GTPlanet’s Year in Review: 2013

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Every year since 2009, GTPlanet has taken a year-ending look back at significant events connected to the game series that brought most of us here. 2013’s been a big one, celebrating fifteen years since the title’s first launch with the rare appearance of an whole new game to the Gran Turismo canon – one we didn’t even know would be with us back at the start of the year…

January

  • 15th anniversary celebrations start early on New Year’s Day, with a special Seasonal Event for European gamers that can see them win a trip to the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours.
  • After a topsy-turvy first season in GT3 racing, British GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough opts to fill his winter break by competing in New Zealand’s premier open-wheel racing series – while the new graduates put themselves on Dubai’s 24h podium.
  • GT5’s players get to be the first people in the world to drive the brand new Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray with the v2.10 update – and we’re teased with video of Willow Springs, Apricot Hill and Seattle. One of these things is not (yet) like the others…
  • GTPlanet member Hollow (Faiza al Kindi) makes her way to the GT Academy Middle East final, becoming the first female competitor in any GT Academy competition to make it to a national final.

February

  • Former GT Academy USA finalist Andre Gomes wins the Skip Barber Indycar Academy and gets a seat in the 2013 Skip Barber Summer Series (in which he finished 3rd overall!).
  • Meanwhile the 2012 GT Academy winners are barred from the Pro-Am British GT Championship, for not being amateur enough
  • While waiting on news of the next Gran Turismo, Sony instead announce the next PlayStation – with the PS4 launching before year end. SCEE’s Michael Denny then muddies the waters by suggesting GT6 will be a PS3 title

March

  • GTPlanet members uncover a surprising link between series staple Deep Forest and an abandoned club racing circuit in Iowa – eventually proven mere coincidence.
  • The first South Africa and Middle East GT Academy finals take place at Silverstone.
  • Jann Mardenborough becomes the first GT Academy winner to take on an international open wheeled series as he races in Formula 3 at a very soggy Monza.

April

  • Another race for GT Academy, another podium as the Nismo GT3 GT-R nets class 3rd in Nogaro.
  • The murky underworld of GT5 save data editing attracts the attention of Polyphony Digital, who first take action against the exploits of certain players and then release an update to remove edited cars.
  • Gran Turismo 6 news starts to force its way into view as retailers begin offering preorders in earnest.
  • GTPlanet’s encyclopedia of Gran Turismo, GTPEDIA, gets a free chapter update detailing all of the series’ tracks with hand-drawn circuit maps.
  • The next round of GT Academy contests worldwide are teased ahead of a summer launch.

May

  • Sony brings GT5 back to the fore with a new “legacy bundle” of GT5 XL and a 500Gb superslim PS3 with unique boxart. There’s life in the old dog yet…
  • Meanwhile, the retailers and fans are quick to jump on the GT6 bandwagon as fake game covers and release dates flood the internet.
  • In the real world, a 15th Anniversary Gran Turismo party is revealed. The event takes place at Silverstone, with GTPlanet in attendance.
  • GT6 is announced officially for the first time, with GTPlanet on hand at the event to share first screenshots and videos – and yes, it’s a PS3 game. The rest of May is marked with a veritable flood of GT6 media.
  • A special GT6 preview download is announced and will form the qualifier for 2013’s GT Academy.
  • Kazunori Yamauchi again competes in the fog-hit Nürburgring 24 hours, but a baked engine puts paid to any hope of a good result.

June

  • The Nismo GT3 GT-R takes its first class win as GT Academy graduates put it on the top step at the Silverstone round of the Blancpain Endurance Series.
  • GTPlanet interviews Kazunori Yamauchi again, this time at the E3 games show.
  • In a tragedy-hit Le Mans 24 Hours, GT Academy drivers finish 4th in LMP2 – later upgraded to a podium finish following a technical infringement relegating another car.
  • Salman al-Khater is revealed as GT Academy’s 2012 Middle East champion.

July

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  • More podium finishes for GT Academy, this time in the GT-R GT3 at Paul Ricard.
  • The class of 2013 finally gets the chance to join previous GT Academy winners as the qualifier event is released with the GT6 demo.
  • The original GT Academy winner, Lucas Ordoñez once again proves it’s no accident with yet another podium for the GT-R at Zandvoort’s FIA GT round.
  • The GT6 demo is barely out of the box before new tracks are announced for the final game – Goodwood’s famed Festival of Speed hillclimb is set to feature.
  • Despite being in its third year, it’s revealed GT5 is still played by over 100,000 people every day, according to Sony numbers.
  • Gran Turismo becomes the latest game to get the Hollywood treatment, as a GT movie is announced…
  • The GT Academy winners are all in attendance at the Spa 24 Hours. Despite an absolutely massive accident for one car the result is… yet another podium. It’s becoming a habit.

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  • A Nissan Driver Exchange program is announced that sees GT Academy winners jumping into Nissan Motorsports racing series worldwide, including V8 Supercars, Bathurst and Super GT.
  • GTPlanet is on hand at the UK GT Academy final, to see six GTPlanet members qualify for the Race Camp.
  • The annual Gamescom event sees GT6 get a release date, official box art and yet more new content is revealed – including Brands Hatch and the return of Apricot Hill.
  • A special edition of GT6, named for the 15th anniversary of the series, is detailed for the first time.
  • The first driver of Nissan’s innovative ZEOD racer, revealed at the 2013 Le Mans event, is announced – GT Academy’s first winner, Lucas Ordoñez.
  • GT Academy USA‘s twelve race camp finalists are announced – and every single one is a GTPlanet member.

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  • Though not included at launch, the first details of the GT6 version of the Gran Turismo course maker are revealed.
  • It’s only three months until GT6 arrives, but already Polyphony are talking about GT7 on the PS4
  • The European GT Academy Race Camp reaches a climax, with Portugal’s Miguel Faisca taking the title – again with GTPlanet on the scene.
  • With GT6 probably signed off by now, a large, day one patch is announced to enhance the game.
  • More races, more silverware – GT Academy wins both of the Blancpain Endurance Series Pro-Am world titles, for driver (Lucas Ordoñez) and team, while Salman al-Khater and South African champion Ashley Oldfield take a class win at the Britcar 1000km.
  • Not to be outdone, 2012 winners Wolfgang Reip and Steve Doherty take an FIA GT second place finish at Navarra.

October

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  • GT6’s official car list is revealed, with further content details following.
  • No sooner is it announced is it taken away, as Nissan’s 2012 Le Mans Garage 56 entry by DeltaWing Racing is embroiled in a legal battle over intellectual property.
  • The astronomical simulation behind GT6’s night time racing proves not to be the only attempt by PD to reach for the stars, as an exclusive event is revealed… on the Moon.
  • GTPlanet gets an exclusive hands-on with the launch version of GT6.
  • More GT6 features are announced, as a forthcoming interface between mobile device GPS and GT6’s Course Maker will allow you to recreate real world routes in-game.
  • Mercedes reveals it’s the first manufacturer of many to create a special concept car for Gran Turismo 6’s “Vision GT” feature.
  • The PS4 is officially launched in the USA.playstation-4-console
  • GTPlanet gets to try out the GPS Data Visualiser feature of GT6 in an event at Willow Springs.
  • Microtransactions are controversially revealed to have made the jump from free-to-play games to full price AAA releases with GT6.
  • GTPlanet’s official podcast goes live for the first time.
  • GT6 advertising steps up a notch, with TV commercials in Japan and a rather bizarre viral-type video featuring a GT6-branded prosthesis
  • More real-world tie-ins are revealed, as a livestream of a rebuild of Mario Andretti‘s first race car – a Hudson Hornet – is announced, with a GT6 appearance from the car shortly thereafter.
  • Kazunori Yamauchi addresses many GT fans’ big question… Porsche.

December

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  • A three day extravaganza at Ronda marks the GT6 launch party. With GTPlanet in attendance for the event, including a track day at Ascari, the city of Ronda renames a street in honour of the series’ creator.
  • Gran Turismo 6 officially launches, bang on time.
  • BMW’s as-yet unrevealed M4 Coupe is rumoured to make its first world appearance in Gran Turismo, following a camouflaged version being on show at the Ronda event. Within 24 hours, it becomes available to all gamers who’ve installed the day 1 patch.
  • Nick McMillen is revealed as the 2013 GT Academy USA champion, following an embargo and a racing pseudonym to allow for a reality TV show’s conclusion.
  • A second GT6 patch further expands the car list and career mode, for free.
  • The reality of succession hits, as GT5’s online services are to be wound down in May 2014.

So that’s been 2013 in GTPlanet’s world – another year of firsts, with thanks to our colleagues and friends at SCEE, SCEA and HPS Jardine.

Could 2014 bring GT7 on the PS4? You’ll have to keep watching GTPlanet.net to find out!

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