Tensions were high last June at E3, when everyone and their brother expected something about Gran Turismo 5 to be announced at the largest trade show in the gaming industry.  We got a cool trailer, but nothing else about the game was revealed.  Next up was GamesCom, where the first playable version (with damage) was demonstrated.  These delightful tidbits were released despite the fact that the game was not released on Sony’s “official list” of game titles to be highlighted at the show.

For those of you who still aren’t conviced of a 2009 release date for Gran Turismo 5, here’s something new to consider.  In a comment on PlayStation’s official blog, Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing, dropped this remark after someone mentioned they were hopeful for a commercial about the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjUXYtjht0k

Shortly after Gran Turismo 5‘s feature list popped up on Polyphony Digital’s website, pandemonium broke out as everyone rushed to secure an accurate translation.  With the added excitement of the playable demo at GamesCom and our first look at damage, some pretty remarkable new features slipped under the collective radar.  We’re going to put the spotlight on one of them today which could have an major impact on the racing game genre across platforms: “head tracking” with the PlayStation Eye.

One of the developers behind the latest iteration of Need for Speed, NFS Shift, commented on the Gran Turismo 5 damage engine shown off at GamesCom last month. Obviously, his words weren’t exactly glowing, but you’ll find he provides interesting insight into the creative restrictions placed on racing game developers:

In the latest edition of the the PlayStation Qore video magazine, it’s revealed that popular TV comedian and car-guy Jay Leno will be lending his voice for Gran Turismo PSP.  We don’t know the specifics just yet, but from what we see in the video (and the game menu screens), it looks like he’ll be offering hints and tips on how to ace the license tests and challenges.  Those of you outside of the United States may not be that familiar with Jay Leno (he’s had a weeknight television show here for 17 years), but he’s widely known in the automotive world for his impressive collection of rare and exotic cars.  He’s also responsible for inventing and building the notorious, unwieldy “Tank Car” found in Gran Turismo 4. Watch his interview with Qore right here.

According to a report by VideoGamesZone.de, Gran Turismo 5* is at Berlin’s IFA trade show…in 3D. The news comes off Sony’s press conference at the show, focusing on their consumer electronics products. The theme of IFA seems to echo what all the big players first started promoting at CES last January: 3D movies and games.

When Ferrari Challenge by System3 hit store shelves last year, it wasn’t warmly received by the mainstream press, proving how difficult it is for more “serious” racing games without a strong pedigrees to become widely popular. Despite the critics, the game attracted many fans right here in the GTPlanet Forums, due to its challenging physics and rewarding gameplay. Tomorrow, System3 is moving their series forward with SuperCar Challenge in Europe, offering a wider selection of cars and tracks, excellent sound, and a refined experience for players using the Logitech G25.

Mere seconds after the throngs of GT fans gobbled up the news off the GamesCom show floor, eyes began to turn to the upcoming Tokyo Game Show for the next flood of Gran Turismo 5 info from Polyphony Digital. Today, we can tell you that excitement is not misplaced, as Kazunori Yamauchi has confirmed a “major advancement” is coming to the show later this month. From his latest interview with G4TV:

Gran Turismo PSP may be coming out on October 1st, but if you can hold out a few more days (and have some extra cash laying around), you can pick up this “Limited Edition Entertainment Pack” on October 20th.  Here’s what you get for $200 (via press release):

In his latest interview with Italian gaming site MultiPlayer.it, Kazunori Yamauchi doesn’t shy away from nearly confirming a “simultaneous world release” for Gran Turismo 5.  A worldwide release has been widely rumored after our own Amar212 first hinted at the fact way back in April, and it is looking more and more certain with each passing day.  Yamauchi was also asked about Gran Turismo 5 feature list, which GTPlanet managed to grab before it was quickly pulled from Polyphony Digital’s website. Although he comes short of explaining why it was posted, he confirms the information is true.  Yamauchi goes on to discuss how the new damage feature will affect a car’s handling characteristics, and goes on to say there will be “real NASCAR races.”  Finally, Yamauchi retierates that the game will run at in full 1080p resolution at 60 frames-per-second.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQm-6zNOEJE

Here’s one of the better-looking videos of Gran Turismo PSP gameplay footage via IGN, showing the Citroen GT competing against the infamous TVR Speed 12 at Suzuka.  Unsurprisingly, as with most journalists who demonstrate racing games, his skills leave much to be desired…

If you’ve seen lots of pictures and videos from the show floor at last week’s GamesCom convention, you probably noticed this full-size, Audi TT motion simulator running what appears to be a special version of Gran Turismo 5: Prologue.  While this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a motion simulator hooked up to a copy of GT (indeed, this same Audi was brought to the Leipzig Games Convention last year), you can only imagine how badly manufactures of consumer-grade “motion seats” would love to interface their own products with future GT titles…

While most of us are still getting over the shock of seeing a damaged car in Gran Turismo, many others criticized Polyphony Digital’s work for not showing over-the-top destruction found in other, often more “arcade” racing games. Apparently, Kazunori Yamauchi himself responded to critics in his latest French interview with GamesBlog.fr, but we missed it the first time around without a full English transcript.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOUkAq8Kv6w

For those of you out there who still aren’t convinced of Gran Turismo 5’s pending 2009 release date, take a look at the game’s official brochure handed out at last week’s GamesCom convention. Snapped by RiseOfGames, the brochure was quickly translated by forum users – but you don’t have to be fluent in German to figure out what “4. Quartel 2009” means.  Via user G.T.Ace:

When GTPlanet reviewed the VisionRacer VR3 earlier this year, we really loved what we saw. Anyone dedicated to their sim-racing hobby would be hard-pressed to find something to match the VisonRacer’s ergonomics, beauty, or quality of construction. Craftsmanship is not cheap, though, and the VR3 is still a significant investment for most gamers. To help out, the VisionRacer guys are offering a special price just for GTPlanet readers: $999 with free shipping to the U.S..

In a video interview with French gaming site GameBlog.fr, Kazunori Yamauchi hinted at Gran Turismo 5’s release date with the following statement (thanks to reece22345 for the translation!):

Italian website MultiPlayer.it has captured a massive collection of Gran Turismo PSP screenshots, taking particular care to show us all of the new menus and game options.  You’ll see everything from mode selection screens, car selection screens, track selection screens, car trading screens, ad-hoc multiplayer screens, car/track info screens, settings, and everything in between.