Gran Turismo's 25th Anniversary: what are your favorite memories of this franchise?

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My first one? GT3. But I'd say my favorite memories involved discovering the likes of Van Halen, Judas Priest, and Motley Crue through that game and its sequel. I also fondly recall the GT4 Toyota Demo, which I acquired at the 2004 NY International Auto Show, where they had the actual Toyota MTRC concept!
 
My experience of this franchise started with of course, the original Gran Turismo and my exposure to it came courtesy of this demo disc right here:

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My most memorable moment came in finally beating the time at Complex String in Gran Turismo 3, that was probably the one challenge that gave me a harder time then the Laguna Seca one (and I'd consider it slightly edging out the Nurburgring challenge in GT4 that also gave me fits). The sense of accomplishment I got from finally beating that is something I still haven't had since then with the aforementioned challenges being the closest I got.

I would say that Gran Turismo played a massive part of my life in three ways:

  • It was the first game that basically made the playstation a compelling choice for me.
  • It wasn't the first car game I played, but it was the game that actually got me into cars. Before it was only planes I could just name on first sight but soon cars ended becoming something I did the same with after Gran Turismo.
  • It pretty much was my gateway to Motorsports. There are so many series I watch regularly that have some link to Gran Turismo. JGTC? Gran Turismo. DTM? Gran Turismo. V8 Supercars? Gran Turismo. American Le Mans Series (which eventually became IMSA)? Gran Turismo (Courtesy of both the Dodge Viper GTS-R on the NTSC version and Corvette C5-R that I happened to catch just as I turned on the TV to see the 2002 Washington Grand Prix). You could even slightly throw NASCAR into the mix courtesy of me being lucky enough to have the copy that still had THE Roush Racing Mark Martin Race Modification for the Ford Taurus (And instantly recognizing said car while at a restaurant which happen to have ESPN on at the time).

While there's far more choice of driving and racing games nowadays then there was when I certainly first got into the series, none of them really had me repeatidly coming back to them the way Gran Turismo does (Even when the newest and shiniest thing has my attention). I can't explain what it is or why it is but its a series that I always come back to with each and every new release. There's just something about it that I don't get with any other sim and that isn't easily equaled with any back of the box features or car lists. Maybe its the quirks or odd ways it does things that you just don't really get in a driving or racing game from anyone else.
 
  • Playing the interactive sampler disc demo at a friend's house before I even had my own PS.
  • Raging at license test A-3 on Christmas Day '98 when I got my PS and copy of GT.
  • Staying up nearly all night playing GT2 - which I'd gotten from my grandparents that night - on Christmas Eve until my mom made me go to bed.
 
  • What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it?
  • What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game?
  • Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how?
  • What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo? What makes it special to you?
  • Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years?


- Gran Turismo 4. I had watched my dad play GT2 and 3 while I was very little, finally I could play GT4 at about 7-8 years old when I borrowed it from my uncle. Such a fantastic game, the music, the class, the way the game showed the cars to you, the way every dealership had two collections of cars, my kid mind was so immersed among those countless cars and tracks. The best GT to date in my opinion. So many special events, wow, they really did it back then.

- I can't even remember one specific moment. There were too many... Still to this day

- Too much actually. When GT5 came out I was eleven years old, I was too much of a fanboy (in the good sense) that I made my dad get me a G27 (he did play it a lot too), and just played that game sooo much along my kid to teen phase. I lost my (good) chances of making it as a pro football player (or just the opportunities to have tryouts) by simply playing GT5 (later 6) all day instead of going to training. Looking back I have a little regret, but not much, I was a kid after all. On a good note, this game made me fall even more in love with cars. I always had football as the passion, but GT made me go crazy for everything about cars, since 4, but primarily 5.

- Just the sheer passion from PD. They love cars, and they portray it on their own unique ways, with classy music, simply amazing graphics, and now even the sounds are great too. I can get a car and just lap a track in this game, it's that finesse to me, you can't get it on another racing game. The one that came the closest to this was Enthusia, since then, nada.

- Because of the giant beginnings, and they never really dropped the ball. Each game had their qualities. You can say GT5 was a weird game - standard cars, tracks. But the content was insane, too much to do. GT6 was the weakest imo, but still was a good enough game. Now GT Sport brought back the finesse and polish they were missing, and started the sport mode revolution. GT7 is just a continuation of that. I was kinda disappointed there was no GT MODE in this game, only menus, but then I started to understand it's vision. GT7 is one of my favorite games on the franchise. I think some people may enjoy it as much as I enjoyed GT4 when I was a kid, we'll just never know.

Hope GT stays with us for a very long time, one of my favorite games and franchise
 
- My first GT game was 1, I was a small kid and my parents gave me a choice of which games I wanted for my ps1 console. I've always been curious about racing games since I watched every F1 race on TV with my father, so GT won. I saw a lot of cars are there, but I didn't know much about them then.

- I remember very aggressive AI in the first and second game and how I always pushed them out of the tracks. I liked that.

- When I started studying art, through GT I found out that art can also be done with cars. I always liked their presentation of the cars and also how precisely they tried to capture the character of each and every piece.

- Unfortunately, due to full-time study and a hobby connected to the creation of music with my band, I missed GT3, 4, 5 and 6. But I always looked at how GT develops and what new brings. Finally, I came back with GT Sport, which did not have a full-fledged career like the previous games, which disappointed me quite a lot. If anyone wants to doubt that I have always had a good relationship with GT I bought a used ps3 now and I want to continue playing gt5 and 6 which I haven't played before.

- Cars have always been and are a good material that sells well and GT did a very honest advertising for cars of different brands using their game to present them there in the best possible way.
 
  • What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it?
Demo Disc 1. Played it, thought I must have this game. I was used to 2D racers and Gran Turismo was unlike anything i'd ever seen. It looked 'solid', real, I immediately got the appeal of 'driving your own car' in a racing game. Cars I recognised, cars I could feasibly one day own when I was older. The music, the gameplay, the incentive of progression through winning races, tuning up cars was addictive. I couldn't wait when GT2 was announced.
  • What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game?
Way too many to count. The endless hours just lost in Gran Turismo 2, the discovery of the existance of the GT40, the overall scope if Gran Turismo 4, but the one that always sticks in my mind is playing Gran Turismo 5, over christmas, and the game soundtrack changed to the christmas menu themes. It was just a really nice touch that shocked me. Another one was the discover of the 'birthday' car, again something that took me aback. It was moments like these you realised that the Gran Turismo franchise had a very unique soul about it.
  • Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how?
It sure did. I became a mechanic because of my enthusiasm of this game. I felt I had an 'insider knowledge' about cars because of it when I took the modern apprenticeship. I doubt i'd have had much enthusiasm for picking up freezing cold spanners in winter, the smell of swarfega and dermatitis otherwise.
  • What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo? What makes it special to you?
The hope it will recapture how I felt first playing GT2, GT4 and GT5. GT6 felt like GT5+, Sport held little interest until they brought back the career mode, and with GT7, yeah, i'm still playing it, but because of it's rocky start it's just not the 'complete' experience I was hoping for.
  • Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years?
To be honest I am surprised it has gone on this long. Not many people I speak to have ever admitted to playing one, but they are at least aware of it. I suppose being a petrolhead/car bore helps which not many people are, but the ones who do have definitely played Gran Turismo. I feel it's that level of dedication and support that has helped the franchise grow strong and, admittedly not having any statistics to back up this statement, I suppose it is much more popular outside the UK that has warrented it's continued longevity. I just hope that there will be major changes for GT7 in development (custom championships, more endurance races, more race accessibility such as asian-region cars able to race the american tracks instead of a few themed races etc) because i'm starting to feel that after less than a year, i've done all I need to with GT7.
 
  • What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it? I know of Gran Turismo for as long as I can remember so I don't know what first attracted me to it but I know the first GT I played was GT3 the day it came out. My dad traded an old station wagon for a newly bought PS2 bundled with GT3 and the station wagon broke down less than a week later with it costing more to repair than it was worth so that was the perfect tradeoff for my family.
  • What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game? There are way too many to have one favorite and luckily there are hundreds of hours of video showing my favorite memories.
  • Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how? Yes, very much so. I am currently lobbying for Gran Turismo to be in the Paralympics so that I can compete and motivate others to do so plus I have been making cryptocurrency for over 3 years mainly from Gran Turismo content.
  • What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo? What makes it special to you? I come back to Gran Turismo for now even though it's not what it used to be because people enjoy the content I made from it and hopefully I can be motivation for people to improve given what I've gotten out of the franchise even with Cerebral Palsy and never having the money for a fancy sim rig and such. GT is special to me because I enjoyed it so much as a kid and as an adult possibly can live out my dream of being a professional racer, which goes along with trying to get GT in the Paralympics.
  • Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years? Many reasons but in my opinion mainly because it stayed ahead of the competitors for so long. GT was pretty much one of a kind until the mid 2000s and once there were more good sim racing options, GT kept ahead for a respectable amount of time with more cars, tracks and features plus ever growing competitive aspects like GT Academy.
Here's my video on the 25th Anniversary and while I'm upfront about the series being at a low point currently, having so many years on top and me getting so much out of it makes GT a legendary and unforgettable franchise.
 
This is the discussion thread for an article on GTPlanet:

Gran Turismo’s 25th Anniversary: Fans and Sony Executives Share Thoughts on the Franchise​

December 23, 2022 is a very special day for the Gran Turismo franchise. Exactly 25 years ago, in 1997, the original Gran Turismo hit store shelves in Japan and changed car culture and racing games forever. The impact of the series has been felt around the world, and fans have been posting their own tributes and stories in our forums to reveal how GT has affected their lives...
 
Coolest thread evarrrr!

When I was a kid, I started doing track and field just because I wanted to throw the javelin. I couldn't in Middle School, so I did basically every event until I found high jump. A similar thing happened when GT hit our shores, I had just gotten my driving license and I got GT just to see if I could pass the license tests and what I found was one of the most influential and in-depth games at the time and arguably ever.

Both instances inspired me to get into their respective sports and dive in head first. Here's basically what I was into in high school; High Jump, GT, Ocarina Of Time, Crash Bandicoot. Outside of hanging with my girlfriend/friends, I was always excited to relax and play some games. Back then it really was difficult to choose between OOT and GT.

Since then, I've refined my skills so that I have golded every license test (please don't ask me to do the GT1 and GT2 ones, I can't manage the physics lol). I've attend many LAN events in the GT4 days by traveling to Seattle with Bobkart and the GTTimes crew as well as Emeryville with some GTP crew. Not to mention the guys that participated in the WRS over the years. Since I've gotten married and have a couple boys, my time is waaay limited. But I still play GT7 about as often or more often than any other game.

I know GT isn't perfect, but I always end up having lots of fun. Cheers!


Jerome
 
Jordan
Here are a few questions to get you started:
  • What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it?
  • What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game?
  • Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how?
  • What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo? What makes it special to you?
  • Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years?
Click to expand...
1. My first Gran Turismo game was... the first one. Which also happens to be my very first, ever, gaming experience. I was 5 at the time, Christmas of 1999 when my grandparents bought me a PS1 and my stepfather gave me 2 games, Driver and Gran Turismo, after he noticed how much of a car loving kid I was when he noticed how I would always "drool" over seeing someone else play Sega Rally at a local Arcade rather than the Street Fighter games or any of the others back then.

2. I have many... Buying my first Viper GTS in GT1 (this was the car that I really fell in love at first sight when I played Gran Turismo, a blue with white stripes Viper GTS, still to this day one of my favourite cars ever), driving the Renault Espace F1, Suzuki Escudo and Cultus, Toyota GT-One in GT2, getting rewarded a F1 car in GT3, clearing GT4's Mission 34 and Golding its S-License as well as driving and getting to know the great Group C era cars a lot more than just the 787B and just overall getting to know a lot more unknown and exciting cars in GT4 as a whole. Beating the Vettel challenge in GT5, which was probably the first time ever in a game where I had to really push my ability to the limit, after beating it, it made me believe that no game challenge (as in, achievement or a mission/level from a game in general) isn't at all impossible, it was a great moment after many, many... maaaaany hours of frustration. Jumped and screamed with joy.

3. In my everyday life? No so much, but it did make me appreciate cars even more than before. And a lot of history from the cars and brands themselves, I got to know them thanks to Gran Turismo. It really did broaden my knowledge on cars as a whole. Tuning as well.

4. Being a loyal fan to the franchise (not to be confused with fanboy) thanks to the great and amazing experiences I got from their first 4 games. While GT5 still had some amazing moments, for me, it was from that game that it all started to lose a lot of its single player focus events that we all grew up with and loved to complete them.
The game is special for one of the reasons I already stated above, it was my first ever game and I'm a huge car fan. And while I'm visibly disappointed with GT7, I will keep buying every Gran Turismo game in the hopes to get the same experience as I got with 1-4. Maybe not at launch, but I will buy it regardless, 2nd hand or at a discount (as it is atm).

5. It was the first game of its kind when it released in 1997, which gave it a headstart compared to other car franchises, and it was also the first game to have some resemblance of "real life" physics (Real Driving Simulator) and that kept improving it with each iteration.
On top of that, its first 4 games from the PS1 and PS2 era were all brilliant and allowed the franchise to gain a huge fanbase, mostly loyal to it which is what keeps making them (us) coming back to it. While it can sometimes be too much, PD still makes the game with such attention to detail, and unique, that other car games simply can't match.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that Gran Turismo also introduced me to some good music artists and songs from the Rock/Metal/Alternative genres, especially the early games which had more focus on those types. But here GT is beat by GTA when it comes to culture myself with music. Got in love with 80s music after I played Vice-City as a kid as well.
 
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Well, here's my little contribution to this thread.
  • What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it?
My first Gran Turismo game was the original, I think it might have been the first video game I played on my original Playstation when I was little. I forgot how little, but probably around 4 years old. My father bought me a Playstation one night from a Funcoland (remember those stores?). I recall him booting it up and we played together than night, I even remember the first track we raced on; Clubman Stage Route 5. I picked it because I loved riding around at night at that age.

My dad like me has a love for cars, hence why he bought GT1 and I guess he figured I would enjoy it too. and he was right, I did. That game set the tone of where I would go from there.

Funny enough, I didn't want a PS1 back then (well, I didn't know it existed, I was a little boy afterall). I remember wanting a Nintendo 64 instead because I saw my childhood friend and her brother having fun on their N64. Wanting to try Legend of Zelda. With that said, I'm glad my dad picked the Playstation instead; I got my use out of it and I still have it today.
  • What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game?
I can't say I have an exact favorite memory, the one I mentioned above is definitely one of them. If I were to say, my favorite memories of GT in general involve the first time I booted up every single Gran Turismo game. The hype of seeing the intro for the first time and pressing start on the title screen. Watching the intros themselves felt like an event, even now with GT7's intro. Lastly for favorite memories, one was playing Gran Turismo 2 for the first time. Once again, with my dad doing a 2 player battle. We used 1999 Mercury Cougars on Tahiti Road, which was an odd choice. But at the skill level I was at, it definitely was good that I started there as I recall spinning out a lot whenever I was given something more powerful and had rwd.
  • Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how?
I would say yes, Gran Turismo has gotten me heavily interested in cars at a young age. Thanks to Gran Turismo 2, I was able to remember and identify cars at a young age thanks to this game. I was learning about cars just by looking at the ones in each dealership. It was incredible seeing all of these different brands, including ones I never seen before at that point like Alfa Romeo and Renault. At that age, I already was familiar with Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, and etc. But seeing more obscure brands such as Venturi and Vector was cool.

The series helped me get interested in just learning about the cars featured in them, wanting to read about the cars. Watch videos about them. and I think it's inspring me to chase down a new career path I want to take part in, Graphic Design.
  • What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo? What makes it special to you?
Despite the other franchises that have come along and where some even do various things better than this series. None of them for some reason give me the same happy vibes I get from GT. Even despite every gripe I have with GT7, I have come back to it for the menu songs, the quirkiness of the menus such as GT Auto and GT Cafe. I love the unique race tracks the series provides from classics like Grand Valley and Deep Forest to even some modern courses like Kyoto Driving Park and Dragon Trail Seaside. I enjoy the lighting and detail put into the car models despite the fact that apparently they take forever to make.
  • Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years?
If I'm honest, I think the reasons for this series' success has changed overtime. At first, I would say it was due to being an early pioneer in the sim genre that happened to be quirky and fun to play. However now, I think the success comes partially from the nostalgia people have for the earlier games. And mostly because the kind of game it's become, it's fully aimed to be a simcade kind of game. It's a sim, but isn't trying to aim to be the most realistic in the driving and racing aspect. Which honestly is a good point to be in considering the abundance of full-on sims there are today. It makes for a good gateway sim for people that want to get into the genre, but don't feel ready for the more serious parts of sim racing. Well that and the fact it didn't lose its quirky aspects, which helped it stand out compared to its rivals.

With that said, there is some improvement to be done. I love this series, but I just wish and hope PD eventually becomes aware of its audience and cares enough to make GT gain back what made it truly great. Happy 25th Anniversary GT and I hope for you to keep going!

- RCG17
 
Jordan
This is the discussion thread for an article on GTPlanet:

Gran Turismo’s 25th Anniversary: Fans and Sony Executives Share Thoughts on the Franchise​

December 23, 2022 is a very special day for the Gran Turismo franchise. Exactly 25 years ago, in 1997, the original Gran Turismo hit store shelves in Japan and changed car culture and racing games forever. The impact of the series has been felt around the world, and fans have been posting their own tributes and stories in our forums to reveal how GT has affected their lives...
Click to expand...
Yay I was quoted in the article!
 
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Getting my tax refund in early 2005 and going straight out to buy a PS2 and GT4. GT4 blew my mind. Falling in love with cars I never paid attention to in the real world. Non stop Gran Turismo ever since. Thank you!
— still hoping for a premium Nardo
 
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Jordan
This is the discussion thread for an article on GTPlanet:

Gran Turismo’s 25th Anniversary: Fans and Sony Executives Share Thoughts on the Franchise​

December 23, 2022 is a very special day for the Gran Turismo franchise. Exactly 25 years ago, in 1997, the original Gran Turismo hit store shelves in Japan and changed car culture and racing games forever. The impact of the series has been felt around the world, and fans have been posting their own tributes and stories in our forums to reveal how GT has affected their lives...
Click to expand...
683e106d7ce8c54eea570bfc2c862096.gif
 
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  • What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it?
Click to expand...
I started with GT1. I had a demo disk with the GT1 demo on it and I played it constantly. At the time I was (and still am) mostly interested in aviation, but I was also starting to gain an interest in cars as I lived very close to a few dealerships and was always curious to see what new cars were on display. My parents probably bought the full GT1 as a gift, I don't really remember exactly when I got it. I do remember absolutely loving the game, especially the realism aspect. I studied the manual, the license tests, and in the game text to learn as much as I could. Unfortunately I wasn't very good, but I never stopped trying to improve.
  • What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game?
Click to expand...
GT5 online mode. This was the peak of the series for me, getting to enjoy racing and cars with other people. There are just too many things to cover in detail.
  • Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how?
Click to expand...
It definitely helped to deepen my interest in cars and engineering. I also think that playing career mode influenced my future financial behavior. I wanted to get a Dodge Viper GTS as soon as possible in GT1, but I wasn't good enough to pass license tests and enter the big races. I ended up saving little by little winning spot races for 1,000 credits each. To this day, if I want something I'll go after it and I'll figure out a way to get it, just like I did then.
  • What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo? What makes it special to you?
Click to expand...
I actually stopped playing after GT5. I bought an Xbox around that time and discovered that Forza was doing a better job of realizing "The real driving simulator" catch phrase. However, I've always preferred GT's aesthetic and feel. Forza, nor any other game really, can compete with that. Playing GT1 or 2 just to go through the menus and browse through cars is an enjoyable experience. I do wonder about the modern GT games since I haven't played them, but at this point in my life I don't really want to have to spend time grinding virtual money. If GT ever released a full on simulator without progression, I'd probably give it a try.
  • Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years?
Click to expand...
PD knew from the beginning that cars are interesting. This is why they went with a semi-realistic game and I think this is one thing that set GT apart from other games. They didn't trying to embellish driving with arcade features and instead focused on the depth and satisfaction that comes from the act of racing. GT1 was also massive in terms of car list. I loved discovering TVR's, Tommy Kaira's, and tons of other weird names I had never heard of before. Combine that with memorable menu themes, layouts, and music and you have something hard to forget.
 
My first exposure was to GT1 in late 1998. I was a lifelong car guy whose main videogame exposure to that point had been the cutesy world of NES/Super NES/N64, which didn’t really speak to me. Seeing GT1 and all its serious realism was stunning and I got a PS1 right away. You just didn’t see realistic cars in games at that time, or even licensed ones, and definitely not a huge selection on top of that.
I remember the license tests and how frustrating and challenging IA was, and I remember following the GT2 updates throughout 1998-99 and posting on granturismo.com when it was a message board like this one rather than the Sony property it later became.
GT1 was life-changing for me because it set me on the path of console ownership and racing game enthusiast, and while I shifted to the Forza franchise when GT began to lose its way, everything started with that groundbreaking original release.
 
  • What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it?
I first remember reading about it in a French videogame magazine called Joypad. At first it didn't grab completely my attention but a few months later all kinds of videogames media in my country (Portugal) were buzzing and going crazy with this game. I had always been a racing games fan, starting with SEGA Rally, Daytona USA, Porsche Challenge (the original one!) and Need for Speed but those games had only a handful of tracks and cars and we could finish them in a couple of hours. When I read that with Gran Turismo we had to go on several driving license challenges and it had hundreds of cars, it became my most antecipated game of all time. I remember that I first tried it at a demo kiosk in a supermarket and I was immediately hooked. When I bought the game I was only 13 years old and I took it everywhere with me, much like a toy and the manual became a true bible for me. I must have read it dozens of times!
  • What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game?
Definitely doing the endurance races. I had never had a game which you had to drive for two hours around a circuit, much like in real life, and had to pay attention to fuel and tires. Those were great. I also haver very fond memories of doing an online league on GT5 for a couple of months. My best result was a 4th place with a Nissan GT-R in Tokyo but the adrenaline of racing every week against other players was unique.
  • Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how?
I honestly think I'm a better driver in real life thanks to Gran Turismo. I somehow feel that I can understand and control a real car physics due to the thousands of hours that I have played this series. Besides that, it jus fuelled my interest in cars, which existed before GT creation.
  • What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo? What makes it special to you?
I just like to drive the cars! Not so much for the racing or car collecting part but because the driving itself is so accurate and tight. That's why I actually like GT7 a lot despite the lack of a GT League mode. i just like to pick a car, do a few events (even if I have already completed them), take some photos and mainly drive around!
  • Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years?
Driving is for everyone. You don't have to be a racing game or a car fan to enjoy the game. You can choose a car your old man used to have in the 80s or 90s and stick to it throughout the course of the game (at least in most parts). You don't need to understand about tuning to drive a car and win races. But if you are, you can also do it! You don't need to waste time with qualifyings or practice sessions to race just for a couple of minutes before going to work or in the evening when you're tired. This game is for everyone, even if you don't understand a thing about racing games or cars and that's usually a sign of its popularity.
 
Reading this thread feels wholesome.

Look, we all have our own differing opinions on the current game, most of the time leads to countless arguments and sometimes toxicity from every sides (I also admit that from my own end). But damn if it isn't an accomplishment from the franchise to make quite an impact to gaming and particularly racing world.

I think we're all can agree to this (well, except to those who added me to their ignore list :lol:)

Here's to the future of this franchise! :cheers:
 
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I can recall playing gt1 in my bedroom, in particular trial Mountain. Max upgraded imprezza, evo, skyline etc.no concept of tuning/tweaking beyond just adding everything possible:D.

What a game back then, ground breaking graphics and massive selection of cars.

Loved the soundtracks from the early series, in particular Bloc Party. I later found out the drummer is a massive AFC Bournemouth fan too, from before we hit the Premier League era, and had chats with him about the game/music.

These days I disable the music when in car, as prefer fully focusing, pretending I'm a real racer, enjoying the engine/car sounds and I doubt they have music playing (most the time). Still like listening to their 'quirky' selection navigating the menus though.
 
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GT4 was my first console HD experience. It was amazing on my sister's plasma tv. That was the future and the future was then. It brought me back to console side (and GTA:SA). My friends and I were blown away that my PS2 Slim was doing this.

I don't care what y'all say, it was 1080 to me.
 
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Ah the young days of GT3/4 I was really into Initial D. Would love all the videos the drift community would make. Especially the online drifting ones with GT4




I guess nothing has changed through the years in that regard 😂
 
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What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it?
My first Gran Turismo game was GT1. IIRC I was looking at different PS1 games in the store and was convinced by the description and the 10/10 review on the back of the disc case:
ps1_granturismo_pal_rear_thumb.jpg


What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game?
I've been fortunate enough to do a few cool things in GT games (more on that in a moment), mostly after belatedly starting to race online in 2017. But my favourite memory would probably be doing the Megaspeed Cup on GT1 as a kid, seeing how long I could wait at the start of the Test Course race to win as late as possible and to set the highest top speed (rubber band physics and slipstream)... simpler times. :)

Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how?
Mostly I've got to meet a lot of fellow competitors through online racing and shared some good times - I would not have otherwise done this if I had never raced Gran Turismo online.

I was also fortunate enough to win a trip to the Michelin Passion Experience in Abu Dhabi this year after winning the Michelin Asia Cup on GT Sport. It was one of the most incredible experiences in my life and I sometimes ask myself if it really happened.
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What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo?
It's cheaper than therapy.

What makes it special to you?
My interests in what I want out of a GT game have changed since I got GT1 in 1998. But GT has always had immaculate presentation and some off-the-wall ideas. It has evolved without moving too far from its ethos as an accessible plug-and-play simulator, and I still get enjoyment out of racing, even though I always feel there is still a lot of scope for improvement.

Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years?
The longevity, presentation and accessibility surely go a long way in terms of marketing the franchise to licensors, which in turn helps GT to create more content and therefore appeal to more potential players and also to retain the existing players. Even if/when I've had issues with GT games in the past, I've still come back to it - I'm guessing that a lot of people still feel the same.
 
My favourite memories of this franchise are those shared with friends. Splitscreen racing tournaments in the late nineties while we're sitting on the couch and carpet and the time my buddy and I finally passed the Viper at Laguna Seca test and we both jumped out of our seats and broke the futon in my basement.

This game really was such a huge deal back in the day. Everyone played it. And we were all technically adults, too.
 
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As much as we hate this game at times lately, I can still appreciate its progress.

There aren't too many other games that have a dedicated website/forum that shares the amount of information that is stored here.

Truth be told, and this goes especially for gt7- without "gtplanet.net" I think ALOT of players would be lost without something like a "314 page GT guide book". (Gt4 era)

..How else would the community find out what chassis we can stuff engine swaps into!
The same goes for tuning- there are some car savy folk, and some that think toe adjustment is wiggling their shoe.

The best vehicles for races your having trouble with, or just an easy way to make credits.

Congratulations on 25 years of GT, but I believe GTplanet is the glue that holds gt pages together.

Thank you to the staff and community!!!
 
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  • What was your first Gran Turismo game? How did you discover it and what attracted you to it?
Gran Turismo 1 was my very first GT game. I discovered it when my father brought it home and I was attracted to it's cover art and it's appeal and ofcourse I was obsessed with cars when I was younger.
  • What's your favorite memory playing a Gran Turismo game?
My favourite memory from playing a Gran Turismo game is when I bought my dream car in GT1, the 1998 Toyota Supra RZ. That car was the love of my life.
  • Did Gran Turismo have a significant influence your life? If so, how?
It did. It made me love cars even more, I love the way they move, their designs, their history, etc.... It was magical.
  • What keeps you coming back to Gran Turismo? What makes it special to you?
I only come back for the classic GT games, especially the first two. Those two just had it right, the gameplay, soundtrack, car roster, etc.... Gran Turismo 1 and 2 are very special to me.
  • Why do you think the franchise has been successful over 25 years?
I think it's the love for cars. People can come together to talk and love one of the greatest inventions that the human has ever made (Not always the case because cars isn't for everyone, but you get what I mean).
 

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