Two years ago to this day, Gran Turismo 6 launched on PS3. 365 days ago, we looked back at the first year of the game, starting from the Ronda release party, right through to Update 1.14 and its introduction of Community Features. So, what’s changed in the last year?
The two biggest features that were missing since release – B-Spec and Course Maker – both showed up. B-Spec arrived in late February 2015, in a comprehensive 1.16 update that also included series classic Midfield Raceway and a Vision Gran Turismo car (more on that later). Polyphony took the time to also update their website, so that Seasonal Event rankings could be easily viewed online instead of only in the game.
Of course, the big news this fall was Course Maker. After an unusual leak in February, the Course Maker (now carrying the Track Path Editor title) arrived at the tail-end of September. GTPlanet had an exclusive first-look at the TPE, the controversial tablet-only app, which has nonetheless proven popular since release, as users across the community have found many workarounds to get it functioning on numerous other platforms.
GTPlanet launched the GT6 Track Database, offering players a handy way to download other players’ tracks. The database has been a huge success, with 1688 submissions so far – that’s an average of almost 25 each and every day since it arrived.
The Vision GT project continued to march forward, with numerous reveals, both expected and not. Starting only a few weeks after the the first anniversary, Infiniti and Chaparral unleashed there unique takes on the initiative, with the latter going all-in on the crazy with a full-on laser treatment. Mazda popped a gift in everybody’s stocking on Christmas Eve 2014, when the LM55 Vision GT showed up. MINI’s Clubman concept was introduced in the already-mentioned 1.16 update, paired with Midfield Raceway and B-Spec. Following that, Lexus and Alpine (1.17), Volkswagen (v1.18, along with 2015’s GT Academy), Peugeot (v1.19) all showed off their wares, before the most recent (in GT6), most powerful product of the program was revealed: SRT’s wild Tomahawk, which produces an absolutely insane 2,590hp.
GTPlanet hosted a challenge involving the most extreme X variant of the Tomahawk, hurtling around the Nordschleife, where winners were presented with posters signed by the design team, and even Kazunori Yamauchi himself!
There are, of course, two newer Vision GT’s that haven’t shown up in GT6. Hyundai and Bugatti both teased their creations before revealing all the details at the Frankfurt Auto Show. What the reveals didn’t show was almost as interesting, as people quickly realized the videos did not end with the usual GT6 watermark, but instead a more general GT one.
Which brings us to the next step in the future of the 75-million-strong Gran Turismo series. Gran Turismo Sport had a surprise unveiling at Paris Game Week at the end of October, where Kazunori announced the new PS4 game would focus on the long-awaited FIA Championship partnership first earmarked in 2014. While it wasn’t shown at this weekend’s PlayStation Experience in San Francisco, Sony has confidence in the game’s 2016 release window. The public beta for the game – a technical first for GT – will be launching in the Spring of next year.
It has been an exciting year for Gran Turismo 6, expanding further to represent the final send-off for the PS3 era. We look forward to 2016, as GT Sport carries the Gran Turismo torch onto the PlayStation 4.
Happy second birthday, GT6!
GT6 Photomode image by mazda787.
See more articles on Gran Turismo 6 and GT6.
I really enjoy the music in this game. GT6 has the best driving soundtrack of the most recent serious driving games as most of them don’t have any:)
Happy Dueciversity GT!
Glad to be playin ya ;)
Happy Anniversary to GT6 :)
and Welcome to GT7 :::)))
GT Sport*
We’ll have to wait for GT7.
I’ve been playing this game non stop lately. The course maker has made me not be able to turn it off. I think PD has done a fantastic job with eeking every last bit of power out of an amazing console. They have revolutionized much of the driving game category. This game was another leap forward. Happy 2nd Anniversary. I look forward to another 1000 miles before I tuck this away when Sport arrives next spring.
Take a Bow PD. And thanks GTPlanet as well!
best driving game on consoles, lets hope that continues with ps4, as they’ve never had Competition like they have now and in the future titles. can only be good for the players. happy anniversary gt6
I was introduced to Gran Turismo shortly after the original PlayStation was released. This series has brought me through the years to when I will buy my PS4. Beyond that, I don’t know.
We’ve all seen GT6 go from a game that almost everyone was disappointed with, at least to some degree to what it is now. I say it’s quite a change. Is it what everyone wants? No. We all know it never will be. The PS3 won’t allow it.
Considering what PD has been faced with, they have given us something that is bridging the gap until we get the next GT on the PS4 platform. While we don’t know for sure what lies ahead for GT6, we celebrate 2 years of this game. We’ll see where things go over the next 2 years .
^ +1.
+1
The disappointment I have is that some of the promises Kaz made before GT6 was released never happened. Remember monthly DLC? I do, too, and that hasn’t been an accomplishment. :/ Not as much has been achieved as we all would have hoped.
I do remember the monthly DLC and I miss it as well. It’s not really too surprising that they would scale back on GT6 now, especially since GT Sport is due in a matter of months. Throw in the fact that it supports VR and it’s easy to see where all their time is being focused. I think VR will most likely be the hot selling point and it’ll take a variety of games to that next level.
As for anything we get here on GT6, I’ll be happy to get what I get. I can’t expect a whole lot more anymore, considering what’s going on. A few more cars and some minor fixes is what I would expect. Beyond that, I think we’d all be lucky if we got more.
A great recap, and thanks for using my picture Kyle :)
Happy Anniversary GT6
Give the two new VGT cars to me!!!!
You guys do more for Gran Turismo series than Polyphony Digital themselves.
Happy 2 years for Gran Turismo 6, and happy 2 years of great coverage from all of you guys behind this great web site. ;)
Hardly true is it, with out Polyphony Digital we wouldn’t have GT
I believe the Fox is referring to media coverage, the Undocumented Changes thread, News items and other tidbits where we get information about the game from GTPlanet, that we don’t get it from PD. GTP is the best GT resource on the planet as far as I’m concerned.
Happy 2nd anniversary GT6!
Also I love the fact ..if you so wished you could drive on a differant track every day forever with GT6… Now that’s cool……
In these technological days, everything that’s 2 years old is pre-historic, obsolete, overdue.
I love Granturismo since i first played its first demo in 1994 and that’s why it makes me sad seeing it falling behind with such a huge bang.
Top racing games became simulators due to the highly demand of realism by its users that more and more want to feel the same feelings as they’re track heroes and want cars to feel as real as possible and in that chapter GT6 is definitely 1 year behind.
Cars don’t spin uncontrollably just because it run over a grass needle! Or because ABS is off! Tires don’t scream like that! When you hit a wall there are consequences!
I’m in love with Project Cars but I’m not a hater. I really hope and wish that PD raises the level, catches the train and gives us an amazing GT7 as freaking soon as possible because… Yeah… We love this game.
You definitely didn’t play the first demo for GT1 before the PlayStation was even released…
I’m having a coffee with my wife and some friends. The last thing in my mind is being totally accurate regarding dates 25 years ago :). But must have been very around that, budz.
What if VGT’s with extensively detailed interior..are just over the limit of the PS3 capabilities…and they have an issue…..do they release Bugatti VGT now with no interior or wait for GTsport to show it off to its full potential and then also release to GT6..how will we react to another car without interior….and the sound issue did it go away with a special magic patch or are we tending to believe that newer cars are getting better sound wise…GT5 was the best ever raceing game dilivery system software ever…GT6 is a fine tuned better version we can expect lots more from it…maybe a few more events but otherwise I’m good for a couple more years with this game ..loving it….
If VGTs with interiors are too much for a PS3 to handle, then so are Premium cars. Like I’ve said, it often takes up to half a year after the exterior’s done before the design team finishes the interior, so that’s most likely the problem.
Yes maybe they didn’t get round to doing an interia for some VGT’s….The GTsport clips look mighty fine detailed interia presumably to satisfy the VR Exsperiance. There may be lots more megabits in the new cars as the have up the anti on some graphics…
If we could calculate the average megabyte for some cars …this may tell us exscactly how premium they actually are…evaluation comes to mind.
@TeamCZR, source please. Kaz and PD have consistently maintained that cars take 6 months from start to finish. Where is your source that it takes another 6 months to make the interior?
IDK. Maybe I’m mis-remembering. It’s possible. All I remember for sure is reading that interiors and exteriors are usually handled by different teams. Can’t remember where, though.
The whole point of VGT is PD don’t do the designs or models…the manufacturers do….maybe they might take there time to get the perfect design…but we all know a exsisting production car takes 6 days to scan and build a 3D model and insert into game working… We’re did you get 12 months from…..you can build an actual car in that amount of time….the premium ++’s will be heavy on data with interia graphical upgrades…plus all instruments incar will have to function correctly for a VR Exsperiance….if you take into account all variables and add on’s …extras for the latest car models since GT5,the file size must be pretty big buy now….
I bought GT6 just 4 days after the release along with Tekken 6, and I must say that, even with the problems (devs and ps3 hardware mainly), GT6 knew exactly how to stand out in the last gen with games in the current gen! That’s the best thing about GT, that stands out even if PD has many issues behind them, and that’s why I love GT and I will allways love it ♥
Happy Anniversary GT6…… it’s been a good run. This game is pretty much complete now. I don’t see them adding much in the future.
Bring on GT Sport!
I pre-ordered the 15th Anniversary Edition so I got it in the post on December 6th. I spent the rest of the day playing it! It also made my first visit to the Goodwood Festival Of Speed in 2014 feel a little more special to me because of all the Gran Turismo stuff that was there. Logos on the haybales, Vision GT cars and PS3s set up with specially made versions of GT6.
No matter what, i’ll continue to love the Gran Turismo series and look forward to what they come up with next!
that’s the spirit :)
I agree but the next should have been out already. Racing games improved immensely in the last year and, unfortunately, grand turismo fell behind and GT6 is today an absolute over due driving simulator when compared to EVERYTHING else.
The goodwood part made me remember my wish to see gran turismo all over Lemans again!. Even if GT it’s at nurburgring, goodwood, pikes peak, D1Gp and many other championships. I want it back at Le Mans as a sponsor covering all the mulsanne straight, even if they are winning on the track now with GT academy and some GT sponsored cars.
I’m not sure GTsport will see the end of GT6 on the PS3….I think it’s time to drop the number….GT? Sport….rally…..Nazcar …what ever….GT is so versatile now we could go in any direction..I’d like to see the Vision project continue forever…why not?…the more colaberations with official bodies and manufactures the greater this game will become….looking foward to playing GT on Ps4 and PS3….
2 years already? ) happy anniversary
Exactly what I thought. Let the good times roll…
Happy Anniversary!