, multiple directional sources per car and even more realistic mixing. I wonder if PD can go full-circle, and build on what made GT’s idle sounds so good and apply it to the rest of the sounds. ;)
What also stands out is just how incredible GT3 still looks today!
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December 23rd, 2012 at 2:32 pm - #ShaiKhulud
My first and still the best driving sim on the market. I think GT-series representing the uniqe and truly !working! approach between accessibility and simulation.
And yes, think is the only sim on consoles, where speed is showed without any or postFX blur.
Thank you Kaz! Thank you PD!
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December 23rd, 2012 at 7:13 pm - #TheeFrogmanlego
FINALLY ,
I tried to explain to my friend that speed is only perceived by our periphery vision , and that’s why Granturismo seems so slow since ALL racing games blur the corners * forza* and of the cars and track themselves *mid night club and most need for speed games as well as pretty much every game *and its a false sense of speed , This is until you play GT5 in 3D.. Closest thing to “speed” as you’l ever get on screen . The only other trick that code masters has perfected is cluttering the screen with things above teh car suck as banners wires ETC. Kind of like the reflections in a tunnel in GT5.
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December 23rd, 2012 at 2:08 pm - #karelpipa
graphics changed, but sounds are almost the same. Love the idle sound in GT1.
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December 23rd, 2012 at 1:59 pm - #XxStanTheManxX
Happy 15 years GT and thank you Kazunori Yamauchi. It was a pleasure meeting you at E3. I’ve been a fan since the 1st GT came out on the 1st Playstation System. The GT Series is the best driving game, period. Keep up the Awesome work.
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December 23rd, 2012 at 1:41 pm - #DriftEmotion FC
Wow i was only one and a half years old when the first GT came out and started on GT3 when i was 6. I wasn’t even around really then and still this almost made me shed a tear, Thanks you GT for all the great memories and the great friends i have made online, to bad i cant celebrate because i sent my PS3 back today but i’ll be back in 2 weeks to have some more fun God bless GT :D
GTPlanet on Google+
Wow great article! I remember buying the first GRan Turismo and it was so different from Need For Speed I didn’t like it because of the realism, but then that magic moment came when it all clicked and I just couldn’t go back to those arcade racers. A true testament to GT is that the game made me a better driver in real life and opened me up to real motor sports. Thanks polyphony it’s been an awesome ride and I look forward to more!