GTPlanet

Over the past few weeks, users in our forums have been organizing a digital Gran Turismo magazine, made up entirely of user-generated articles and content. Now, all of their hard work has finally come together in the first issue of GTlife, and I think any GT fan will find it an enjoyable read. Topics range from car comparisons, car reviews, tuning tips, “fan fiction”, community interviews, and more. It’s available for free on issuu.com, or you can download the full PDF file (15.1 MB) from GTPlanet’s servers.

Photomode image courtesy of EDK.

Each month, nearly half a million of you visit GTPlanet from a mobile device. Now, it’s easier than ever to stay on top of the world of Gran Turismo using the GTPlanet App on your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or Android smartphone! Better yet, it’s completely free for everyone.

Photomode image courtesy of EDK.

GT series creator Kazunori Yamauchi gave an interesting speech at D.I.C.E. 2011 yesterday, titled “On Gran Turismo and I”. Hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit is designed to “bring together the top video game designers and developers from around the world and business leaders from all major publishers to discuss the state of the industry, its trends and the future.”

Woops! Borrowing a page from PD there, we didn’t have an update last week about the 10th week of the Photomode Competitions. We’ll be back to our regularly-scheduled program next week, but for now, here’s what’s going on this week in the Photomode sub-forum:

Photomode image courtesy of Anghammarad.

If you’ve been following the online reviews and chatter surrounding Gran Turismo 5 you know how contentious most of it has been. Between the “fanboys”, the trolls, and the rest of us, it’s very difficult to actually see what most people really think about the game or how it could be improved. It’s even more difficult to pass along your feedback to Sony Computer Entertainment or Polyphony Digital, and – unless they ask you directly for your opinions- your thoughts may just get lost in the noise.

Ten years ago, GTPlanet first made its appearance on the web. Since that time, it’s grown to a scale far beyond what I could have ever imagined and, in the process, has made a profound influence on my life’s work and interests. Though the site remains a one-man show behind the scenes, I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who has played a role in the success of this community over the years.

A tiny delay this week, but here we are, Week 9 of the Photomode Competitions. Like always, I’m here to bring you a quick overview of what’s going on in this particular sub-forum of our community. Want to take part? This previous News article covered just about anything you could need, but the community is always available if you have more specific questions. So what’s in store this week? We’ve got a Head2Head theme involving two of the craziest British marques in PMC, a look back in time in 2.0, and… a new competition. Oh, and two prizes still to be won for those first two comps. Read on…

Ahoy ahoy everyone! Approaching the two-month mark for the competitions, we’ve settled in as people are really starting to crack how to best get shots out of the game, and the rush to discover all GT5 has to offer means now we finally have more cars to shoot! This was all readily apparent last week as we had a record number of entries (and votes) in the competitions. Haven’t entered before? This previous News article should cover everything you need to know, and the knowledgeable community can answer any additional questions you have. We’ve got some interesting new themes this week that leave plenty of opportunity for creativity, and just like last week, I’ll be putting prizes up on offer for those who walk away with the most votes in the poll. So, what’s in store this week?

Hello everyone, Slip here again for this week’s coverage on our forum’s Photomode Competitions. If you missed last week’s entry, click here to catch up, and get the low-down on what exactly happens each week with the competitions. A quick refresher – post an image (no bigger than 500 pixels on the largest side on the forum, but linked to a bigger image for full-size viewing) following this week’s theme, in whichever competition you choose (or both!), and compete against others for in-game prizes! This week the prizes are in the shape of Peugeot’s torquey Le Mans prototypes, or for runners-up, those paint chips that take 30-car intervals in your garage to win, like Matte Light Green or the elusive Chrome. Now, let’s jump to this week’s open themes, and details on those prizes…

Photomode image courtesy of Animera.

Hello everyone! For those unfamiliar, I’m Slip, and I’ll be posting weekly updates here on the main page about one of our forum’s more exciting community events: Photomode Competitions!

Fans of the Gran Turismo series have been through a lot over the past 13 years or so, but none of those years have been as dramatic as 2010. Though I wasn’t able to get this out before the calendar flipped over, I wanted to take one last look at where we’ve been before moving forward (just as I did at the end of 2009)…

The GTPlanet Forums are home to some incredible real-world photographic talent. Last year, we tapped in to that talent by putting together a calendar filled with some of the best automotive shots our members have taken throughout the year. Today, I’m proud to unveil GTPlanet’s official 2011 Calendar, available now for $25. I am even more proud to announce that all proceeds will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, funding private research, patient support, and raising awareness of this horrible disease.

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I just got in from the Gran Turismo 5 launch party here in Madrid – packed with media representatives from around the world, it was a fitting way to celebrate the end of GT5’s long and dramatic development. Here’s what I learned:

The international Gran Turismo 5 launch party is here, and GTPlanet readers have a front row seat to all the festivities! I’ll be sharing lots of pictures and news from the event on Twitter and Facebook, so keep a close eye on my updates over the next few hours.

I’m very excited to announce that I will be personally attending the Gran Turismo 5 Launch Party in Madrid, Spain, this Wednesday, November 24th! Sony has been keeping very close wraps on what’s in store for the event, but it’s definitely going to be very big, and very special… It’s more than just a party, and should be a real treat for all automotive enthusiasts and the general public – be sure and stop by if you’re in the area.