Jordan Greer

In a statement posted on Polyphony Digital’s website today, they’ve announced the Japanese release for Gran Turismo 5 has been “postponed three months”. Originally set for March, this now suggests a June release – which just happens to be the most logical time we expected the game to hit North America and Europe. In other words, it looks like Sony just might be gearing up for a simultaneous, worldwide release and marketing campaign.

The free Gran Turismo 5 demo used to host the first round of competition in GT Academy 2010 has been downloaded over 1 million times in Europe within the first three weeks of its release (that’s one download approximately every 2 seconds), according to SCEE. Here’s what Yamauchi had to say about the milestone:

While digging through TechCrunch‘s live CES coverage, I uncovered one of Kazunori Yamauchi‘s most unique interviews. It’s live, uncut footage, showing everything from the moment TechCrunch editors first meet the Sony press representative, talking with the infamous “Translator” alone before Yamauchi arrives, to a funny interruption at the end. Although no new information was revealed, I found it enjoyable and refreshing to watch and I think you will, too.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiEI1DrL1zg

Yesterday, I made a handy list of different subjects us die-hard Gran Turismo fans really wanted to see from CES, and our friends at GameSpot have covered each request (thanks, guys!). There’s quite a few clips, so just click through below to see each one – they’re also available on GTPlanet’s YouTube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9VOGcoH1h8

After seeing IGN’s lackluster video of GT5 at CES, I realized there is a need to “help” mainstream journalists and attendees who (gasp!) might not be as into the GT series as we are. So, I’m going to be more pro-active and use this platform to nudge them in the right direction – otherwise, we might just end up with more video of Tokyo R246 (and I know how much you all want to see that). If you’re a member of the media, consider this a “how-to” guide to receive millions of hits to your website from adoring GT fans from all over the world…

The show floor has finally opened up at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and reports of the Gran Turismo 5 demo are starting to come in. According to Motor Trend, there are 12 cars and 4 playable tracks in the latest demo:

Our own user Digital-Nitrate has discovered an early copy of the February issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine, and it’s got some pretty incredible news! Indy (“IRL”) cars have been confirmed, in addition to “weather effects, as well as night racing for all tracks”! Here’s a nice little summary of everything that’s discussed and confirmed:

GTPlanet user Snake206 has discovered that GT5 is scheduled to make its next appearance at European Motor Show Brussels, to be held January 14-24. While this is good news by itself, there are some clues we could be in for a few surprises at this show. First, Sony is actually holding a contest to give away two tickets to this auto show to “learn” about Gran Turismo – unusual, to say the least. Also, the show ends on the 24th – a date which just happens to be near the deadline for the GT Academy 2010 demo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Dgc-bpsV8U

It’s been both the best of times and worst of times for Gran Turismo fans in 2009. It started out in what many believed would be the year of Gran Turismo 5, but actually turned out to be the year of another title almost nobody was expecting: Gran Turismo PSP! Regardless, we’ve learned a lot about GT5 – from WRC, to NASCAR, to our first look at damage and rumors of a track editor, it’s been a pretty good year. Now, as we look forward to GT5’s Japanese release in March, here’s a look back at 2009, along with all the links in case you missed something along the way…

If you’re a regular in the forums, you probably know about GTPlanet’s Weekly Race Series – our most popular and longest-running online competition. Thanks to help from JoostBaksteen, the WRS has a new, automated Leaderboard system which makes keeping track of your progress easier than ever before! Here’s how to get started:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFZZ0Fjtb94

Kazunori Yamauchi added yet another event to his motorsport resume earlier this month when he competed in the 25 Hours of Thunder Hill in California. Yamauchi drove an N-spec Honda Civic for Spoon Sports along with several experienced teammates including Tatsuru Ichishima, Naoki Hattori, and journalist Sam Mitani. The all managed a clean drive, but their performance was unfortunately hampered by penalties for improper fueling and (interestingly) a too-loud exhaust. Nevertheless, it was a great experience for Yamauchi-san who is learning much from all this track time:

Before the Gran Turismo 5 Time Trial Demo was released to the public, it was open to a few members of the press and special VIPs involved with the GT series. While their hot laps and replays were taken offline when the leader boards were reset, they live on thanks to more videos via TaxiGamer. Below you’ll find clips of Kazunori Yamauchi and the first GT Academy winner, Lucas Ordonez. Six-time WRC champion Sebastian Loeb was also spotted in the rankings, though I can’t find any video footage of his lap at the moment. If you have it, please share the link below!

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

The Gran Turismo 5 Time Trial demo has just become available for download in the Japanese PSN Store, and it should start popping up in your region soon. Of course, anyone can create a Japanese account (video instructions available here) and the demo’s in English, so first impressions are already starting to roll in around our forums. Head over to our dedicated GT5 Time Trial Demo message board to share your own opinions and see what others have to say about it! The demo file itself weighs in at around 201 MB, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long if you’ve got a slower ‘net connection.