Sony Plans for “Quantum Leap” with Gran Turismo 6 DLC

jim-ryan-sony-ceo

GTPlanet recently had the opportunity to sit down with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s President and CEO, Jim Ryan, for a round-table discussion on the business end of the Gran Turismo franchise.

Regarding the DLC, it’s obviously going to be a big feature of GT6. How do you see it progressing and growing in the future beyond what it already is in GT5?

“I think that we very much cut our teeth on DLC with GT5, and I think there’s a real desire to make a quantum leap with GT6. Plans are not yet disclosed so I can’t talk in detail about what they are but there is a real desire to make a step change and take it to a whole different level.

“And, you know, other games in different genre have demonstrated what’s possible in terms of providing a much longer and deeper consumer engagement and monetization, so our ambitions are to make a big jump.”

Are you concerned with the excitement around Gran Turismo 6 competing with the PlayStation 4?

“No, I think they are complementary. Obviously, it makes the job of marketing more difficult, because it needs to be carefully done, but I think the two can co-exist perfectly well. In fact, there’s a lot of evidence when you have a lot of noise in the gaming category, everybody benefits, even across platforms.

“While we recognize the issue and it’s definitely one that needs to be looked at carefully, we’re not concerned about it.”

Was there any particular reason GT6 was chosen not to be launched on the PS4?

“It goes back to a point I made earlier – there is definitely a lot of unfinished business on the PS3, and I urge you take a look back at the iterations of GT and GT2 side-by-side; the difference is amazing. You’ll see a similar step change between GT5 and GT6.

“Another difference is the 70 million install base on PS3 – it’s very attractive for a developer to target a game on that platform.”

thrustmaster-t500rs-gt6

Since there is such a large PS3 install base, will we be seeing any new accessories or steering wheels for the console?

“It’s an area that’s been looked at very carefully. It’s a very good question and one I’m not able to talk about in too much detail right now but its an area where we’ve been very active, certainly in the North American market and we’re going to look at the European market more. I really can’t say more than that!”

So steering wheel accessory sales are generally much higher in Europe?

“Yes, in absolute terms, software sales are higher in Europe, but the sales of peripherals are generally higher in North America.”

How do you look at the Middle Eastern market?

“We put a lot of time into the area, and we now have a significant management team there. In the old days we had no marketing budgets there, but now we have proper marketing budgets. I’m there at least two or three times a year, and it’s becoming more important as time passes, especially as economies grow and disposable incomes increase.”

The racing game market in general is becoming much more competitive. What do you think the Gran Turismo brand needs to do to keep its dominant position in the market?

jim-ryan-sony“I think you’re right, like many genres it does become more difficult and competitive. We have certain aspects, like the realism of the game, that’s something unique to Gran Turismo and the quality of the gameplay; I think that sets us apart form everyone else. We have to build on those things and make sure we stay ahead of the pack.

“Where we really want to improve is the area of the online experience and make it more interactive and engage with communities around Gran Turismo, because we think the genre lends itself really well to that.”

How much does the release of additional content change the revenue model for the game?

“It’s probably an area where I can’t say too much, I’ll just say its a good question. We’re looking at all sorts of areas for downstream gamer engagement and not just dlc.

“It’s really as much about providing a sustained engagement for the consumer as it is about making money. Obviously, the company enjoys making money, but you can engage the consumer for months or even years and that is our ultimate aspiration.”

Will there be efforts to monetize the new Gran Turismo mobile apps?

“I don’t think any decisions have been made about monetization of these apps. This is generally an area where we’re getting much more active.”

“Those of you who saw the PS4 announcement or heard about the PS4 apps – i’m not talking about Gran Turismo, but the PS4 app – there will be a PS4 app. Breaking down the old silos and barriers is something that we’re on record as needing to pursue.

“Having these sorts of companion apps which allow people to continue their engagement with the franchise when they’re not at home or with their console is definitely the way forward.”

The PlayStation Vita is the only Sony platform without a Gran Turismo game – is there any interest in this area?

“There is nothing to report just yet, but we look at all our platforms and love all our children equally, ha!”

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Was it a conscious decision to announce GT6 only a few months before its release, unlike GT5? It seemed as if GT5 was announced years and years before it was released, this feels more like ‘we’ve announced it and it’s coming soon.’

“It will be before Christmas [2013], definitely.

“I think as time passes all developers and publishers get better at these things and learn from past experiences. Announcing a date and having it slip is definitely not something that we want to happen, either on the developer’s side, the publisher’s side, or the consumer’s side.

“We gave a lot of thought into what the right strategy should be and we’re firmly committed to the GT6 Christmas release date, and we wanted to get it out there well ahead of time so that we can provide a steady stream of marketing updates and get pre-orders started.”

How important is the Gran Turismo franchise to the PlayStation brand?

“It’s very important. The 70 million figure quoted on stage, almost half of those have been sold in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

“We sell a lot of Gran Turismo and we spend a lot of time on the franchise, and for us it is critical to our business and we take it very very seriously.”

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Comments (221)

  1. Achyllis

    I’m hoping for more rally events/better rally integration. Either I’m a dunce and can’t find it in the cobweb that is GT5, or it’s not there at all. That’s probably the main thing I miss from GT4 and GT3.

  2. GTP_Yamicarlos

    To “ThatBloThere”: Only fans of PORSCHE will understand me. And if you don‘t like it, you might think in the same way about every supercar brand missing from GT until now.

    1. ScotteDawg

      I’m sort of a Porsche fan, but I gotta say that having RUF is not all that bad! When you consider that PD were unable to get the licence for Porsche and every other supercar “missing” from GT, they’ve done a reasonably good job!! I mean, RUF IS a “works” team for Porsche as Rally Art is to Mitsubishi, TRD is to Toyota, STI is to Subaru, HSV is to Holden, FPV is to Ford and Brabus is to Mercedes!
      Sure, it would be nice to have the full range of Porsche (road and racing cars), but EA will NOT give up the licence for them so we’re just gonna have to be content with what we get!
      Hopefully, the RT-35s makes it in as a DLC (it’s a 2013 Porsche 911 by RUF)! I also hope there are some race mods for the RUF cars!

  3. Spliffy

    My guess is that PD will drop GT7 within a year after the PS4 goes on sale. With a 70 million install base, why not ding them twice? It’ll make people who have bought GT6 go out and buy GT7 with a PS4. Or maybe I’m just paranoid about corporation’s wanting to make as much coin as they can.

  4. infamousphil

    A terrible thought? Paint chips, custom wheels, areo body parts, etc… available as dlc only. Whew… just a bad dream. Right?

  5. GTP_Yamicarlos

    PORSCHE, PORSCHE, PORSCHE, PORSCHE, PORSCHE, PORSCHE, PORSCHE, PORSCHE, PORSCHE, PORSCHE!!!! Thats all I want from the game before the PS4.

    1. ScotteDawg

      Yeah (sigh), me too! I’ve got nowhere to put it though…

      That does it – I’m moving out of this crappy little unit!

    2. tpark103

      I fold my up and store it, using my DS3 just to jump on and get a few laps in. Take out the wheel some nights set-up is super quick and ez for the full sim experience. I have to admit there is nothing like it.

  6. Rage9one

    I hope to see some old classics from GT and GT2, like the Dodge concept car, and maybe more racing modifications for even more cars, just like in GT and GT2

    1. infamousphil

      That Copperhead was sweet and they had a LM version which was boss. Wider wheels and low profile tires… not specifying their use of the word “quantum” really frustrates me ;)

  7. sayba2th

    I think the biggest concern here with DLC is going to be the costing especially if the talk is of a lot of future DLC becoming available. I have no issues with paying for DLC as I purchased most of the ones available for 5, but it needs to be kept reasonable for many reasons. I understand this is the on going future of gaming regardless of my feelings towards it.
    One of the great things with consoles was that it was affordable for the masses. Parents could afford to provide a means of entertainment for their kids at a reasonable price. Now with all the games available and DLC’s left right and center prices aren’t kept in check by the business parties involved this could become out of hand and unreasonable and you would be killing off a major segment and target audience.
    Of course I understand that there has been no pricing structure announced as yet therefore I am only speculating however I am voicing my concerns & discussing what could be a very real possibility if it’s not handled appropriately and I know I will not be the only one that shares this sentiment.

    1. infamousphil

      I don’t think it unreasonable to offer a stealth McLaren F1 as a dlc for GT5 at this point. I’d pay $20 for the privilege have one. Also, for 6… instead of “exclusive” content for pre-orders, they could offer it “free” for pre-orders then as dlc later on. At least the ability to gift it or sell it at auction or market.

      Sooo put off that that didn’t happen for the F1 Stealth.

    2. Quakebass

      I’m sorry, but $20 isn’t worth ONE car, even if it’s a Porsche. if it’s collection of Porsches, MAYBE, and ONLY if we know that PD had to put down a good sum of money to get the license/sublicense.

    3. infamousphil

      Yeah, I know, Quake… I exaggerated the price. But it does bring to mind what Sony, PD and Kaz should consider. Letting myself get giddy with anticipation now ;)

    4. tpark103

      My biggest concern isn’t really price it’s more content. Being a fan I would certainly like to have all the content if possible I just hope that they attempt to keep it exciting and with lots of variety.

    5. Pit Crew

      Reasonable Pricing for Quality content, and the hope that the DLC expands the ASpec mode across the board somehow, a feature that could allow players to exchange the Default event course with one of their own DLC courses maybe…

      I would pay 15-20 bucks for a good bundle pack, with say Sebring, 5 cars, 3 being Race car only,1of those an LMP Prototype, a Street only vehicle, a Street car thats Race Modifiable, and 2 or 3 Course Creator layouts or a New CC Location.

  8. blackjack

    I heard that Don Mattrick offered to control the “business model” the game. He suggested making the game completely free to download, yet you have to “purchase” fuel in the game to drive anything anywhere (accessed via a Petrol station icon on the home screen.)

    jk

  9. sangdude82

    I don’t really care about the cost for DLC. There are hundreds of cars & tracks missing from GT, I’m willing to make Kaz a billionaire if he can deliver the goods as promised.

    1. ScotteDawg

      Trust me HarVee, we will enjoy every second of it!

      You see, those that do not have EVERY DLC offered will not have the full game! As it is, when someone comes into a lobby and doesn’t have one of the tracks, either they can’t join the race or every other person in that room has to forgo racing on that track! Or, if the room host wants a certain car raced that came as DLC and one person in that room doesn’t have that car, that person has to sit out the race or all the other’s have to forgo using that car!

      Think, if DLC was not included, would we have had the opportunity to drive the 2014 Corvette (however disappointing it was that we couldn’t tune it) or drive on Spa in GT5!? No! We would have had to wait for GT6! DLC, once mapped and completed, adds a whole new dimension to the game – it’s almost like buying a new game for a miniscule fraction of the price… sort of!

      Those of us willing to pay for DLC will enjoy the game more thoroughly than those who aren’t!!

    2. sayba2th

      I know if I had a “one biiiiillion dooollars” (Dr Evil Hand gesture) I would be enjoying multiple real cars on multiple real tracks and not making anyone else a billionaire. I have no issues with having DLC and paying for it but I do not want this game running me $500 plus over time this needs to be reasonable as not everyone that plays this game will have disposable income floating about so that needs to be kept in mind if they are talking the volume they are. So you see there is a thin line between love and nausea.

    3. MeanElf

      I’ll reply here as opposed to your post above which says something similar. You agree that we don’t know the pricing structure and it’s a given that an expensive DLC programme would be counterproductive – so I think speculating about that before we know is fairly pointless as people probably won’t buy it.

      F2P games are more likely to cost $500 than a traditional game with DLC – so I think we’re safe there.

      I know you are expressing a concern, but that’s already a given, surely? Very few would buy regardless of cost – so I say wait until we know more.

    4. infamousphil

      I thought the “visitors’pass” was a great idea. Early on, if the host had the
      DLC track, the whole room could race there. Same could be done with the cars. Let folks test drive cars or try out tracks for a week or two after the initial DLC release. If they like it then they could go ahead and purchase it.

      As far as cost goes… I’d be happy to spend $20 for a custom order Fiero SD or $50 for a flat nose 930. A better idea, however, would be a jig for chassis design and a design studio for body sculpting and interior layouts… $100? Anyone? ;)

    1. scarecrow937

      They did… it’s called Assassin’s Creed. They just forgot the legend that is Scott Bakula, lol.

  10. Johnnypenso

    Sounds very promising and I hope they deliver on the hype. There will be lots more to come in the next few months and by the time the game rolls around many fans will be frothing at the mouth. If it’s not all it’s cracked up to be and online is plagued with issues, there will be a horrific amount of backlash. They better get it right this time, fan loyalty only lasts for so long.

  11. Lawndart

    Very strong claims! I like reading it… But I can’t play GT5 for very long as the sounds are horrible. And I’m not getting on that bandwagon but as a real racecar driver myself, sometimes you can drive with your ears, les dining the burdone of referencing gages and the engine isn’t what you hear, its the reverb of the exuast note… And it’s loud and obnoxious, especially when your in a pack…

    1. tpark103

      How long have you had GT5? When I first got back in Oct. 2010 I was on for hours and I never had an issue with sound. Infact we had a few comparisons and a few people that mentioned it but, as the years have passed and the game has aged the issue of the sound has become a hot topic.

    2. JASON_ROCKS1998

      i think the engine sounds are pretty good on most cars (mainly premiums) until you put in a racing exhaust, thats why my lamborghini’s, ferrari’s, vipers, corvettes and a few others have stock exhaust

  12. jaytmtb

    The quantum leap will be the amount of money we will have to pay to keep up with the game content,
    what ever happened to paying for a game once, I am sick and tired of paying to much for games!

    1. Tenacious D

      I’m sure you’ll be seriously extorted ;P

      Actually, you haven’t read the whole thing, so whatever.

    2. MeanElf

      The only quantum leap apparent here is, might be your emergent psychic ability. I’d be amazed how you could know all of this otherwise…

    1. Tenacious D

      Yeah, PD hasn’t tried to work on damage, or improve sounds, or frix problems in GT5, or add Seasonals we want… oh wait.

  13. jhw93

    I think this is really good news, if it means new cars, tracks, events and other stuff then roll on december. For GT6 i just hope they get rid of the b spec campaign and have it like older GT games where you just have a race and have the choice of either going a spec or b spec. Stuff like paint chips and the car ticket thing needs to go, its just easier to put the prize car straight into the garage… not trying to troll or anything just expressing some things that I didn’t like in GT5.

    Really impressed with the GT6 academy demo though and can’t wait to get my hands on the final copy :D People have been concerned about the lack of regular DLC with GT5 so it’s kinda weird to find comments expressing concerns again about being ripped off and stuff.. me personally i don’t mind paying DLC for my favourite game franchise lol

    1. Quakebass

      It IS good news that new content is coming…

      But look at the wording here – saying “monetizing Gran Turismo” sounds VERY much like an EA Idea. Day-1 DLC, with content that could’ve been in-game, sometimes lasting to the next DLC. And then there’s T10 – they had GREAT car packs with good variety, but you end up paying for basically another game for just a bunch of cars…

      People wouldn’t have reason to be worried if those capitalistic sayings hadn’t been said in the discussion.

    2. MeanElf

      It’s all pretty much a business pep-talk – they like talking like that, makes executives sound like they’re doing something important, energetic.

  14. Mister Slow

    Reasonable priced DLC with exceptional content would be warranted.
    Cut throat pricing on DLC for crap will be unacceptable.

    1. Quigz125

      Yup the prices for DLC right now is good. But if they start doing the “cheap cars” at $.99 and say a racing modded GT car for $2.99 or a Ferrari priced more than a Honda in the PS store ill be disappointed. It should be one price unless they do bundles.

    2. esio trot

      I agree with you Mr S

      I would be happy(ish) to pay for worthwhile DLC like tracks or cars but for suits and helmets probably not.

    3. Whitestar

      This pretty much goes without saying, doesn’t it? I mean, it’s impossible to disagree with those two statements. :-)

  15. Kratos_Q8

    i feel the game content is been cut so badly so they can spam on us with DLC every month

    i hate this gen because of DLC !

    1. e30 freek

      He said “i feel the game content is been cut so badly” the main part is “i feel” which is probably his owm gut reaction/opinion

    2. royaltudor

      Dude all that I can say is that if the DLC is worth the money to pay I would pay it. So I say go for it big time with the DLC as long as its worthwhile. Man I would pay $200 dollars a track if they were my two local ones that I race on just to be able to practice when I can’t go! Bring on the DLC you don’t have to buy it if you don’t want it and don’t feel it’s worth it!

    3. Pit Crew

      It’s to funny. I know we don’t have the full details of how the DLC will integrate into the GT6 or what type, be it Cars or Tracks, Course creator layouts, or ASpec/Career mode expansions etc etc, but now that it would seem that PD has an actual plan to deliver DLC of some kind to us, Something they Didn’t have last year when many members proudly displayed Wishlists, and ideas all over this blog, people are still not happy, constantly looking for problems where they don’t exist

      It’s obvious way too many people assumed a PS4 developed GT6 would fix all of GT5s problems. It quite possibly would have, but at this point, It is what it is. Make your stand as a consumer and Spend the money or don’t.

    4. MeanElf

      Yes e30 I read the words just fine – trouble is, the way it is worded sounds like he is basing this from something actually experienced rather than gut feeling. That would be: ‘I feel that the game content will have been cut so badly…’

      Even so, no one will know until after the release, will they?

      Too true Pit Crew.

    5. KYD302

      I get what Kratos is saying he’s talking about the Current Generation of Gaming in General not specifically Gran Turismo. An his Point is in that sense correct an documented. This Generation of gaming is all about shorting the consumer’s content so they can make money off of it later. Example- COD gives you an average of 4 DLC packs the first two packs are already on the game disc but there withheld from the consumers solely for the purpose of profit. I like buying dlc if it’s created after release an isn’t withheld content on the disc. If the content is already on the disc it shouldn’t be DLC it should be in the game from day 1. Gran Turismo adds content not on the disc which is why i don’t mind spending my hard earned money on it, But if i had to pay for the r4 an r5 tires which are locked within the disc i’d be pissed about it. But if they give us tracks like Bathurst and B.I.R. i’d happily pay for the extra work.

    6. Quakebass

      The reason we’re getting worried is because of the wording in the article, like “monetizing Gran Turismo” – it sounds RIDICULOUSLY capitalistic, which isn’t good. It really sounds like we’ll be paying a fair amount for DLC.

  16. Allek

    Our world is ruled by capitalism. Why would PD be different from other studios? Soon books, music and films will have some sort of DLC. It’s the fragmentation of entertainment: everything will be sold in little pieces. I’m not happy with that but let’s face it: it’s irreversible.

    1. Tenacious D

      Well, consider the alternative.

      Huge games, long films, epical books.

      And they come out every two to five years. Remember all the howlong over the wait we endured for GT5? People posting on the boards, “Just release it NOW and give us patches and DLC later!”

      People want gourmet banquets delivered at Taco Bell speed for pennies…

    2. Quigz125

      And PD released the game probably still early and yes they have patches which was expected. But guess what all those people started doing once the patch came? Started complaining cuz it wasn’t perfect. I for one am not bothered by patches or DLC. But there is always impatient people out there who want it and are then disappointed because they rushed it.

  17. phil_75

    So basically its “we’re/we’ve been looking into it/that”
    Which means “We haven’t looked into it and i have no idea”

    1. phil_75

      The only thing he did know was how much they are planning to hold back and sell us as DLC!

      Way to go PD!

  18. esio trot

    So let me get this right, Jim Ryan used lots of marketing type business speak together with many “I really can’t say more than that’s” and ended saying very little at all…

    Also, am I right in assuming that GT6 will be dual platform (PS3 and PS4) or will all of us ’70 million install base’ be required to pay extra in some way?

    As for a quantum leap with GT6 DLC, I see this more as a quantum leap in the idea of regular money making… as he says, they aspire to take money off the customer for years!

    Sorry to appear cynical. I love it really or I wouldn’t be here…

    1. Pit Crew

      I wouldn’t assume there will be a GT6 for PS4. If PD was gonna build a new Game Engine of a GT title, why wouldnt they just create GT7?

  19. Praggia

    “blah blah blah , thats all i cant say” “blah blah blah i can’t really comment on that” “blah blah blah we are looking into that” blah blah blah before christmas 2013 definitely maybe a possibility”

    FFS WTF !!!!

    pointless interview

    1. MeanElf

      My, my – some are just grouchy little souls aren’t they.

      It was a Q&A = a bit more info between the lines in a period of relatively little news. Would you rather have nothing?

    2. Pit Crew

      Exactly MeanElf. Just like politicians, corporate execs talk in circles. The way his comments refer to some questions shouldn’t be a surprise, to anyone. 2 more Game events planned before GT6 releases, and 1 can only hope more Gameplay and Launch content information will shake loose there.

      Nothing pointless about the interview, just because it didn’t feed your right to know everything “Right now”.

    1. MeanElf

      I’m assuming that you’re on about the demo. The cars are pre-set up so if it’s tuned for understeer, that’s what you’ll get…wait for the game when you can tune away to your heart’s content.

    2. Rallywagon

      No kidding! How can you say anything about understeer at this point. We’ve driven 3 cars that are probably on a safe tune so that anyone can get in and drive, much like all street cars are set up to understeer. So, if reality, if you’re looking for realism, then guess what, cars are setup to understeer… Be patient man, wait for the full game before you get mad about it not fitting into your paradigm of realism.

    3. jimantonic

      Ico,do you use a pad? I wonder if with the new physics pad users are suffering, as a wheel user I found the physics a vadt improvement, and am actually able to get lift off oversteer in the Leaf, never before possible in GT5 with a FF.
      The 350/370 which ever it is in the races feels a little too acrade like for me, but the TT it felt fine, possibly a little too much balanced towards the front giving understeer but as others

    4. jimantonic

      Then perhaps its your driving style Ico (please don’t think I’m a troll, just making suggestions).

  20. JohnyPiston

    Yup, it concerns me too. I like your use of the word “season” …it immediately evoked thoughts of 10 races at 10 different locations …going for about 1 hour 10 to 20 minutes each …with lots of pit stops. There is no point of including DTM, Australian V8s or GT3 cars if you stick to these 3 race 5 lap jobbies …

    1. JohnyPiston

      Sorry …this was meant to be in response to infamousphil and his concern about the A-Spec career …

  21. forzaturismo

    A Real “quantum leap” ll be to organize a pole on the Granturismo website; and the question ll be : “what is ur top 3 Cars and Tracks that u want in the next DLC?”
    ;)

  22. lGNAl

    In the question before last he said: “It will be before Christmas [2013], definitely.” Then later in his answer to the very same question he says: “We gave a lot of thought into what the right strategy should be and we’re firmly committed to the GT6 Christmas release date,..” … So which is it, Before Christmas ‘definitely’ or At Christmas ?

    1. Quigz125

      He was probably just saying it would be very close to Christmas. He’s probably not allowed to day a true release date just yet because one has not been confirmed. All we know is its sometime before 12/25/2013. But that’s still months away so it’s not a big deal in the immediate future.

    2. ScotteDawg

      My view on the release date goes like this:-

      GT5 was released on Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 – the last Wednesday of the month!

      So, it would stand to reason that GT6 would be released on Wednesday, November 27th, 2013 – again, the last Wednesday of the month!

      Just guessing though…

  23. Greyout

    “We have certain aspects, like the realism of the game, that’s something unique to Gran Turismo and the quality of the gameplay; I think that sets us apart form everyone else.” – Spend 5 minutes playing A-spec, and you will laugh at this comment.

  24. infamousphil

    GT online was a quantum leap for me so what they do with GT6 is of no concern to me. The more, the better…

    I am more concerned however, with is GT’s next career play content. 5’s career mode play was weak and unbalanced and worst than ever. Three to five races for a “season” of turbo charged, awd or american muscle cars is hardly enough to be fully appreciated. The difficulty or prestige of a series wasn’t even appropriately awarded credited.

    I know this thread is about DLC. But am I the only one who thinks the career mode is vastly more important? Should we be concerned? I am… the career mode with be totally overlooked. Please say it isn’t so PD/Kaz ;)

    1. sayba2th

      I will second that the career mode has become somewhat stagnated. I think a complete overhaul is in order, I would hope based on what feedback PD and Sony are receiving via forums as such as GTP or tweets or emails or however people are contacting them and with what is being said about carefully taking this on board that we will see it stripped down, reassessed and rebuilt with some serious panache.

    2. HuskyGT

      Yes. I agree as well. That’s the essence of Gran Turismo. Just go back to Gran Turismo 1, 2, 3 and 4 and you know what I’m talking about. I don’t know what PD was thinking with GT5’s career mode, but it felt as they put it together in 20 minutes. It simply doesn’t make sense. It’s just a couple of random events from previous games, but with less races and with weird track choices.

      Compare Muscle Car Championship from GT4 which was held in various American tracks, and then look at GT5 which is only one race in Monza… To this day I still don’t understand why PD did that.

      I think PD can certainly do it with GT6. If they did great with older titles, they can do it again.

    3. Kratos_Q8

      he sayed we are going to focus more on online .. see thats the problem they dont care anymore about the offline mode :( and we can all tell from the GT5s career that PD focus now is only online + gt academy

    4. Rallywagon

      This is one thing that I have always felt was lacking in the GT series. I would like to see an actual progressive career mode. To me, its always seemed like you race to earn money, to buy a car that can compete in the next class, or in a different drivetrain race. I would like to see a career mode where you work your way up the ranks and race whatever style car you focus on. Say you want to race F1. You would start out on a kart, and work your way up earning sponsorship and experience, once you win a few champoinships, you can the progress up to the next level. Just like they do seasonal events now, each “career” path can have a new set of championship races every “season.” Or as they do now, every few weeks. Make actually feel like a career, and not just a dash for the cash.

    5. Pit Crew

      @Kratos_Q8 He said improve the Online experience, and gt5s is pretty unstable. Plus you can’t assume the offline mode is gonna be undercut by that statement. ASpec/Career mode may also benefit from DLC, as an OTC variant may also become available.

      Though you may not be interested in it, Online mode created some good gamer relationships, and great League/Club/Independent Racing ideas, that PD wants to help these players expand on and make better.

    6. infamousphil

      So, PitCrew… you think the career mode would be benefited by DLC? I don’t see that in the current iteration. And it shouldn’t need to or have to. Bonus content is always great. However, a great career mode shouldn’t be dependant on bonus content. It should great without it, frankly ;)

    7. Pit Crew

      If you could implement the DLC to work within the dimensions of Career mode, then yes it would benefit. Why wouldn’t it? Because you say so? Dude you can barely stay on topic for most of the blogs we get so please don’t find yourself trying to undercut my suggestions.

      Plus we’re not talking about GT5, or did you notice?

      Not to mention we have no idea how the ASpec mode in GT6 will look anyway but here you are, as usual creating a mountain from a mole hill. It’s not like I made a definitive request to use DLC in career mode. Though my OTC suggestion is pretty far fetched now that I think about it.

  25. Amac500

    I hope they aren’t looking at the Call of Duty model with the season pass thing, I don’t think that is suited well for Gran Turismo. I like what they did with the last GT5 DLC batch, making individual car models $1, and I think they should do that and be able to release something like a car per week, rather then a group in a pack at the end of the month. Of course, I would imagine our DLC material will be much deeper then just cars, so I guess it’s more a matter of what we could do in DLC’s. I think this is something i may have brought up back when spec 2.0 cane out, but if we don’t have a livery maker, which I really hope we do, I’m a big proponent of livery chips. Livery chips would be like paint chips, only it’s a racing livery. It could provide us Gulf Racing liveries, manufactoers liveries, Gran Turismo liveries, or really any company that comes to the game and wants there sponsor to decorate cars in the GT6. That could be sold either as individual sponsors or like the season pass in Call of Duty or could be free. Companies are paying PD to advertise in game and we are of course okay with it, because our race cars now emulate real world race cars and our online rooms become that much more realistic. That said though, I still really want a livery maker because I already know the livery that will adorn all my racers, should we get this option. If we do get the livery maker, then perhaps companies pay to have their decals added to the on game livery maker for players to put sponsors on their cars. Maybe they could go the livery chip route and still give us livery maker though. What if we were able to create out own liveries on our computers and then have them sent to ourselves as livery chips in GT6 for a fee of $1 or something. I think those all are viable options that set up a good model of consistent income for the franchise.

    1. Nuuj

      That Livery Chip idea is Gold, I’m sure if someone at Polyphony or Sony caught on to that idea they would dive right into it–a lot of Companies would hop onto that bandwagon just for advertising space, and it would give us unlimited possibilities for Personalization etc.. Really great idea!

    2. Neilson248

      @Amac500…. A car per week! lol, I think you’re being a bit ambitious there m8, these cars a probably taking PD about 4-6 months each! At the moment, I dont know how they are going to release as much DLC as they say they are so that will be interesting to see.

      I like your livery idea though, that would be awesome.

    3. Amac500

      Well Neilson that’s the was the rate of DLC’s on GT5. If they expand it will be quicker then that. Remember when they started, how they stuck to the DLC per month thing? Those month DLC packs all contained more then 4 cars and 1 car per week is just 4 cars per month. It’s definently possible.

  26. ChicoMaloXD

    I hope they just make a subscription base DLC with a nice price. Let’s say about $30 USD for the whole thing.
    Expecting it would be around 5 new tracks, 3 classic tracks and 25 cars + Bonus events. But I doubt they will give Us a good deal.

  27. A2K78

    Great interview and but why no question on Tourist Trophy especially given how connected it is to GT….

  28. Quakebass

    Ok, I hope PD won’t go down the EA route with DLC… In fact, not even the T10 route, either.

    I liked Forza’s DLC content and variety, but the sheer amount got ridiculously expensive over time, I believe around DOUBLING the price of the original game… (if you bought all of it)…

    So if PD wants to release a LOT of DLC, it’d be nice if the price of the stand-alone game was lowered to 40 or maybe $30 (USD)… If they release monthly car packs for a year that’d probably already exceed $60… And it’d probably be no more than 60-100 cars, at most. Hardly ANYTHING compared to the full game you bought for the same price.

    1. Nuuj

      True, I also hope that most of their Developing efforts aren’t focused on DLC–I hope they’re concentrating on giving us a lot of meat within the Original Game, it would be nice to see a lot of new content from day one.. Instead of having to wait for DLC to see many of the new Vehicles and Courses we’ve been waiting for (but the realist in me sees most of the “Good Stuff” being held for DLC purposes..

    2. jasr73

      I hope they don’t go down the EA path either. There’s DLC they had which was okay in my opinion – then there’s the NFS style model which seems almost like online shopping with a game tacked onto it at times – a little unfair to be sure but there’s a lot of “buy now” in there. Consumers expectations have evolved and are rightly expecting a heck of a lot more from games these days but the constant DLC GT5 update expectations almost seemed like it created a drug addiction for some players hanging for the next fix. Business is business I guess and at least it’s sure to keep many complaining, sorry, engaged.

      Then this: “Where we really want to improve is the area of the online experience and make it more interactive and engage with communities around Gran Turismo, because we think the genre lends itself really well to that.” – I hope PD can make the online race data from the replays exportable into a CSV file or similar.

      This would be extremely helpful for those of us hacking away at tables each week to support our online race series.

  29. sangdude82

    I hope that PD will let us know on Gamescom regarding Bathurst whether it will be included in the disc at the launch of GT6 or will come out as a DLC.

  30. jasr73

    I wonder if some DLC offerings will be along the lines of NFS Most Wanted etc. Where there’s hero cars or extensions to tracks in game and if you’re interested there’s direct portals to the store. Haven’t seen that style of direct ‘in game’ marketing from PD yet.

    1. Nurburgthing.

      “….there is definitely a lot of unfinished business on the PS3, and I urge you take a look back at the iterations of GT and GT2 side-by-side; the difference is amazing. You’ll see a similar step change between GT5 and GT6.”

      Liking the sound of this bit 8D.

    2. Nurburgthing.

      WHY DID THIS SHOW AS A REPLY!? Bl

      Now, in reply to this comment….

      “It will be before Christmas [2013], definitely.”

    3. TokoTurismo

      ^ Yes it indeed does Nurburgthing. :D I have a great feeling that GT6 is going to bomb GT5, just like GT2 did to GT1 with lots of content and features added. :)

  31. sonic378

    @Tenacious D
    Actually Portal 2 is 8GB. I remember Infamous 2 being around 14GB
    PSN Downloads can be rather large.

  32. Swagger897

    Two things that I look forward to:

    The resurfacing of Le Mans, where it is completely smooth.
    The inclusion of at least the R-18 TDI. If they fit in the ultra, and maybe the e-Tron, that would be epic.

    To see what they meant by the dynamic changes where the Ferrari Dino was in grid mode and it kept morphing… Does this mean they have gone to be realistic enough as to add car flex?

    1. Amac500

      I would love to see the Audi R18 TDI, I’ve wanted it since DLC’s started! When they give me the TDI, I don’t care much about the other 2 (though I’ll take em) because in 2011 the rules aloud the R18 to reach 220 mph, the past 2 years the car just reaches 200 on the Mulsanne. But yes, the R18 is a brilliant and I really want to see it!

  33. Tenacious D

    “I think that we very much cut our teeth on DLC with GT5, and I think there’s a real desire to make a quantum leap with GT6. Plans are not yet disclosed so I can’t talk in detail about what they are but there is a real desire to make a step change and take it to a whole different level.”

    Quantum leap means one or both of two things to me.

    – Lots of DLC, which could be but I think is less likely

    – DLC that integrates into the single player game properly, the way it did in Prologue

    And by that, I mean not just additional environs and updates to the Course Maker, or additional text fonts and vinyl shapes for the possible Livery Editor. When they offer new tracks, additional events are attached to them, or they incorporate into existing single player race events. This would be boss for me.

    “(Added content is) really as much about providing a sustained engagement for the consumer as it is about making money. Obviously, the company enjoys making money, but you can engage the consumer for months or even years and that is our ultimate aspiration.”

    I like people who talk like that. While SONY as a company needs money bad, the Entertainment Division, especially with Playstation, is a proven money maker. I think goodies for us is like cheap advertising, and they know this.

  34. Logoncal21

    I swear to god Sony/Polyphony, if Gran Turismo 6 isn’t going to be avaiable to download, i will travel thru Japan just to invade Polyphony HQ to get a copy of it. I don’t want to wait more than 4 months of being developed, i need to buy the game ASAP when it releases.
    Well, it might take some days to the shops here have the game. Since it will be a 3 month holiday here on december, i might go every day to see if that beautifull box of GT6 with a disc on it. and also some papers.
    And lastly, i’m still concerned about the mystery of that invisible car. It’s probaly a Japanese one.

    1. Tenacious D

      I’m unaware of any PSN game being more than four GB in size, and GT5 was already more than 15GB if I recall. Might as well get your papers handy and wait, because no serious Blu-Ray game will be available for download for a good few years yet. The net bandwidth and stability just isn’t there yet, unless you’re rich.

    2. jasr73

      LBP Karting digital version from PSN Plus weighed in at nearly 14GB from memory but the GF had to have it, several hours latter it had finished downloading. Sigh.

    3. Quigz125

      Uncharted 3’s SINGLE PLAYER on PSN is over 40gbs. Plus idk if u want such a massive game like GT6 on your HDD. It took over 9gb even with the disk itself.

    4. Quakebass

      I have an 80 GB drive, and it’s full. Like I can’t even update the system software, and that was a good 6 months ago at LEAST. I’m gonna expand it with an SD card…

      …When I fix it next…

    5. Quakebass

      Yes, but a 32GB SD is all I need, and it I’d only be transferring GT data to it. Then I’d have enough space to last me until the PS4, which is all I need. I’ll save time and money doing it this way. Plus, I need a new motherboard… That’ll probably hit $50-100.

    1. MeanElf

      Give them the chance to prove it before condemning – the game isn’t even out yet let alone the first DLC deadline…sheesh!

    1. Quigz125

      I agree with saint on that one. Hybrids period are the ruination of racing(meaning the Eco friendly cars, not hybrid engine parts)

    2. Quakebass

      Hydrogen fuel cells are the future. They have all the punch of the normal battery-electric cars (like the Tesla and SLS-E), but you can refuel them quickly, and have similar range to internal combustion. And it’s still early in it’s exploration. Only emissions are water.

      Battery-electric is a waste of time, and isn’t even “green” because most of the time when you re-charging, you’re just using the power from a coal plant or other pollutive source. Add to tiny range and excessive weight, it’s simply a bad way to go.

      The only reason it isn’t commonplace and isn’t being explored extensively is because of greedy oil companies. They’re also why the US doesn’t have super efficient diesel cars like the VW Polo, which has something like 65-80 MPG.

      Ok, political rant over.

  35. Griffith500

    “Consumer … monetization”
    It was only ever inevitable. They’d better not take the piss, because Gran Turismo games have always been such great value, and that’s something Kaz has been proud of. If they do it properly, and it allows them to really broaden the scope of the game without fracturing the community too much (no pressure! Ack…), it’ll be tolerable.

    “Marketing … noise”
    So they’re hoping that, say, Intel’s practice of naming their processors in the most confusing way possible in order to maximise the per-unit margin (people err on the side of caution when they’re not sure) might mean people accidentally buy both consoles, or something? How can “noise” be useful for us? Unless he just meant “volume”, in which case, meh – spend that money on the games, please.

    What’s this “PS4 app”, anyway? Is that my fabled “demo the PS4 on your mobile / PS3 etc.” feature, or just the remote thing?

    Still, as ill-suited as the word “quantum” is to the expectations we all have, the fact that he’s drawing a comparison to GT2 makes me happy. Which is exactly what he wants!! :P

    1. MeanElf

      I think the noise comment was meant more for Sony/PD as in the board chatter about both games raising awareness.

      I’m not sure that throwing any more money at PD will help – I know getting more staff would be good but I get the impression that PD are very particular about who gets added to the team.

  36. belairman59

    Can’t wait until this game comes out. Im like a little kid when I buy theses games. Only now im speeding on the way home with the wrapper torn off and ready to play by the time im out of the car. Still think they need the Pontiac Trans Am 2001 or one like that. I would gladly give up the Prius for that.

  37. Leggacy

    Quantum leap? I hate that phrase. Are they saying its a tiny subatomic jump forward. Or is Sony DLC going to get better and worse simultaneously but only colapse in to one state when observed?

    1. MeanElf

      :) I like the literal definition use.

      Still, quantum despite indicating behaviour of the miniscule atoms – still defines a large shift by comparison. But yeah, business jargon, eh?

  38. MeanElf

    Nice bits of info. I liked this part in particular: “We’re looking at all sorts of areas for downstream gamer engagement and not just dlc.”

  39. BHalpen

    Which version of the steering wheel is that in the picture above? Is it a Logitech? I though they were going out of the console peripheral making business, no?

  40. SavageEvil

    Nice read up, just one tidbit…Hey PD GT sells truck loads in Europe, NZ and OZ can we get V8 Super cars and DTM cars on the regular now? I want to run series for Super GT, DTM, and Super V8’s, come on guys let’s give each part of the globe some representation eh? This game started out Japanese but it has boomed worldwide so give us some recognition and put some famous regional motorsport bodies in there, Indy car for the USA, DTM for Europe, Super V8 for OZ and more, this game would be an unstoppable juggernaut if this happened and not just light addition meaning that we can use rules for that racing body and have series’ in the game.
    Keep up the good work on GT series, I hope that we definitely get to give PD some more feedback once GT6 goes live. We all want a better, deeper game…so only way to convey our wishes is to give them some feedback. Not wanting to make their game our own but just want to mold a little part here or there, it’s still their vision just with a hint of our ideas :D.

    1. MeanElf

      I’m thinking with bathurst inbound, you’ll get that wish – gotta have the cars to go with, eh? Plus Nissan is racing there next year…

    2. RACECAR

      @MeanElf: Pretty sure they are racing there this year, Not as a GTAcademy team obviously but Nissan is one of the new Manufacterers in the series this year so naturally they should be there at the 1000 this year.

    3. ScotteDawg

      First point – Nissan are racing in the V8 Supercars this year along with the Erebus Mercedes. There are four Nissan Altima’s and three Mercedes E63 AMG’s! Next year will see the introduction of Volvo to the series.

      Second point – The cars used in the V8 Supercar series have nothing to do with GT Academy or the GT3 class running at the Bathurst 12hr next February!

      Third point – Holden is local to me, so I rang them and was told that PD has not approached them for cars to be included in GT6. I have HRT (Holden Racing Team) on facebook and they too have not been approached! I also have HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) on facebook and have heard nothing from them, so I’m thinking that they HAVE been approached but are giving nothing away!

      Fourth point – I don’t like Fords so I didn’t ask them!!!

    4. ScotteDawg

      It’s not that I HATE Ford’s, hate is a very strong word, I just like my GM and GMH cars more!

      Some of the older Aussie Ford’s look cool though – XY GTHO Phase lll, XA, XB, XC, XC Cobra to name a few.

      The American Mustang’s (not including those made between 1978 and 2000) and the British Cortina’s, Capri’s and Escort’s look good too! (Favourite British one is the Escort RS2000 and second is Bodie and Doyle’s Capri from TV series The Professionals)

    5. MeanElf

      Yeah, but the Capri handled like a pig ;) looks good though.

      I was just joshing you about the traditional two-camp war associated with Bathurst. I didn’t really think you ‘hated’ Fords :)

    6. ScotteDawg

      When it comes to Bathurst and Bathurst alone, I guess I sorta do hate Ford… Since the late 1970’s, Ford Australia has made the least attractive cars known to man!!

      Holden, on the other hand, has made the most aesthetically pleasing vehicles bar the VK Commodore – something about it just didn’t sit right. There have also been the odd mechanical or electrical problems associated with the Chevrolet motors used, but Ford had their share of problem’s too!

      In general though, I just love cars…

    1. Normalaatsra

      It is likely we can see an “Ultimate Package” re-release of GT6 as exampled with Spec 2.0 and GT Academy 2013 versions. Keep in mind however that an updated version of GT6 could come yearly, so we should expect a very long run for the post-marketing team for Gran Turismo 6. It was 3 years!

  41. Rod Carvalho

    You could have asked questions regarding their plans for South America and Oceania markets. Not thinking only about sales but also for cars and tracks from these regions added to the game.

    1. MeanElf

      True, but that was the European CEO so maybe he wouldn’t be able to give more than a generic answer to that.

  42. mr_pepps

    Brilliant. Love these emails. Roll on 24th December. We’re all prepared for that to be the release date right? Seriously – buy all your Christmas shopping early because GT fans will be jamming up the shops on Christmas Eve! Myself included.

    1. ScotteDawg

      GT5 came out on Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 – the last Wednesday of the month!

      My opinion is that GT6 will be released on Wednesday, November 27th, 2013 – the last Wednesday of November again!!

  43. nick993

    So by quantum leaps for DLC in 6 you mean it will cost 4 times as much rather than installing it in the game?

    1. MeanElf

      More like a quantum leap as in providing it consistently…there can be more than one interpretation.

  44. XxDARKRAIX

    I think it’s stupid how its not on ps4. It’ll be better if it was. Plus I don’t want to spend $160 for a new ps3 when the ps4 comes out in November. I would forgive them if they put GT6 on the backwards compatible program download thing but there’s a 50/50 chance of that

    1. MeanElf

      So you don’t want to spend another $160 for a PS3 but are happy to spend another however-much-more-it-is-over-your-way for a PS4?

    2. RACECAR

      So you mean to tell me that it’ll make more sense to have GT6 on the $399 PS4 (with no install base) then it does to have it on the $160 PS3 (with a huge userbase). This doesn’t exactly strike me as logical.

    3. Quakebass

      I’m just confused with they having to buy a new PS3… I get that the PS4 had so much potential for an even BETTER GT6, but it is how it is now. And GT6 is looking good enough for me to buy, as long as there isn’t any EA-style DLC.

    4. XxDARKRAIX

      Ok.
      A. This is the first post about this

      B. I have has a ps3 since it came out

      C. I already preordered a ps4 because all the new games are amazing and it will last till the ps5.

      D. My ps3’s disc drive no longer works and I’ve replaced it 3 times and it still dosnt work.

      E. I don’t want to spend a total of $550 for a ps3 and ps4 because after a year the ps3 will be obsolete.

    5. MeanElf

      Sony have gone on record saying that the PS3 is good for another two years on titles alone – so I think you’d get your money’s worth out of it, plus you could keep on playing the old games you have. The PS2 is still getting games made for it despite production of the console stopping earlier this year.

      Or you wait until PS4’s Gaikai allows you to play GT6 – if that happens.

    6. XxDARKRAIX

      Ya but I can’t afford to buy a ps3 cause I just bought a car. And the reason I’m getting a ps4 is because my parents will pay for that not a ps3

  45. HaylRayzor

    bla bla quantum leap. bla bla step change. bla bla whole different level. Meaningless marketing hype.

    But then he accidentally said something true and meaningful.

    “And, you know, other games in different genre have demonstrated what’s possible in terms of providing a much longer and deeper consumer engagement and monetization, so our ambitions are to make a big jump.”

    Dribble out the content and charge for every byte.

    1. KFM

      Seeing how many people still play GT5 on a daily basis, it would indeed seem that the sole purpose is monetization, since the customer engagement still seems to be there after almost three years.

    2. MeanElf

      Other than the fact that a portion of the DLC content for GT5 was free and the Seasonal Events have been free…sort of ruins the argument that it is purely about the money, no?

    3. KWZX10

      They probably want to do it EA style, sadly, like for battlefield 3, a nice game ruined by the dlc system. 4 big dlc for basically the price of a new game, with a defined timing, so you have the illusion they’re working to make the game last longer but everything was already done before the release of the game. (You know, bf4 isn’t even out yet but you can buy the first dlc) Not a good thing if you ask me, gt6 (full price) without dlc will be even more incomplete than gt5, basically. Really nice, pd is looking at other games but not in terms of quality. This sucks. The only dlc i bought for gt5 was spa, stop. I don’t have daddy paying for me, i’m REALLY careful when i buy games and news like this are pushing me away from gt6. MONETIZE was really the worst word to use.

    4. MeanElf

      It’s a business term – none of us know how this is going to play out for GT6 or if the same model as other game publishers will be used – you’ll just have to wait and see.

      If you keep assuming like that, you’ll end up disappointed in life. More of us here are adults than you think by the way, so we pay for our own games and DLC too.

    5. Quakebass

      If PD wants to do EA’s type od DLC, then I think they should release the game cheaper than usual. It’s a bit ridiculous to pay for twice the game when we’re probably only going to be getting a MAXIMUM (and this is hopeful thinking…) of 100 cars and maybe 10-ish tracks over the game’s lifespan. A VERY tiny portion. So if they launch the game at $30 (USD), and then have let’s say 12-18 $3-5 monthly cars packs and bi-monthly track packs, that’d STILL be paying a lot for not a whole lot of extra content. And I’m sort of comparing the system to Forza… The packs had GREAT variety and content, but there were so many it’d be ridiculously expensive to buy them all.

      Maybe if there’s a way to bundle packs, or make custom bundles with the available cars… But now I’m being wishful.

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