Gran Turismo 5 Turns 10 Today

In GT serie, the gap between GT4 and GT5 was graphicaly and physically a big slap in my head.
Imagine, GT5 Prologue come out, you discover Ferrari is now on GT, the F40 looking gooooood, you take the car, cockpit view........................

PS: Despite GT5's RM cars, GT5 Prologue had some semi-race version of some cars (called "Tuned"), I remember the sound of these 2 tuned Elise(s)... miam

 

This was the game that truly got me into the series, and was one of the first games I got at launch, and was certainly one of the games I played the most as a child, and I loved the hundreds of hours that I spent with it. This game means so much to me, and greatly influenced my love for racing games, as well as cars in general.

The game is a deeply flawed mess, especially considering the time I spent playing it as a kid was entirely with the launch release, as I didn't have PSN until much later, and thus was stuck without the many improvements the game received over it's life, But I didn't care about all of it's issues, as the seemingly endless car list and sheer amount of depth was amazing to my younger self.

I ended up replaying it last year, finally completely up to date, and I still love it, as despite GT6 being so much better than it in many facets, The single-player experience with the special events, prize cars after every championship, and used car dealer makes the game feel so much more special (although I do love GT6 as well). It also showed just how much better I had gotten at racing games, as I was able to make as much progress in around 3 months as I had been able to over the 3 years that I religiously played it as a child.

This game still is one of my favourite games of all time, and despite now having played all mainline GT games, as well as every Forza game that is playable on the Xbox One, GT5 still has a special place in my heart.

 

I bought my PS3 and GT5 10 years ago on Black Friday. However, it was August 2011 when I tried it first. It was Monza and I think the BMW M3. This marks multiple occasions: my first time gaming (I was 33 but I just never played games before) and also the first clear sign that as much as love racing games, I suck majorly at them

 

I remember where I was when the game released. It was a long time coming and I was excited to get my hands on the new game.

GT5 was a controversial game in many ways, and polarised soo many people - yet despite this, it sold really well. Quite a lot of people that I knew bought the game; even those who weren't really into cars. I played the game right up until the release of GT6, but it wasn't always smooth sailing. I found GT5 quite frustrating at times, and I had great difficulty completing some of the events. I didn't enjoy the physics and wasted hours trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. As a 10 year old, I wasn't that accomplished as a driver. However I did learn a lot from these trials, and that helped me become a better driver. I developed a greater understanding of the physics and the techniques required to get the most from each car. Also, I did my first online race in GT5, which was a pretty big deal for me at the time. How things have changed. I didn't really appreciate GT5 at the time but after revisiting it this year, I realised just how good it was. The game had a lot to offer, using the traditional GT format that we all know and love. It was also far easier than I remember

GT3 and GT4 were always going to be hard acts to follow, as they cemented the franchise as a juggernaut - a system seller that sold millions of copies. GT5 didn't do everything perfectly but it had that distinct GT flavour and character. With all the tales of woe and the troubled development, PD did a pretty good job all things considered. It stayed true to the GT formula, even with all it's flaws.

 

The nostalgia is strong with this one. I have so many good memories...

Like many already said, GT5 is pretty much the reason i found GTPlanet. "Wait, there's people who actually likes to take photos?!". "Say what, there's a group of people didicated to tune the cars?!"

I really love GT5. Damn, i played so much that i got my Yellow PS3 lights while playing it! Thankfully i could retrieve the disc (but rip the console, oof)

And what about the intro? I love the first seconds where they show that bigass cauldron with the number 5 on it. Original music with Chemical Romance was also cool. pls don't judge me

Well, to my surprise, i just checked and i only need about 3-4 trophies to get my platinum for GT5 (and 6!). Guess it's about time!

Question: do you guys know how i can save and export my replays? I have 2 replays saved there and one of the replays is a race i did with my father. I really want to save that replay, but the game doesn't have any options to export to the XMB and the only thing i'm available to save comes with pfd/sfo files that i have no idea how they work. Any suggestions?

Anyway, since i played the game today, i found those screenshots. Well, A LOT OF SCREENSHOTS. So if you guys excuse me...

 

I think the reason for why GT5 sold so well is the hype that kept building up throughout the years and especially the last few months before release. I don't think the game would've sold anywhere near as well had everyone known the shortcomings of the game they were buying into. I remember myself being particularly hungry for a new full Gran Turismo title after spending more than two years playing GT5 Prologue. In November 2010 I even went on a one hour drive to a far off gaming shop, just to get the game one (or two?) days early. And of course, it had to be the 250 € Signature Edition because I was a real fan of the franchise and would most certainly go on to love it and play the heck out of it for years, right?

Well, at least the second part of that statement held true. I really did play it until GT6 came out and it gave me a lot of fond memories. However that can't erase my frustration with several design choices the developers had made. Most of it has been pointed out already but I was particularly disappointed by the poor quality of the AI. Whereas in the pre-PS3 era the AI was often criticized for being too ruthless, now we had to deal with overconsiderate Mother Teresas as our competitors. Racing them wasn't possible because they would simply lift off as soon as you were next to them and just wave you by. That just killed it completely for me. It hit me especially hard because I'd always had a lot of fun racing against the AI in GT4 and was really looking forward to doing the same on PS3 with many more cars on the track. Online wasn't really my thing back then (and still kinda isn't). Community-organized races aside, you had to find the right lobby with the right kind of people and there was no guarantee the entire race wouldn't fall apart after the first few corners with half the grid leaving. Racing against the AI would just provide the better overall experience, you just had to use an underpowered car to make it challenging. However with the AI wearing kid gloves that hope went out of the window right then. You can still see this overcautious AI today in GT Sport sometimes, though it's nowhere near as bad anymore.

Anyway, that was my biggest issue with GT5. I think despite the good times many people had with this game it just had one or two substantial issues too many. I'm sure that this is part of the reason why GT6 sold not even half as many copies as GT5 did (11.95 million copies globally vs. 5.22). Let's hope that PD have learned their lesson from the PS3 era and provide a new title where the core gameplay elements are implemented properly. The "Oh, but this console is so hard to develop for" argument certainly isn't gonna fly anymore.

 

Posted this on YT 9 yrs ago. Loved GT5.

 

I never actually played GT5 prior to Spec 2. I bought the game off a friend who just hated it. Actually a few notes for the collectors edition inc. wallet key ring and the orange Mercedes SLS. I didnt even have a ps3.... couldnt afford one.

I was playing Forza 4 anyway. Over here Microsoft seemed to strongly subsidise xbox 360 sales.

Then I heard Spec 2.0 came out and was to revamp all the issues. I heard it was a basket case.

We used to have a popular electronics store here called Dick Smith Electronics... named after the note electronics wiz and enterpreneur... Dick Smith.

They were noted for their good sales and by this time the slim ps3 was being run out for the new Foreman grille model PS3.

So I online ordered one of the last ps3 slims in the country. A 160Gb model that was a mere $199! about $150 usd.

Got it home and of course GT5 was on the only game I needed. Installed it, downloded it all.

Got myself immersed into the GT Lyfe. As much as I liked A-Spec what really got me in was the online seasonals and the B-Spec.|

I really dug the team managment and of course grinding after the 5 day login bonus.

Loading up the game now it does look like a drab slightly boring toned game once we all got used to GT6 but there is some good stuff there.

I would love a day when its all the hidden content is patched back in and we can play it on... emulation?

 

I loved everybit of it with an emphasis on:
Full-length endurance races
B-spec
Cash-grinding online seasonals
The 1000+ cars even the ugly ones
But above all, I cherish the many shuffle battles I had on the Nordschleife with a group of people I met in GT5 and have been racing with almost daily since.

 

GT5 was what got me into competitive online racing and dirty online racing. It was also where Team Mopar started, and with those three aspects beginning, that is why I joined GTPlanet . GT5 is legendary and the last great game in the Gran Turismo series (for now).

Side note- I was fine with the standard vehicles, I would much rather have them how they were then not at all. For those that are against the standards, would you prefer them to not be added at all and the game only have the 3xx premium cars?

 

So nostalgic!

 

I loved special events !(i only don't like karting and nascar)

 

I just found that you can still buy the Signature Edition new today
Here's a link to Amazon UK and here's another one (German) listing six available units.
Looks like they overproduced slightly back in the day
Might be interesting for collectors

 

This exactly, hype and desperation did more to sell this game than anything else!

 

A bad time in GT history to be honest. The crazy delay caused the subsequent games to be released at bad times, they didn't have their priorities where they should have been (sounds and A.I. like the competition) and they made a bad call choosing to import the PS2 cars which, while adding content, brought the overall look and quality of the game down. It looked like they were chasing numbers more than anything.

Speaking of that, I have theory: these PS2 cars probably contributed to why they didn't bother trying with the sounds. If they tried with the ~200 premium cars, they would have to with the rest of the 800 standard ones as well so there wouldn't be an even greater discrepancy in quality between them. They just went the easy, quick route and applied generic and recycled sounds to almost all of them. But that's just a theory.

Anyway, the career mode was kind of lame and easy and B-Spec was frustrating because Bob didn't know how to pass. License tests were also easy and not really rewarding.

Despite all of this, there were some positives too and preteen me played the crap out of it all the way to GT6's release.

 

I have my signature edition here still in very good condition and have the prologue too great article thank you

 

Man 10 years it certainly doesn't feel that long ago for me.
Despite the full game not met with the sky high standard of fans and the standard set by the sexy and classy GT5 Prologue presentation wise.
It still ended up being my most played Gran Turismo by big margin there was a point in time that I don't play anything else just grind away on GT5.
The later game support were insane they gave us seasonal events that gives insane Cr. and EXP increase simply overcompensating for the complaint of the game's (very) grindy nature.
The game proved to have long legs,I still enjoy doing Hybrids from Super Sonic Fiat 500 to a more "realistic" Speed 12 swapped Impreza WRX STI.

 

@Arkseven very nice! But.. just what is XMB I know I've owned my PS3 since 2012 and don't know what that is 0.o

And the replays just play back inputs? Also very absurd funny how it keeps lag players just as they were lool

Capture HDMI, put a tripod up, somethin

 

I always looked forward to holiday theme songs in GT5's menu every year, a tradition that still lives today in GT Sport.

 

So many incredible memories with this stunning game, love it

 

I agree with you and it's a shame! GT5 is PD's best work.

 

The disappointment some are having with GT Sport, I have with both GT5 and 6. That said I can’t deny that I still made some beautiful memories!

 

First post in 7 years. Just wanted to say the wait up to GT5 was excruciating but also fun. All sorts of little leaks and rumours (thanks amar212). But in the end I was really satisfied with the game. Doing hotlap challenges with the people here and late night NASCAR races was a ton of fun.

I skipped GT6 and GTS but who knows maybe GT7 will be worth it. I hope they are equally ambitious as the GT5 team, because that first drive in a Mercedes AMG down into the fog on the green hell in GT5 was truly a memorable moment for me.

 

Had no idea its birthday was today but I reinstalled it a couple days ago, I heard the calling

 

This was really a huge bummer for me back then.
I really could not believe they did that,

Also GT5 had so many delays I was not able to believe its final release until the first copies showed up in the stores.

 

My sentiments exactly.

Personally would of been fine with it, didn't use standards at all, and that never took any thing away from my experience. To me standards only existed when I raced against them and as that 'other half' of my garage.
Some standards looked great on the outside but for me the game was about immersion, and using standards with their shadowed interiors didn't contribute to that so I just excluded myself from them. At the end of the day PD seemed to make sure the cars that needed to be premium(I hate we ever had to use these terms) effectively were. GT5 ended up getting the updates it needed, so eventually the game felt somewhat complete.
The supra and R8 LMS not receiving the premium treatment though boggled the mind, given that one was a Japanese sports car icon, and the other-possibly along with the RM'd IS F-was the sole representative and virtual souvenir of KY's VLN and N24H addiction. An addiction I too would also share to this current point in time mind you.

And I said this along time ago before, but I can't help but think, would the complete exclusion of those cars from GT5 possibly motivate PD to model premium ones for the game at a later date? Could that have been the case for a handful of similar iconic marques that didn't make it into the premium club too? Could PD had viewed the inclusion of standards as an excuse not to bother upgrade these cars? I had to ponder, because GTS would be the first time we would see a full interior supra.

 

Here is my GT5 story.

Making the best of a bad situation.

 

In the modern era after GT4 I think every Gran Turismo has been a disappointment in many ways.

The criticisms of GT6 and GTS are warranted.

In that light, even with the issues GT5 had, it seems pretty clear that GT5 comes closest to being what Gran Turismo is supposed to be.

 

It wasn't perfect but I just loved it !

 

Funny, that was one of the least favourite parts of the game. I was super excited for it, but a) you couldn't do standing start time trials, and b) the samba bus challenge...