Ok the expanding is written. Mostly for magsolid's enlightenment Presented here for your amusement and derision, whichever occurs to you. The timeline might be a bit sketchy so you will all just have to forgive any inaccuracies, or not.
Are You Johnny?
In the dim, dark days of the year 2008 little Johnny is 12 years old. He yearns for a Playstation 3 to replace his aged and worn Gamecube, Xbox and PS2, so on his birthday that year his parents, being good parents and wanting to maintain his interest in hanging around home instead of out terrorizing the neighbors cats, buy him one, along with a game or two. Around Christmas they pick up another game called Gran Turismo 4. Little Johnny is disappointed that it isnt a PS3 game but plays it for a bit before following the ways of young boys with attention spans that extend as far as their noses, and moves on to other games. GT4 is relegated to the back shelf along with the PS2.
As a younger lad Johnny played with a collection of Hot Wheels and other toy vehicles and imagined the day when he can actually drive one that produces sound that doesnt come from his own mouth.
On the other side of the world, while Johnny is breaking in his PS3, three Corporations enter an alliance. They know of Little Johnnys interest in motorized vehicles and the prophecies stating he is the chosen one and will take them all to glory. They decide what would be the best way to encourage and maintain his interest in pushing cars to the very limits of the physical laws that bind them all. Two companies agreed to provide hardware and financial backing, the other, software and funds, so their plans would come to fruition.
A competition is staged in the lands between theirs and Johnnys to break the ground upon which they will all need to travel. One is chosen as herald and trained further in the ways of speed and friction. The herald enjoys some success and the following year another selection is planned. Word spreads and more contenders vie to join this alliance hoping for a chance to contend for a place. Once again, one rises above all, to take his place and be shown the mysteries governing speed and friction.
Johnny hears of this contest and since he is not born to money or parents knowledgeable of things such as speed and friction, determines to participate should the contest be offered the following year. The Corporations discover his interest and are delighted in his determination but know it is too soon for Little Johnny to join their efforts. They decided at the beginning to only allow those of a certain age to compete and when Johnny hears of this and realizes he must wait, is much disappointed. He resolves however, to bide his time and continue learning what he can from those close by. He also remembers he still has his old PS2 and the copy of Gran Turismo 4, which was not traded in for store credit. He begins anew using these tools to train and gain experience for the struggle he knows he will undertake.
Another year and another contest brings a third acolyte to the path.
That year the software company issues a new method of testing the mettle of prospective acolytes and Johnny goes to his Mother and Father and pleads with them to obtain Gran Turismo 5, which he states is made for the PS3 they bought almost 3 years earlier. They, still being good parents, and happy that Johnny has refrained from terrorizing the neighborhood cats, oblige and pick a copy from the shelves at their local Wally World. Johnny immediately begins training with this new tool but feels something is missing. Hes not sure what it is yet but he knows his tool-set is not complete.
Now, on the other side of the world the Corporations have been enlisting other companies to assist with providing the competition with the necessities for testing and training and know once Johnny discovers they exist he will be sure to obtain them.
The competition this year hails participants from Johnnys homeland and while still not old enough to enter he is able to compare his skills to others and determine what needs to be done to claim his seat when he comes of age. This is when he sees the rest of the tools he needs to fully realize his potential. Once again he goes to his parents, they are pleased that he seems so focused in his efforts and though costly, theyre still able to provide the necessary equipment.
Three more years roll past while Johnny continues to train. The Alliance of Corporations work improvements to their hardware and software and manufacture new devices to add to the tool-set Johnny will need. Johnny and his parents buy each when its offered, all in an effort to support his dream of being the fastest man on the planet.
If I was G.R.R. Martin, Johnnys older sister would now kill him, take all his GT gear and own all of you on the track.
).
it's understandable that they don't want them back if they were underperforming in the real world.
