Does Gran Turismo teach you anything?

  • Thread starter wilzilla
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wilzilla

wilzilla

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wilzilla
Hello everyone,

For my dissertation, I am currently investigating into how driving video game experiences enhance and extend the skillset of the participant.

Given the success of the GT Academy, I thought that it would be an interesting query to investigate. As part of my primary research, I have created this very short survey (that should take no longer than 1 minute to complete) to gather some results which I will subsequently analyse in an attempt to answer this.

Thank you very much for reading.

Edit: The survey now closed, but thank you to everyone who took the time to complete it, and the comments on here are great too :)
 
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I made a thread about this a few months ago. Most people seem to think that playing GT5 wont help you with driving. I disagree with that. More than the actual skills, I think playing this game, and playing it seriously, gives you a better attitude and will make you a more serious driver.
 
Thanks sporkface, i'll take a look.

Really very helpful and interesting! Thanks again.
 
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Good luck - one flaw I noticed in your survey was the lack of attention paid to control method of the racing 'game' experience. I feel that there would be more degree of learning from the experience if using a wheel and pedals as opposed to the DS3 controller.
 
Put me in the skeptical category. The only thing useful that GT5 teaches for real world driving is threshold braking. I don't slam on the gas anymore and I listen/feel for how much pressure I can give. But given that most cars have ABS, I don't think that is a useful skill.

Having said that, for general purposes like building neural connections, improving concentration, and preventing alzeimers or somesuch, I think racing games are probably superior to other types of video games. (If I weren't on a racing forum, I'd be throwing down the gauntlet with that).
 
Back in the day, I used to use Gran Turismo games to help set up the suspension on my old autocrosser, a modified 1st-gen Honda CRX. It helped me win a couple club championships, so I'd say it helped.
 
I would say it teaches you the principles of car control. Albeit won't give you the real feeling. It's give you the knowledge of counter steer etc. To get the most out of GT you need a wheel.

Once you have one you can definitely translate some things from the game in real life. Mostly muscle memory, but obviously the game can represent g-force and other natural effects. But in my opinion yes, you can definitely learn from GT.
 
grrlpurple
Good luck - one flaw I noticed in your survey was the lack of attention paid to control method of the racing 'game' experience. I feel that there would be more degree of learning from the experience if using a wheel and pedals as opposed to the DS3 controller.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but the most valuable things you learn are how to drive a racing line and how the car reacts to situations and inputs, and those things don't change with which controller you use. The only thing you lose out on without the wheel and pedals is fine modulation of brake and throttle input (though they can still be modulate coarsely using analog triggers or the RH stick or by intermittently operating the buttons).
 
Well, as a Gran Turismo veteran, I always try to find some sort of learning experience. I may learn of a new car company, a certain locale, something regarding cars... there is almost always something to learn from a game like Gran Turismo. I don't look at Gran Turismo as just another racing/driving game. And with as much emphasis on realism and real-world driving as a GT provides, one would be foolish to think you can't learn anything at all from a Gran Turismo game. That's true for someone who's never driven/owned a car in real life or has never worked on a car before.

Any game with any sort of realism and authenticity should allow for any kind of educational experience. Gran Turismo games are no different. Even Tourist Trophy was a learning experience on the motorcycle front. So don't just play a GT just to crash cars (just seeing how many "noobs" and "fanboys" are reading this)- play also to learn something.
 
Done the survey :) Good Luck
I strongly agree that GT5 teaches people how to correct understeering, oversteer etc... and make their senses better :)
 
Ask ANYBODY (and I mean anybody) who has transferred from racing in Video Games to Racing in Real Life and they will tell you that video games, especially more realistic ones like GT5, Iracing, etc, can make marked improvements in real world racing/performance driving capabilities.

If you haven't done both, you can't really have a fair opinion on the matter. Whether GT5 can make you a stronger street driver or not is a different question all together and I'm not commenting on that. On a purely track basis, GT5 helps and that is not a debate. I can prove that with lap times as evidence and have every GT racer who turned amateur track addict back me up.

There are several threads on this already though, so no need to rehash everything.
 
iamsupernasty
Ask ANYBODY (and I mean anybody) who has transferred from racing in Video Games to Racing in Real Life and they will tell you that video games, especially more realistic ones like GT5, Iracing, etc, can make marked improvements in real world racing/performance driving capabilities.

If you haven't done both, you can't really have a fair opinion on the matter. Whether GT5 can make you a stronger street driver or not is a different question all together and I'm not commenting on that. On a purely track basis, GT5 helps and that is not a debate. I can prove that with lap times as evidence and have every GT racer who turned amateur track addict back me up.

There are several threads on this already though, so no need to rehash everything.
Click to expand...

I agree. Most Track Racers actually use Simulators to improve their lap time and pretty much anything that they need to work on.
 
I think playing gt5 helps you with real driving, if you race in real life it helps you learn how to properly take corners. I don't think you need a wheel for the skills to translate to real life, I've been playing racing games with a controller since I was 12 years old and when I got my license ten years ago I felt playing racing games helped me be a better driver in real life.
 
grrlpurple
Good luck - one flaw I noticed in your survey was the lack of attention paid to control method of the racing 'game' experience. I feel that there would be more degree of learning from the experience if using a wheel and pedals as opposed to the DS3 controller.
Click to expand...

I'm also doing participant observation, and I am taking the control method into consideration. I thought it would be better to keep it open, as a wider part of the reason for this is to see if video games have a positive effect on people's real life skills, as opposed to the more common links to violence and gun crime. I thought that it would be more appropriate to investigate the more casual payer who does not have a wheel. (This is not necessarily the case for all, and i'll make sure to write that)

:-)
 
This is what I wrote in the last question, thought I would share it. I divided the learning stuff into skills, knowledges and attitudes (because that's a learning theory I know of). Note that all learning is not positive (for instance you may gain some unhealthy attitudes...)

Skills: Reaction time, motoric skills, quick decision making, performing under stress, conflict resolution, communicating in English (for those who are not native speakers), basic information and communication technology skills (such as how to use the chat, how to purchase a product online etc.). You learn how to pick a proper racing line through a specific section and how to pick and use a mark for when to start braking. In endurance racing you may improve your skill of performing under fatigue and to keep concentration high for long periods of time.

Knowledge: Automotive history and design history, contemporary vehicles, automotive and racing cultures of different countries. To some extent you learn about the danger of speed and risk of losing control as well. You learn many theories about motorsports, such as racing lines, braking points, etc. You get an introduction to some of the famous race tracks around the world (if you didn't know them already), as well as some of the famous races (such as 24h LeMans and Nürburgring).

Attitudes: The interest in cars and motorsport is likely to increase (or to stay at an already high level). The interest in contemporary automotive design and news about the automotive world may increase. The attitude to driving in a safe way is hopefully improved, but there's also a risk of getting an attitude where you're overconfident in your own skills and lose respect of speed limits and other traffic laws. There's also a risk of trying to translate what you learned about the video game to real life, for instance thinking that learning how to drive at Nürburgring in the game means that you also learned how to drive at the real Nürburgring.
 
My personal experience and take on this subject is a bit amusing.

At a road course in real life last year, it felt as if I was doing some odd low PP seasonal on my first run with a higher PP car. Mixed group of cars and driving level, there was a nice rabbit dressed in an '06 Z06. With a crazy red eye haze it was fun to catch and pass the rabbit before the session ended.

The other 3 session had less cars and advanced drivers. These session felt as it was seasonal time trial. Asside from any tuning, each lap felt even more like GT5 when I saw the time sheet. Learning braking points, apex, entry and exit speed, but most important factor was still being smooth in all aspects which takes a little time in real life.

Also the other friends that went with me had previously been to the track many times as I was the only virgin there. Most were over 4 seconds slower and they all play Forza...the one that had almost equal equipment was still a few tenths slowers.

It is a fun and useful tool that GT5 offers. Especially when they do run T/T with Comfort tires. Either way, Forza I dont believe teaches much if anything based on what I personally witnessed.
 
In my opinion, it massively improves your reaction time. :)
Like when your just Free-Run cruising on Bonnet or Bumper view and you meet someone after a corner and you react instantly and turn away without crashing. :P
 
I strongly believe that GT5 can give the player first-hand experience with racing theory (lines, braking points, throttle control, etc...). This knowledge might help you when you actually get in a car and drive it around a track. However, I wouldn't go as far to say that it teaches you how to race. You just need real seat time for that.
 

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