Jordan Greer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNr9UEhRPYk

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

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.

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.

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