Jordan Greer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og3uRCwHPMA

Few franchises in the gaming world can trigger such heated debate as Forza and Gran Turismo. The reason for the rivalry is obvious, with each high-profile game competing for hearts and minds on the front lines of the “console wars”. Up until this year, however, Microsoft’s Turn 10 Studios and Kazunori Yamauchi’s Polyphony Digital worked quietly on their respective titles and delivered driving games of excellent quality for each console. As the online rhetoric of fans begins to heat up, however, that code of silence is beginning to melt away. Here’s what Yamauchi had to say about the competition while speaking with NowGamer just last week:

Although many people debate the exclusion of “career mode” in Gran Turismo PSP, it’s generally considered one of the best-looking games on the portable console to date. When you look at some of the static screenshots, though, it can appear rough or “jagged” around the edges (like above), but sure enough – when you play the game or see it in motion it looks much more impressive. Why is that? Keep reading to find out…

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

Japanese gaming mag Famitsu hit news stands this week featuring a fresh interview with Kazunori Yamauchi. He used the opportunity to reiterate GT5’s progress while emphasizing the scale of the game:

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

GT Academy winner Lucas Ordonez has seen an incredible amount of success on both real and virtual race tracks. After coming out on top at the GT Academy Finals and scoring a drive in the 24 Hours of Dubai, Lucas has completed his first race season with seriously impressive results. Needless to say, he’s living the dream that lives inside every GT fan, and now it’s our chance to ask him anything you want! GTPlanet member 130tc is going to sit down for an interview Lucas tomorrow (October 12th), and he’s opened the floor to the entire community. Head on over to his forum thread or leave your questions in the comments below. Watch for the full interview featuring your questions very soon.

We’ve got another new interview with Kazunori Yamauchi via GameBlog.fr, and while it’s not as personal or as thorough as Xavier Ocampo’s, it does produce two interesting and encouraging statements.  First, he reiterates the updated damange modeling in Gran Turismo 5 – reinforcing my personal suspicion that negative reactions to the damage shown off at GamesCom was the primary decision for a 2010 release. On the subject of release dates, Yamauchi confirms that is a decision in the hands of Sony Computer Entertainment, since “both versions [PAL and NTSC, presumably] will be finished at the same time”.

When you’re looking through some of the latest screenshots, it’s easy to think to yourself, “You know, that looks a lot better than anything I’ve ever seen in real life.” It’s a phenomenon not lost on Kazunori Yamauchi, who acknowledges that the real world doesn’t quite live up to the visual standards set by Polyphony Digital in these comments to NowGamer:

Logitech’s new steering wheel has finally arrived! They’re in stock right now at Amazon.com for $287.38, plus shipping. Reports in our forums also indicate the G27 is showing up on shelves at Best Buy in the United States. The obvious question, then – should you pick this up? According to the reviews, here’s the simple answer: if you’ve already got a G25, you’ll appreciate the hardware upgrades, but you shouldn’t feel too pressured to pick up a G27. If you’re in the market for your first steering wheel (and don’t mind spending the extra cash over the discounted G25 prices), you’re going to get one of the best wheels on the market.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QZacNDd6vI

Unfortunately, most “journalists” who get the chance to interview Kazunori Yamauchi are largely clueless about the current state of the franchise. As a result, they ask the same questions to which the answers don’t really matter, delivered with the same rabid, impatient schoolboy mentality that seems to plague many people on the Internet these days. Needless to say, while this interview method can provide some sensational headlines, it does nothing to connect with the man or the company behind Gran Turismo. That’s what makes this interview with Xavier Ocampo, Japanese correspondent at MeriStation, so incredibly refreshing and insightful.

If you’ve played Gran Turismo PSP, the thought of hooking up a steering wheel to the little handheld console has probably crossed your mind. The only problem, of course, is that the PSP isn’t compatible with any wheel on the market – or so we thought. GTPlanet user tingri discovered the above clip created by YouTuber RacerS2, who’s done the impossible with a hacked PSP and a collection of other software programs. Although he doesn’t provide a tutorial on how to get this working yourself, you might want to consider the one big caveat before taking on a project like this: GT PSP doesn’t support analog gas or brake controls, so it’s all or nothing when you press the pedals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE3VAt07ie4

Gran Turismo PSP launched with an interesting and new incentive: a free, bonus car depending on where you pre-ordered the game or if you download it via the PSN Store. However, users in our forum have reported everything from receiving incorrect cars, invalid codes, to not receiving a code at all! Fortunately, your cries have been heard, with Sony issuing an apology to affected customers along with a promise to get everything straightened out.

Finally, we get to see the full car list for Gran Turismo PSP.  This doesn’t have all 850 vehicles- some of which will remain Polyphony Digital’s surprise – but at least it’s official. Take a look!