Was going for Quality over Quantity a good decision for Gran Turismo?

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Farnell42
As a regular viewer of GTPlanet, I had often seen posts around GTPlanet with Gran Turismo fans insisting that all cars should be detailed and "Standard" cars should be left out in Gran Turismo 6 when it was about to be launched. Our wishes was granted later, in the form of Gran Turismo Sport, wheret all cars now had functioning interiors and all cars were graphically improved. However, the car list was chopped from 1000~ to around 200. Over-the-air updates added more cars on the way and GT Sport is now no longer an immature title as it was at launch. However, I wonder what would happened if the development team chose to prioritize quantity over quality. Polyphony themselves have claimed that it took more than 3 months to make ONE premium car for Gran Turismo Sport. At the same time, they claimed that it took a month to make one car for Gran Turismo 4, and it took one day to make one car for Gran Turismo 2. Considering that it took 1 month to create a Standard car in GT4 back in 2002, it might take even less time now, PD having access to better 3D modeling software and more manpower. With that being said, I would say that Gran Turismo could have attained much more if they went for quantity over quality. Remember that GT5 was delayed 3 times simply to make time to make more Premium cars, and even then, 2 cars were left as Standard cars as PD was unable to detail those cars in time. Imagine if Gran Turismo 7 existed, and had every vehicle returning from GT2, GT4, and more. They might even add new cars to the mix. All this is possible when you forgo quality for quantity. Of course, it isn't entirely positive(they might spend more time trying to find which Miata variant is left out than to add a TVR Tasmin, for example), but at least it will serve GT better, in that it might be able to make GT different from other sims in terms of broadth and enable it to have a unique selling point.

What's your opinion; was Kazunori's decision of "Quality over Quantity" a right decision for Gran Turismo?
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I only drive 4 cars so I couldn't care less.
 
Oh yes, and it was really about time. You can argue about a lot of gameplay design choices regarding GT Sport, but the quality of the assets is really impressive. Standards never again, thankfully.
 
Yes, it was a good decisions. Thank god we finally got rid of not only the standard models, but the PS2-spec tracks as well.

GT5 and GT6 are some of the weakest games in the series due to the inconsistency of it all. Screw the 700 duplicates.

Besides, the amount of cars GT Sport has right now, while not high by GT Standards, is very impressive for a racing game in general. Leave out Forza, it's pretty much higher than other other competing racing game.
 
Absolutely quality over quantity.

Each new car & track released is a gem. From modelling to sound reproduction. In previous GT’s so many cars where desperately disappointing and lacking in these areas. That’s before factoring in the livery creator which has upped the realism greatly.

GTS is starting to come into its own. But we will reap the benefits in GT7 and beyond.
 
Nothing seems to be wrong with quality in-game but how I wish I could just drive the cars I like which were featured in the previous titles. Sadly, that's not the case here. Even if the game didn't feature a thousand cars but include the cars I like in a shortened roster, I would be happy.
 
I have said this several times, since way back before sport came out. But it should be obvious to everybody now that, GT Sport is obviously just a over glorified prologue/concept for ps4. Designed to make it justifiable for Sony to kick people off of the free server PS3 Gt6 platform. To heard people onto the pay to play servers of ps4. Right at the end of PS4's life cycle, to distract people long enough for PS5. Because they are greedy and knew they could get away with it after watching, Microsoft/Xbox already set that standard.

So sport is lacking and obviously "immature" and was designed that way on purpose. There has always been a history of releasing a demo/filler piece title in between full Turismo's were finished. It should have been obvious when a racing simulator/racing game, made by a franchise. Known for its great selection of important cars in racing history, car culture, and to car enthusiast purist. Narrowed it down too 200 cars, most of which kind of don't matter.

Honestly 200 cars is enough, "IF" the right cars would have been chosen. We didn't really need to have a billion Miata's, R34's, FC rx7's, Honda Civics ect..ect like on GT5 and GT6. One of each or maybe even the 2 that made a difference would have been enough. It should also be obvious at this point Sony/Poly for the most part, really only patched in premium detail cars from Gt6. When they felt like it which honestly was way longer then that should have took.

And its not like back before Sport was released when Kaz was interviewed about what sport was going to be like and its purpose, he wasn't open about how it wasn't meant to be a typical full Grand Turismo tittle. Which is why just like in the past with Prologue and Concept there was no number after the name.

So when you think about it, its pretty obvious Sport feels lacking, missing something, incomplete, broken, ect..ect.. or "Immature" as OP mentioned. It was just meant to be something that generated Sony money on PS4, from the Tursimo fan base. All the other gamer fan bases were already forced to pay to play.
 
AlanH49
Absolutely quality over quantity.

Each new car & track released is a gem. From modelling to sound reproduction. In previous GT’s so many cars where desperately disappointing and lacking in these areas. That’s before factoring in the livery creator which has upped the realism greatly.

GTS is starting to come into its own. But we will reap the benefits in GT7 and beyond.
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I always believed GT sport was the turning point we needed. Gran Turismo has been more of the same for ages something new refreshing was needed. I hope GT7 will be the best of all worlds that the GT series offered.
 
Unpopular opinion: I actually think it might have been a mistake to have forgone quantity over quality in GTS; at least, to such an extent.

As OP has stated, it takes PD 3 months to model one car for GTS. The game launched with some 200 cars, which is pitifully barebones in my opinion. Yes, it was functional. Yes, it was balanced (in theory). Yes, they made for some spectacular live events that I have to applaud PD and Kaz for even attempting. And, yes, every month, we get free DLCs.

But even in the base game's car list, the problem is already apparent. As someone else has said before me, GTS' car list lacks direction. Was a ND Roadster fun to have? Sure! But what am I supposed to do with it? It's never in any sanctioned, competitive race; and BoP in the N classes is a bad joke. Sure, campaign mode was added in, which gave the N class cars some utility, but GT's AI is just another boring farce in and of itself. Call me entitled and whiny if you will, but herein lies my issue with the free DLC cars: they're mostly useless in such an e-sport centric game, without a proper balancing system in place for them, or even extensive customisation options for those who love to race their own setups like in GT6. Liveries are amazing and all, but who cares how much your car screams "racecar" when your body is all stock?

I've played Gran Turismo since the first one. Hence, my expectations and wants from the series is a little traditional. I loved the interactive museum type of experience the series has given me thus far. I loved seeing how cars changed and evolved throughout the years, for better or worse. I loved my 20-ish RX-7s in GT6. The series taught me how to tell apart each facelift and update of the RX-7, NSX, etc., which colours were available in which markets and when, etc.. I understand that that is not the goal of GTS at present, and I don't fault PD for that. In fact, I applaud anyone who dares to try something different, who doesn't rest on their laurels. But at the same time, I'm trying my darndest best to enjoy GTS, and sometimes it just feels so... dry. Unless you're among the top twenty or so in the world with a PS+ subscription, GTS is hardly even a game. Sure, we're getting some "duplicates" in DLC as of late; the 911 GT3 and the Impreza Ver. VI something or rather was added, as variants of the GT3RS and 22B. But when car slots are so priceless, it begs the question, "why the heck are these cars chosen over X, Y, or Z?" And it's this lack of focus over what it wants to be that PD just can't seem to please anyone.

At this rate, I really don't understand how a more traditional "Gran Turismo 7" is supposed to happen. Assuming that PD releases content as soon as they're ready, as Kaz has stated in a recent interview, is it safe to assume that GT7 will have its car list entirely based off of GTS, and not a single polygon more? How could PD ever manage to launch the theoretical GT7 with a substantial car list as a completed game? I simply don't see it happening, and I can't fathom how it is supposed to happen.
 
XSquareStickIt
Unpopular opinion: I actually think it might have been a mistake to have forgone quantity over quality in GTS; at least, to such an extent.

As OP has stated, it takes PD 3 months to model one car for GTS. The game launched with some 200 cars, which is pitifully barebones in my opinion. Yes, it was functional. Yes, it was balanced (in theory). Yes, they made for some spectacular live events that I have to applaud PD and Kaz for even attempting. And, yes, every month, we get free DLCs.

But even in the base game's car list, the problem is already apparent. As someone else has said before me, GTS' car list lacks direction. Was a ND Roadster fun to have? Sure! But what am I supposed to do with it? It's never in any sanctioned, competitive race; and BoP in the N classes is a bad joke. Sure, campaign mode was added in, which gave the N class cars some utility, but GT's AI is just another boring farce in and of itself. Call me entitled and whiny if you will, but herein lies my issue with the free DLC cars: they're mostly useless in such an e-sport centric game, without a proper balancing system in place for them, or even extensive customisation options for those who love to race their own setups like in GT6. Liveries are amazing and all, but who cares how much your car screams "racecar" when your body is all stock?

I've played Gran Turismo since the first one. Hence, my expectations and wants from the series is a little traditional. I loved the interactive museum type of experience the series has given me thus far. I loved seeing how cars changed and evolved throughout the years, for better or worse. I loved my 20-ish RX-7s in GT6. The series taught me how to tell apart each facelift and update of the RX-7, NSX, etc., which colours were available in which markets and when, etc.. I understand that that is not the goal of GTS at present, and I don't fault PD for that. In fact, I applaud anyone who dares to try something different, who doesn't rest on their laurels. But at the same time, I'm trying my darndest best to enjoy GTS, and sometimes it just feels so... dry. Unless you're among the top twenty or so in the world with a PS+ subscription, GTS is hardly even a game. Sure, we're getting some "duplicates" in DLC as of late; the 911 GT3 and the Impreza Ver. VI something or rather was added, as variants of the GT3RS and 22B. But when car slots are so priceless, it begs the question, "why the heck are these cars chosen over X, Y, or Z?" And it's this lack of focus over what it wants to be that PD just can't seem to please anyone.

At this rate, I really don't understand how a more traditional "Gran Turismo 7" is supposed to happen. Assuming that PD releases content as soon as they're ready, as Kaz has stated in a recent interview, is it safe to assume that GT7 will have its car list entirely based off of GTS, and not a single polygon more? How could PD ever manage to launch the theoretical GT7 with a substantial car list as a completed game? I simply don't see it happening, and I can't fathom how it is supposed to happen.
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If GT7 is a launch title that is not good news at all in my opinion.
 
XSquareStickIt
Unpopular opinion: I actually think it might have been a mistake to have forgone quantity over quality in GTS; at least, to such an extent.

As OP has stated, it takes PD 3 months to model one car for GTS. The game launched with some 200 cars, which is pitifully barebones in my opinion. Yes, it was functional. Yes, it was balanced (in theory). Yes, they made for some spectacular live events that I have to applaud PD and Kaz for even attempting. And, yes, every month, we get free DLCs.

But even in the base game's car list, the problem is already apparent. As someone else has said before me, GTS' car list lacks direction. Was a ND Roadster fun to have? Sure! But what am I supposed to do with it? It's never in any sanctioned, competitive race; and BoP in the N classes is a bad joke. Sure, campaign mode was added in, which gave the N class cars some utility, but GT's AI is just another boring farce in and of itself. Call me entitled and whiny if you will, but herein lies my issue with the free DLC cars: they're mostly useless in such an e-sport centric game, without a proper balancing system in place for them, or even extensive customisation options for those who love to race their own setups like in GT6. Liveries are amazing and all, but who cares how much your car screams "racecar" when your body is all stock?

I've played Gran Turismo since the first one. Hence, my expectations and wants from the series is a little traditional. I loved the interactive museum type of experience the series has given me thus far. I loved seeing how cars changed and evolved throughout the years, for better or worse. I loved my 20-ish RX-7s in GT6. The series taught me how to tell apart each facelift and update of the RX-7, NSX, etc., which colours were available in which markets and when, etc.. I understand that that is not the goal of GTS at present, and I don't fault PD for that. In fact, I applaud anyone who dares to try something different, who doesn't rest on their laurels. But at the same time, I'm trying my darndest best to enjoy GTS, and sometimes it just feels so... dry. Unless you're among the top twenty or so in the world with a PS+ subscription, GTS is hardly even a game. Sure, we're getting some "duplicates" in DLC as of late; the 911 GT3 and the Impreza Ver. VI something or rather was added, as variants of the GT3RS and 22B. But when car slots are so priceless, it begs the question, "why the heck are these cars chosen over X, Y, or Z?" And it's this lack of focus over what it wants to be that PD just can't seem to please anyone.

At this rate, I really don't understand how a more traditional "Gran Turismo 7" is supposed to happen. Assuming that PD releases content as soon as they're ready, as Kaz has stated in a recent interview, is it safe to assume that GT7 will have its car list entirely based off of GTS, and not a single polygon more? How could PD ever manage to launch the theoretical GT7 with a substantial car list as a completed game? I simply don't see it happening, and I can't fathom how it is supposed to happen.
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I think it’s pretty obvious PD are not releasing every piece of content they’ve produced.

We don’t really know how they operate. But it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they had another couple hundred cars and half a dozen tracks well into development. PD have settled into a pattern where they release 5 cars per month, plus a new track and/or rain track update. But fulfilling a quota for monthly DLC is very different to having content ready 12-18 months down the line.

Just as an example. I imagine PD are currently working on the next-generation of Gr.1-Gr.4 race cars to be released alongside GT7. Likewise, the lack of classic original tracks suggests they too are being held back for GT7.

Modelling is only one aspect of development. It’s likely we will get a traditional CaRPG single-player campaign. With that comes tuning and upgrade options. Those N class road cars get a new lease of life beyond online racing.
 
If you find standard cars OK because you can just pretend they are exquisitely modeled in the game, what is preventing you to just pretend that any premium is the one you are missing? If your suspension of disbelief is so powerful that you can just take a random and pixelated assembly of pixels and treat it as a car, why can't you just do it with pretty much any model within the game? And if you are still are adamant that your random, blocky, blurry and undefined mess of pixels has to be called a Honda whatever, why just don't you stick with the games that had those?

Because, well, why do you need them in the more recent game? To look at them in 4K? Really? To gorge yourself on their glorious pixelated nature, rendered in full glory by HDR and ray traced lighting? Is that it? Because if it is, it simply doesn't make any sense.

More to the point, where is the limit? Where do people draw the line? Because if you don't have quality as a measure of craftsmanship and the level of PD's work, a block with wheels with some branding would have to do for you all, and if it does, man, you are clearly in the wrong genre of games: because you simply can't sustain the car culture that GT is about with models that you can't take pictures, customize and show on those virtual showrooms and scapes.
 
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oper8or
Quality > quantity

100 good cars > 1,000 mostly crap cars & variants/duplicates
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GT is a car encyclopedia (maybe not for Sport), means it contains all type of cars, not just hypercars gamers want. You may not like a particular car but it's not right to call cars like racing version of GT-R a duplicate to stock GT-R just because they share the same name.
Unless you mean "good cars" and "crap cars" as in their quality (Premium vs Standard)

LotusEvoraGTE
Honestly going the "quality over quantity" route has been a double edged sword for the series.

On one hand we don't have to deal with any of the eyesores that are Standard cars anymore (I've been looking at the GT6 vs GTS comparison photos and holy actual hell the Standard cars look awful) plus the cars we do have now look the best they've ever been. (save for a few cars... coughFT1cough)

On the other hand it sometimes feels like they went a step too far with cutting down on the quantity; it still feels like there's a few glaring omissions in both the car and track list. And with how slow PD can be to work on Super Premium-quality cars, it makes the wait for them feel like an eternity...
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PD has too few employees that makes them very slow
 
Farnell42
What's your opinion; was Kazunori's decision of "Quality over Quantity" a right decision for Gran Turismo?
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Absolutely, quality beats quantity any day of the week, specially if that meant we had to sacrifice all the 800+ cars with PS2 graphics, no interiors and not even working reverse lights, a sacrifice I was happy to make.

Sadly though it seems that Kaz still hasn't gotten over his addiction for duplicates, as we could see with the addition of the Corolla Levin, even though the Sprinter Trueno was already in the game(I don't understand why he didn't add the Levin coupes with the analog gauges, it was the perfect situation for it).

But whatever, at least we can enjoy the first Gran Turismo game with 300+ super premium cars with fully detailed interiors.
 
Pedinhuh
Absolutely, quality beats quantity any day of the week, specially if that meant we had to sacrifice all the 800+ cars with PS2 graphics, no interiors and not even working reverse lights, a sacrifice I was happy to make.

Sadly though it seems that Kaz still hasn't gotten over his addiction for duplicates, as we could see with the addition of the Corolla Levin, even though the Sprinter Trueno was already in the game(I don't understand why he didn't add the Levin coupes with the analog gauges, it was the perfect situation for it).

But whatever, at least we can enjoy the first Gran Turismo game with 300+ super premium cars with fully detailed interiors.
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It's sad that VGTs and other related cars still have interiors like a standard car though.
 
Easily, yeah.

Being along for the ride as the game grew was super fun also.
 
I would rather a game with fewer cars, and more real life tracks.

I know some people willl take start to argue about it. But really I feel like Gran Turismo has lost touch with reality. IMO they spend to much time with absurd details and cars no one wants. Also their Online community part of the game. It is to elitist.

Its not that I dont have fun watching streams of the best elite players. But really it is just that wathing the very best players, there is no reason for average Joe people to try and participate.

Ill rather they spend that time improving the Single player AI, and Online penalty algorithms.

And make some Community events where average Joe can win cars, or credits. The Forza Rival system is 1000 times better compared to the small elitist community Gran turismo is. Rival events where you have to beat the programmers at their own game or other more or less fameous people, and then you can win prices.
 
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I though the main problem for the last Gran Turismo was: the quality was over the console possibilities (no damages, no rain, no some circuits etc etc...)
 
I learnt a lot about cars from Gran Turismo. My hobby of motorsport, and cars in general stemmed from this game series. The vast database of cars aids me today with a useless talent of remembering the names of strange cars from the past if I see them online, or in the streets.

GT Sport doesn't do that for me. The car list is very copy paste from other racing titles - minus the unique GR3/GR4 cars.

GTSport is probably the worst in the series, but it is fun to play, and the quality is fantastic.

I would have personally taken lower quality (Forza Motorsport/Horizon) and pushed more generic cars.
 
If I sit and think about how many cars I actually drive on a "regular" basis in this game:

Audi R18, Porsche 919
Lexus Au Tom
Audi R8, Porsche 911 RSR, Lambo Huracan
Audi TT Cup, Megane Trophy, Lambo Huracan

This doesn't include cars I'd use for GT League, obviously, I use others.

As for custom races, when I really want a challenge I'll use either a tuned up 2007 Audi R8 or the Porsche 911 GTS vs GR4 cars.

I also enjoy the three different types of F1 cars. So that's like 10 cars I use on a fairly regular basis. The others are nice, but how many freaking GTR's do I need?
 
[QUOTE="Sadly though it seems that Kaz still hasn't gotten over his addiction for duplicates, as we could see with the addition of the Corolla Levin, even though the Sprinter Trueno was already in the game(I don't understand why he didn't add the Levin coupes with the analog gauges, it was the perfect situation for it).[/QUOTE]

For me, it's not a duplicate and it's nice to have a Levin version as well, I think currently there's no other game that offers both these cars. Only issue about it, is that they could have maybe added something different instead and then add the Levin later, or maybe in the next gt game
 
Have then gone for quality? There have been very few good 'Quality-of-Life' changes to the game in a very long period of time. Sport Mode has been made worse and worse, the only potential QoL change to lobbies has been the qualifying option, although that's pointless if the pitlane bugs and start bugs still exist (which they do)

GTLeague has had no quality improvements, same with Arcade Mode etc.

They tried for quality over quantity at the start, then tried to add the quantity in the updates but failed to improve the quality significantly over the last 23 months.
 

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