Kazunori Yamauchi Famitsu Interview 16/12 - Large GT5 update scheduled for <> 20/12

[RC45]

Just bought racing tires for that event and smoked the competition. So yep, I agree on more limitations. If the AI is driving in sport tires, I shouldn't be allowed to use racing tires...

Kinda wish the PP system stayed. Sure it was exploitable, but not having it is far worse, in driving with an overpowered car sense.

Why? This is a "driving" simulation, not a "racing" simulation. If you want to handicap yourself and use a less powerful car, have at it - I choose not to. I just enjy the drive.

If I want to RACE, then I would fire up rFactor or GTLegends or GTR2 etc.

Thankfully there are many more millions of us DRIVING fans that have bought the GT games over the years than RACING fans - and Kaz knows this

 

[CodeRedR51]

Why? This is a "driving" simulation, not a "racing" simulation. If you want to handicap yourself and use a less powerful car, have at it - I choose not to. I just enjy the drive.

If I want to RACE, then I would fire up rFactor or GTLegends or GTR2 etc.

Thankfully there are many more millions of us DRIVING fans that have bought the GT games over the years than RACING fans - and Kaz knows this

Many people who enjoy GT do not have access to the PC simulators. So, we do what we can, so WE enjoy the game. To each his own.

 

[BlacqueJacques]

Did they learn anything from GT5 Prologue online play

 

[Rash-182]

BIG fall update?

 

[shirakawaa]

Will it be a large update or a "large" update, as 1.02 and 1.03 (and in a way, 1.01 too) ? Most changes so far have been almost invisible or minor.

 

[RC45]

Many people who enjoy GT do not have access to the PC simulators. So, we do what we can, so WE enjoy the game. To each his own.

This is why we have the choice to race supercars or sedate sedans in the same race

Why restrict the options/choice?

 

[TheDrummingKING]

Leaderboards....

Leaderboards.......?!?!!??!?!?!?!?!

Leaderboards ffs!

👍

Im only interested in Stock times trails but I'd welcome tuned times too.

Someone tell Mr Tamagotchi to get his ass in gear!

We get the point, now stop.

Why late december..... why not now.

Hmm, maybe it isn't ready yet? Pretty simple concept to grasp if you ask me..

 

[tibiquera]

Do you guys know if the whole interview has been translated to English?

And about online, just because you spend most of the time online it doesn't mean every one else does. I personally have not played a single online match and won't do in the near future.

 

[Dravonic]

Well there's your problem. Put sport tires back on it and then do the races.

I did it intentionally. Wanted to win. Which shows exactly the problem. It's too easy to do so in arguably the main feature of the game, the events. If you want a challenge, it's either self-imposed, or you should look elsewhere, like the special events. GT5 have many game-like characteristics. That makes the loosely imposed (when at all) car limitations far too strange since it's not at all "gamey". For example, you don't see a RPG where you are gifted the "superfireswordofdoom" about halfway, allowing you to breeze throughout the rest of the game. GT5's self-imposed difficulty is strange to the gaming world, it's only natural people find it odd.

You can argue games have difficulty settings, and that's how GT5 implemented it's difficulty. I have to disagree though. Being given an overpowered car that can enter and win far too many races and choosing not to use it is quite different from choosing "hard" in the options menu.

Why? This is a "driving" simulation, not a "racing" simulation. If you want to handicap yourself and use a less powerful car, have at it - I choose not to. I just enjy the drive.

If I want to RACE, then I would fire up rFactor or GTLegends or GTR2 etc.

Thankfully there are many more millions of us DRIVING fans that have bought the GT games over the years than RACING fans - and Kaz knows this

I disagree. GT clearly have races. If you just want to drive, then it also has practice mode, time trials and the sort. But the races are there.

 

[PirateThom]

I intentionally didn't even use my stealth cars at the early events because I wanted to do it legitimately but there's occasions you go into a race, using the same car you have been using, and you do blast everyone else away because, bar restrictions on types, you can pretty much pick the fastest car you have, blast everything on the straights and you're good. This isn't even about intentionally doing it, but there's nothing when you start a race saying "HEY, YOUR CAR IS VASTLY OVERPOWERED!" until you start the race you go from 12th to 1st before the first corner on Trial Mountain or something. Even if you match the highest BHP, your car may be a good bit lighter or you may have the gear ratios set better, it all doesn't come clean until you start... and, by then, you're not going to exit just to gimp the car.

 

[Abriael]

I really wish PD would impose more limits on the races in A-Spec, I just did the Gallardo event and it wasn't just a case of having more ponies that everyone else, it required good driving as well as some tuning to maximise speed. More like that! Even a BHP limit on races, to make tuning and driving the main differences.

If they did put more limitations, they'd receive a CRAPTON of whines from the ones that like to do all the events with that ugly overrated hog of their bugatti veycrap just to do them fast and brag that they have all golds (only to be completely and mercileessly kicked in the butt when they have to do single class races like Nascar or Formula GT, because in the meanwhile they didn't learn to race).

On the other hand, no one forces you to do so. If you want to race fair, you can. The game tells you who you're going to be against. Take a comparable car, find some nice competition. Profit!

 

[Tommy_861]

I did it intentionally. Wanted to win. Which shows exactly the problem. It's too easy to do so in arguably the main feature of the game, the events. If you want a challenge, it's either self-imposed, or you should look elsewhere, like the special events. GT5 have many game-like characteristics. That makes the loosely imposed (when at all) car limitations far too strange since it's not at all "gamey". For example, you don't see a RPG where you are gifted the "superfireswordofdoom" about halfway, allowing you to breeze throughout the rest of the game. GT5's self-imposed difficulty is strange to the gaming world, it's only natural people find it odd.

You can argue games have difficulty settings, and that's how GT5 implemented it's difficulty. I have to disagree though. Being given an overpowered car that can enter and win far too many races and choosing not to use it is quite different from choosing "hard" in the options menu.

As far as racing games go, play Dirt 2, before you start every race it asks you to select your difficulty. To use a different type of game as an example, God Of War, if it sees you getting your ass kicked automatically offers to switch the game to easy. The challenge is self imposed in any game, its just a matter of being implemented differently.

If they did put more competition, they'd receive a CRAPTON of whines from the ones that like to do all the events with that ugly overrated hog of their bugatti veycrap just to do them fast and brag that they have all golds.

On the other hand, no one forces you to do so. If you want to race fair, you can. The game tells you who you're going to be against. Take a comparable car, get on the track. Profit!

Exactly, every event you can see who your competition will be and what their HP is. Then use a car thats in the middle or less.

 

[Dravonic]

I intentionally didn't even use my stealth cars at the early events because I wanted to do it legitimately but there's occasions you go into a race, using the same car you have been using, and you do blast everyone else away because, bar restrictions on types, you can pretty much pick the fastest car you have, blast everything on the straights and you're good. This isn't even about intentionally doing it, but there's nothing when you start a race saying "HEY, YOUR CAR IS VASTLY OVERPOWERED!" until you start the race you go from 12th to 1st before the first corner on Trial Mountain or something. Even if you match the highest BHP, your car may be a good bit lighter or you may have the gear ratios set better, it all doesn't come clean until you start... and, by then, you're not going to exit just to gimp the car.

You can check the typical opponents in a race which will tell you the cars and their power. Admittedly, it's not perfect. You can still end up with a underpowered or overpowered car, but it will certainly help you a lot.

EDIT: Ops, you edited it

Yeah, it's not perfect but dunno, I don't see how they could help you out even more than by telling you who you're racing against...

 

[PirateThom]

You can check the typical opponents in a race which will tell you the cars and their power. Admittedly, it's not perfect. You can still end up with a underpowered or overpowered car, but it will certainly help you a lot.

That list is what I work from, I literally just take the highest BHP car as a guide and, if I had to buy the car for that specific event try and match the power and, if possible, weight of that highest powered car. As you said, it's not perfect though.

 

[shirakawaa]

I took the time to translate directly the short bit regarding updates:

What will be the scope of the update expected around 2010-12-20?
Yamauchi: the update expected for this day is a large scale one. The GT Academy contest is about to start in the USA, and in Europe there will be the "SLS Challenge" event using B-spec, so the inclusion of game modes supporting these will be performed around 2010-12-20. The Winning prize for the "SLS Challenge" will be a real Mercedes Benz SLS AMG.

Players will get a real Mercedes!? That's incredible, isn't it?
Yamauchi: Since the "SLS challenge" will be competed with B spec drivers, people good in the A spec mode won't necessarily be able to win [laughs]. They will need to to increas their driver skill, and in a way, in order to win, good strategy will also be important. Furthermore, track knowledge will not have to be lacking, so it will be an event in which it will be hard to predict the winner.

Do you expect to supply in the future with online updates new contents such as new cars, tracks, photo travel locations, course maker themes, etc?
Yamauchi: the inclusion of cars and tracks won't be able to be as frequent as bug fixes and gameplay improvements. Regarding cars, tracks, course maker themes we're already starting making new ones, but I'm thinking of taking time in working on them carefully. We might [either include them in GT5 in future updates] or in the next title instead.

Is there the possibility that tracks appeared in previous titles but not included in GT5 such as New York, Seattle, Grand Canyon, El Capitan, etc, will come back in the future?
Yamauchi: Yes, there's the possibility.

Large-scale update; I fear that's blowing things out of proportions.

 

[LeperMessiah]

This. Spoiled kids always want more, I guess.

The further problem is that the line you paraphrased is a tad too nice. The spoiled kids we're forced to bear around here normally omit the "thank you sir" and go with something on the lines of "You, sir, are an idiot, I know how to make games better than you even though I never tried once, now gimme more! *bangs on counter*"



..and having a wealth of features that almost no other game has.



The only pathetic thing around here is how some people created their account only to come bash the game, doing nothing else than whining over and over and over. No matter what's in the news, they whine. The game is released with an unprecedented wealth of content? They whine about the little that isn't there. The developer is one of the few that actually support a game for the long time, instead of looking for new sources of revenue, continuing to work on adding more things? They whine that they are not adding MORE.
Quite disgraceful.

name one thing in GT5 that no other game has.............

 

[Tommy_861]

Regarding cars, tracks, course maker themes we're already starting making new ones, but I'm thinking of taking time in working on them carefully. We might [either include them in GT5 in future updates] or in the next title instead.

GREAT.... So that means we get to pay another $50 for a new game... in 5 years.

 

[Tommy_861]

name one thing in GT5 that no other game has.............

Subaru 360 LOL

 

[R3LF13]

this is my internal battle every race I do. When i get a new car i want to give it just a few mild upgrades. Weight reduction, chip, intake, sport exhaust, and suspention. Not because i want to cheat, but because i want it to be fun to drive and more so because these are things i would expect to do to a "track day" car in real life. But I also find it much more fun to have a competitive race and am always disapointed when my stage 1 car blows the competion off the line.

I would like it if you could tune the car, but it would tune the oposition in response. sort of scale the AI up to you. This would have limits of course to preserve realism, but would be an easy fix to provide a little more excitment to people like me. I'm down to only buying weight reduction and suspention--no additional horsepower, but its a exercise in self control everytime, lol.

 

[SuperShouden]

So, no new cars or tracks via DLC is the most probable scenario, one can assume...?

Well, we know that there will be new cars as DLC content as BMW has mentioned in a blog and the GT site even mentions there will be DLC content for GT Academy participants.

I think it's odd that Kaz mentioned "Three years" several times. If this was a hint that the plan is for GT6 to come out in 3 years, then I suspect there will be new and old tracks added and several cars.

 

[Dravonic]

As far as racing games go, play Dirt 2, before you start every race it asks you to select your difficulty. To use a different type of game as an example, God Of War, if it sees you getting your ass kicked automatically offers to switch the game to easy. The challenge is self imposed in any game, its just a matter of being implemented differently.

Like I said, you can argue it's the way they implemented difficulty in the game, but that's really not the way to do it. Letting you choose a difficulty setting and changing your opponents based on it, like they did in GT5P arcade races, is way better and a lot closer to what gamers are used to.

 

[regnar]

I try to mix up my races, when I'm grinding I look for a car that is fastest to get the race over quickly, but I enjoy races that are equally matched with my competition, I usually look for the rabbit & set my car to something competitive with it.

 

[Tommy_861]

Like I said, you can argue it's the way they implemented difficulty in the game, but that's really not the way to do it. Letting you choose a difficulty setting and changing your opponents based on it, like they did in GT5P arcade races , is way better and a lot closer to what gamers are used to.

Maybe true, but what GT games in the past ever had a difficulty selection in the career mode? Its the 6th title (or arguably 9th if you include prologues and HD) in the series, if people haven't figured it out by now, its time.

 

[Spagetti69]

Kaz says 3 years. So we know it will be atleast 5. Lol.
I remember people saying 12 months after gt5 we will get gt6. All the groundwork is done etc.

Indeed this big update doesn't seem big so far.

 

[Detroitbb]

This. Spoiled kids always want more, I guess.

The further problem is that the line you paraphrased is a tad too nice. The spoiled kids we're forced to bear around here normally omit the "thank you sir" and go with something on the lines of "You, sir, are an idiot, I know how to make games better than you even though I never tried once, now gimme more! *bangs on counter*"



..and having a wealth of features that almost no other game has.



The only pathetic thing around here is how some people created their account only to come bash the game, doing nothing else than whining over and over and over. No matter what's in the news, they whine. The game is released with an unprecedented wealth of content? They whine about the little that isn't there. The developer is one of the few that actually support a game for the long time, instead of looking for new sources of revenue, continuing to work on adding more things? They whine that they are not adding MORE.
Quite disgraceful.

Dude... no matter how hard you ride Kaz' jock, he still won't go out with you.

If people paid for GT5, they have the right to voice their opinions on the unfinished state of the game. That $60 (US/Can. dollars) is their 'Thank You'; the customer owes nothing more to Polyphony Digital. On the other hand, when features that were promised (and even printed on the GT5 case) are mysteriously absent from the game, one could easily make the case that PD does in fact owe them features that were promised, but not delivered.

 

[Vanon]

I took the time to translate directly the short bit regarding updates

-CUT-

Thanks a lot ! Can you please translate the standard-to-premium upgrade part too?

 

[Dravonic]

Maybe true, but what GT games in the past ever had a difficulty selection in the career mode? Its the 6th title (or arguably 9th if you include prologues and HD) in the series, if people haven't figured it out by now, its time.

I can see your reasoning, but I'd say that by now, it's time PD implemented it properly.

Just look how hard it is to make races competitive. You have to constantly buy cars for races and possibly even tune them properly. Occasionally missing the right performance and having to try again, like PirateThom pointed out.

I don't recall having that problem in GT5P thanks to the PP system. In fact, I don't recall having in GT5P many problems I have in GT5...

 

[YellowG1]

Kaz says 3 years. So we know it will be atleast 5. Lol.
I remember people saying 12 months after gt5 we will get gt6. All the groundwork is done etc.

Indeed this big update doesn't seem big so far.

+1. Not expecting earth-shattering stuff on Monday (probably a bunch of bug fixes and relatively small tweaks rather than all of a sudden all standards becoming premium or Spa showing up), though it's not too hard to add new A/B-Spec events.

Still, regardless of what KY says, I have to imagine there will be a good deal of DLC. It's such a good moneymaker that I don't see how they could pass it up...

 

[GTXLR]

Another one...

Why put up a load of times, then they update the game and all your times are invalid... and you have to redo them...

just wait

they will come.. there are far more important fixes that need including before leaderboards.

like a save backup feature... i'd be more pissed if my game save corrupted and I lost everything...

The problem with the idea of waiting for them to get the rest of the game right, through updates we could well be another 18 months down the line while they tinker and tweak it.
For me leaderboards would pretty much fix the game for me right now and give me a reason to actually make the dreadful grind worthwhile.

 

[Tommy_861]

I can see your reasoning, but I'd say that by now, it's time PD implemented it properly.

Just look how hard it is to make races competitive. You have to constantly buy cars for races and possibly even tune them properly. Occasionally missing the right performance and having to try again, like PirateThom pointed out.

I don't recall having that problem in GT5P thanks to the PP system. In fact, I don't recall having in GT5P many problems I have in GT5...

I see what you are saying as well, GT4 did it much better by basically giving you the cars you would need for later races as you won earlier ones.

What that also ended up for us is that the Standards are filled with many cars that are completely useless like the Subaru 360 that was only good for one race buried in the Subaru dealer in GT4 .

I agree its a flaw in the game, one that they should correct (change up the prize cars or something) as oppose to change the way the game is compared to the past.