Gran Turismo Sport Sees 581% Pre-Order Boost After Playstation VR Reveal

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Playstation VR’s reveal has lead to massive pre-order numbers for the core device and related peripherals (such as the mandatory Playstation camera). Outside the hardware aspect of VR, an area of interest is the software that will have support for the headset.

It looks like consumers have voted with their wallet on what title they want to experience PSVR with the most – Gran Turismo Sport.

Screen Shot 2016-03-16 at 8.18.02 PMPlacing 9th on Amazon UK’s ‘Movers and Shakers’ list, GT Sport has seen a 297% (it’s now up to 581%) pre-order growth since Playstation VR was revealed, as spotted by ThisGenGaming. This is particularly impressive given GT Sport’s non-existent presence in Playstation VR’s big blow-out of information.

Many other titles were shown off and touted with the new hardware, and yet the strength in one of Sony’s core IPs shone through – once again highlighting just how strongly the gaming community want Polyphony Digital’s first offering for the PS4. Hopefully this sends signals to Sony that capitalizing on this in the near future is a good idea!

Since its reveal, GT Sport has been strangely absent from all Playstation communications, and the last messaging stated the title was headed for a beta in ‘early 2016’ with an overall 2016 launch window. Recent rumours have worried fans however and perhaps this vested interest in the title, backed by buyers’ intentions to purchase, will give Sony the push to give us more information soon.

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Comments (78)

  1. MrCrynox

    All this talk about GT6 being NG, not as good as F6 or PCARS etc has finally got me to give my OPINION.

    When F6 was announced I was really excited, this was based on playing F4, I hadn’t played F5, still haven’t. I loved the driving model of F4, it was great. I felt that it was it was a slightly over steering model that gave room to get sideways out of corners but crucially be moving forward and ALWAYS be in control, it felt really good and I got a kick out of it. So bearing in mind that F6 is the true follow up imagine my horror at the new handling model. Knife edge isn’t the word. Don’t get me wrong I could play it, on top difficulty and win, get within the top 5-10 in rivals. So being able to compete wasnt the problem. The problem to me was that it just isn’t fun, it had such a small grip window that every corner became an absolute battle, in a bad way. To compound the grip window the over steer model had been greatly exaggerated it was one big fight. Every fast race or lap became a chore. No sense of achievement or fun at all, quite the opposite, utterly hard work. I tried really hard to like it, but in the end no.

    So I sold my Xbox One and bought a PS4, ready for the next GTS/7. Personally I love GT6, I think that its handling model is sublime, although I’ve mostly finished it I play the seasonals and play time trial mode, to me GT from the beginning has always been boss in terms of physics and feeling.

    I think that if the next installment has better engine sounds, (although not all in GT6 are bad and I would add that I was disappointed in F6 engine sounds, I thought that they just as weak but in a different way), and had codemasters level of visual and actual damage then it will be pretty much perfect!

    Again, all of the above is just my opinion.

    I can’t wait for GTS.

  2. Strop

    Took advantage of the 20% discount for Prime members. Now let’s hope I’m around long enough to see this thing released. I remember pre-ordering Vision Gran Turismo in early 2006. We’re still waiting for that one, GT Sport might be it.

  3. gladbecker82

    That doesn’t mean anything – especially at that rank – before that probably 5 people preordered a game without any release date – now it’s 30. And it’s all Sony Fanboys who havent changed since the PS3 days

  4. MrCrynox

    SZRT Ice

    ‘Or:
    1. Played other GT games and thoroughly enjoyed them.
    2. Played GT6 and felt it was complete experience and seen the add ons as bonuses that even current generation games lack and haven’t even attempted.
    3. Is bothered over the cost compared to the hours of enjoyment received.
    4. Knows what to expect with PD and is content with the series since the polish, finish, content, and features in GT games set an overall standard for what they want in a racing game.
    5. A person that has tried everything else, and de facto, sees Gran Turismo as the most complete, expansive, versatile offering of motorsport available. Didn’t care about the “GT6 Debacle” and is strong minded enough to make up their own minds on the things they desire, despite the petty squabbles of others. Will buy a GT game if deemed worth it to them, and playing their favorite racing game with the inclusion of VR is a no-brainer, whether great or bad, something new that they’d like to experience for themselves. Understands everyone is different and entitled to their own opinions and doesn’t try to dictate their OPINIONS on others and portray them as facts. And will indeed love the things in life they choose to love. With little need to defend their actions or opinions to those who disagree. As happiness deserves no explanation.’

    Good post and point of view. Matches my own.

  5. SolidRacer

    Well, guys who are really interested in racing, driving and played gran turismo know that the quality of the product Pd offer is the best possible for the time of release.. Gt6 was only exception since it was based on gt5 with many changes, but still lacked gran turismo innovation.. This time on ps4 in 10000000% sure with that physic engine and updated graphics it will blow minds!!

    1. Johnnypenso

      So PD will put out the best possible game at the time of release…except for the most recent one which was the culmination of 15 years experience working on one game franchise. But the next one will be better. Gotcha.

    2. Skarmory

      everyone seems to forget gran turismo 4 still exists and at the time was considered best of the whole genre, we get that 5 and 6 were lackluster at best but everybody has a flop eventually. PD is a small studio i’m amazed they were capable of their past feats at all

      also this gen the PS is much easier to develop on, with that said what’s stopping them from making another GT4?

    3. Johnnypenso

      Nobody forgets that GT4 was a good game, but I don’t know of a single franchise still successful to this day that constantly looks back more than a decade to find their best game the way GT fans do.

  6. Chaos Control

    Alot of my earliest memories are playing GT3 and 4 when I was about 5 years old. And that became my standard for the racing sim genre, no, the standard for all racing games. That is why I have turned down many racing games. But when GT5 came out I was a little disappointed, like most people, but I still enjoyed the game as a whole because it still had (almost) everything I needed for a racing game. And GT6 was an IMPROVEMENT on GT5, even though I was still shaking my fists in anger at PD yelling “how could you?!?”. Now, the point I am trying to make is that after I finished the game and played GT’s competitors, like Forza 5 and PCars, I’ve realized that GT6 is still a more complete experiance in terms of having a racing game that has a lot of cars, tracks, damn good physics, and overall fun gameplay. And now I figured out that the reason I disliked gt5 and 6 was because of my nostalgia for the older games, get rid of that nostalgic attachment for a moment, and 5 and 6 become a really good driving game that offers many things to everyone. What I am trying to say is that we shouldn’t lose faith in the franchise or PD in general, because there hasn’t been a bad GT yet. And besides, GTS sounds like it is going to have plenty to offer in terms of a realistc driving scenereo.
    I dunno…all this hate is unnecessary.

    1. TeamCZRRacing

      If you’re asking whether you’ll be able to play GT:S regardless of whether you own one, I’m sure there’ll be an option somewhere in the settings that you can toggle.

    2. Johnnypenso

      A $400 peripheral is not going to have a massive adoption rate, especially early on, so of course the game will be usable with or without it. But if you’re asking whether or not the game is being delayed or held until full compatibility with VR is achieved and/or VR is released to the public, we have no idea. It would not surprise me in the least though, if the Beta was released shortly, but the full game was being held for simulataneous release with Morpheus. Seems almost inevitable the longer we go.

    1. SZRT Ice

      Gran Turismo on PS4 + PSVR + New vehicles like the Veneno + Classic GT tracks, handling, tuning, vehicle variety, & features + whatever new stuff they decide on = My Incentive.

    2. gtfanforlife

      I’m talking about beta access, if that’s what it’s going to take. I will pre-order, just not this early!

  7. JohnScoonsBeard

    I’m still looking forward to Project Cars supporting this. It already supports the Oculus Rift on PC and they are listed as a PSVR developer.

  8. Rubencho

    this makes me wonder:
    -which will come out first?
    -will GT:S support VR on release?
    -will the PS5 arrive before GT7 for PS4?

    1. Johnnypenso

      Unknown
      Unknown
      Unknown

      We’ll never know if promises made will be promises kept until the product is in hand and working according to specs.

  9. PletdeKoe

    They haven’t given any numbers in this article. So it’s possible only a hundred people pre-ordered it, because they pre-ordered any vr-game, and that could explain the rise in pre-orders. This isn’t news.

    1. Johnnypenso

      Yes, stop bringing some silly facts into the conversation PletdeKoe, we’d rather just have faith instead!

  10. TJC_69

    Anyone who preorders a game that they know absolutely no details of, no idea it’s date of release, (Amazon link has NO release date, I looked), no idea of the state it will be in on day one, no idea if all of it’s advertised features, (which aren’t even advertised yet), will be included at day one, or will be waiting years to even receive it, have to meet one of the following criteria.

    1. Never played a GT game in their life.
    2. Played GT6 and loved waiting for an incomplete game to never be completed and a 2 year late feature that wasn’t an in game feature at all.
    3. Is bored and just spending their parents cash online.
    4. Just incredibly dense as it’s an overall bad idea with todays game industry. Gives developers no incentive to actually deliver a completed day 1 product because they know it will sell regardless.
    5. Just a completely deluded fan of GT. Never learnt a thing from the GT6 debacle. Will just buy anything that’s made by them. Even if it’s just a steamy pile of manure. And will love it, defend their actions against anyone who disagrees.

    Love it or hate it, the truth is the truth.

    1. SZRT Ice

      Or:

      1. Played other GT games and thoroughly enjoyed them.

      2. Played GT6 and felt it was complete experience and seen the add ons as bonuses that even current generation games lack and haven’t even attempted.

      3. Is bothered over the cost compared to the hours of enjoyment received.

      4. Knows what to expect with PD and is content with the series since the polish, finish, content, and features in GT games set an overall standard for what they want in a racing game.

      5. A person that has tried everything else, and de facto, sees Gran Turismo as the most complete, expansive, versatile offering of motorsport available. Didn’t care about the “GT6 Debacle” and is strong minded enough to make up their own minds on the things they desire, despite the petty squabbles of others. Will buy a GT game if deemed worth it to them, and playing their favorite racing game with the inclusion of VR is a no-brainer, whether great or bad, something new that they’d like to experience for themselves. Understands everyone is different and entitled to their own opinions and doesn’t try to dictate their OPINIONS on others and portray them as facts. And will indeed love the things in life they choose to love. With little need to defend their actions or opinions to those who disagree. As happiness deserves no explanation.

    2. another_jakhole

      @SZRT Ice

      Thank you. A big weight has been lifted off my shoulders after finding the post of the year (imo)

      Bravo/Brava!

    3. Johnnypenso

      To call GT the most complete, expansive, versatile offering of motorsport available is laughable. A game with a simplistic/arcadish tire model, incorrect aero simulation, the worst AI in all of sim racing, terrible sounds, no complete flag system, no standing starts in career mode, extremely inconsistent graphics, etc….lol. You might get away with most expansive but only because it has more tracks than Forza, which I believe has it beat in just about every other way IMO.

    4. MLRSparco

      Gotta agree with TJC, GT6 was and still is a mess and I can’t understand why anyone would want to preorder this game when we have barely any information on it.

    5. TJC_69

      @SZRT. You know, if we weren’t getting a beta to try it out for ourselves, I would’ve positively encouraged you to buy it blind and pre-order.

      The GT fanbase is always in need of player tested reviews so we can decide whether or not it’s worth buying on day 1. And when people didn’t learn their lessons from previous titles, I would find it a little amusing that they are so frivolous and nonchalant about who they will blindly give their money to in regards to gaming. Just because they like the series titles before it.

      “Past performance does not guarantee future results” – David Coulthards famous and true phrase.

      Also, from your description of how you view GT6, i’d probably not take an unbiased review from you on it.

      I get the impression that a GT game could be half complete and look like Minecraft, and you’d still buy it. Just because it’s a GT game.

      If number 5 fits, it fits.

      I think everyone wants this GT to be the best yet. My underlying point is nobody knows. And it’s beyond silly to preorder a complete unknown, doesn’t matter whether your Kaz’s biggest fan or not. If people cannot grasp that ‘simple’ concept then they deserve to get burned in my opinion.

    6. Johnnypenso

      No carcass flex, no air pressure adjustment, absorb and dissipate heat almost instantaneously, camber doesn’t work, etc. etc. = arcadish tire model.

    7. SZRT Ice

      @JP The things that bother you comma aren’t the things that bother me. I’m happy with the way Gran Turismo handles and I’m not bothered by most of the flaws that you mentioned.we’re going to get improved sounds, so that’s fair enough for me. I don’t own an Xbox One or a gaming PC, as I prefer the PS4 platform over Microsofts. I don’t like the way vehicles handle in Forza either, and there are many things that are much better

    8. SZRT Ice

      (Con’t) in GT6 on PS3 than on Forza 5 & 6 on XB1. So I’m more than looking forward to a PS4 Gran Turismo.

      @TJC I would not buy a half complete GT. Nothing I said suggested that. And to many, Minecraft is incredibly fun and addictive. So looks really aren’t everything.

      My point is, you can find flaw in any and everything you want in life, but perfect is subjective. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Like finding a good woman, if you only look at the faults, you’ll never truly find what makes you happy. If GT doesn’t do it for you, fine. Move along with what you like. But there’s no need to ridicule those who found what they like and are happy with it. Your definitions of “better” do not apply to everyone. And just because you wouldn’t take an unbiased review from me, doesn’t mean others wouldn’t. Reviews are opinions too. And some reviewers are more bothered by things and less talented racers/gamers than others. So again, I’d rather make up my own mind then decide by using the opinions of others. I want to see what GT Sport is about and formulate my own opinion of it. Same with PSVR. Regardless of what any of you say.

    9. ImaRobot

      @szrt ice, it’s fine to prefer one over the other, that’s no problem. His point that what is listed as 2 and 5 is not the case, really. You’re right, GT covers a broad area, but the problem is that they never truly excel in the things that have been introduced, and that happens when you spread your focus over too many areas.

      What I do feel they excel in is car modeling, lighting, and photomode, however.

    10. Johnnypenso

      Yes Imarobot, along those lines. GT does some things well and others not so well. Personal preference is not subject to debate but when someone refers to GT as being “de facto” the best in certain areas, they are saying it’s a fact and therefore subject to debate.

    11. Tenacious D

      I don’t think non-fans of GT will ever get it. What draws millions of us to this game, even pro race car drivers, is something special that can’t be defined. There are discrete elements such as the amazing graphics (shadows on PS3 aside), the delectable car models, the sounds – yes, many sounds are accurate, the amazing tracks including fantasy courses like Trial Mountain and El Capitain. But even as flawed as the car physics can be, they’re still very good, and I keep coming back to Gran Turismo games in the face of stiff competition from RaceRoom and Assetto Corsa. Because the driving is quite visceral, realistic and satisfying. With the possible exception of AC which just doesn’t interest me anymore, sorry fans, I can’t find a better game than GT6 at tearing around a track in a sports car with Sport or those dreaded Comfort tires on. And the replays are delish, great Photo Mode fodder.

      I know there is all kinds of wailing and gnashing of teeth around here about those of us who love this game series, GT6 and all. “Oh but the bots are lethargic, oh the Standard cars (tracks not so much) are eye gouging, oh the sounds are le suck, oh oh oh…” Oh well, we don’t see the reason for the conniptions you guys throw.

      Let me contrast my experience with Forza 6. In many ways it’s great. Physics which in some ways are better than some racing sims, way better than PCARS. A mod system and Livery Editor to die for. But the racing for me is downright painful, with bots which can be as bratty and murderous as those in Grid Autosport and a steering model which can have me in tears. It’s possible that the demo broke the wheel drivers, because The ONE! still won’t recognize that a wheel is plugged in, though it and all the functionality work. The steering is just hideous, with an extremely narrow grip/slip envelope that makes every turn precarious. I could have gone to the Forza forum and thrown a tantrum, and criticized it up and down here. I could have done the same thing to PCARS, sold as some amazing racing sim, when it’s even more simcade than Gran Turismo in some ways, with all kinds of flaws and issues which remain even after a slew of patches. Kind of like many “critics” of GT6 would do. But what would that accomplish?

      So you guys can complain all you want, and complain that we aren’t complaining. Who cares. ;-)

    12. Johnnypenso

      Can you be specific and tell us all which part of Project Cars is more simcade than Gran Turismo? Just to be clear so you don’t sidestep the issue as you usually do, I’m well aware the game has issues and flaws so I’m not talking about that. Flaws =/= simcade, flaws = things that don’t work right. So what specifically in the physics is simcade in Project Cars vs. Gran Turismo?

    13. SZRT Ice

      “De facto, sees Gran Turismo as…” is clearly an opinion and not stating anything to be a fact. Get it straight and stop twisting words to make case.

    14. Johnnypenso

      No. “De Facto” means, and I quote,

      “denoting someone or something that is such in fact.
      “a de facto one-party system”
      synonyms: actual, real, effective
      “de facto control”

      If you used the word without understanding it’s meaning just say so instead of retreating into an indefensible defensive shell.

    15. Tenacious D

      Johnny, you must be kidding. I can almost say with assurance that neither one of us have driven a Lamborghini or race car of any type with authority. But I have driven a Supra, Mustang and Focus. And there are a couple of them in PCARS, Forza and Gran Turismo, and a few remotely on par in Assetto Corsa. AC has the supergrippy racing tires people here hate in GT – oh, but just in GT, not Forza or any other game, but I digress.

      When I take one of the very few sports cars around the track on PCARS, it’s kind of a numb experience to start with because the tire sounds are AWOL. But as I get dialed in, I begin to feel like there’s something akin to SRF going on. Except there isn’t an SRF as far as I recall in PCARS. The kinetic behavior of a car around a turn, the time you really “feel” anything in a racing game, just feels… odd, unique. It’s kind of okay but kinda not. Undoubtedly the experience sim racers had when they tried a GT5 or 6 or Forza for the first time or after some time. Some of it is great, something though runs the gamut from “driving on ice” to “too much grip.” It just depends on how they’re used to manhandling cars through turns in their fave sim. I had the very same experience in Enthusia, with its lackluster tire sounds that don’t really begin complaining till you’re on your way off the track.

      And yes, I’ve had this same feeling when I went to GT6 after spending time in PCARS and Forza 6, and AC and RaceRoom. With the first games it was kind of relief, especially with the hell that F6 has become, to get back into behavioral territory that made sense. Then from the two sims, it was an awakening to the flaws in the tire modeling and overall physics, that it wasn’t as realistic as I thought. And surprisingly AC isn’t regarded by the purists as a true sim either, which makes me wonder if the cabal consensus has fixated on iRacing.

      And this is the thing. You can go from tearing around in your personal ride in real life to GT, Forza, PCARS or some of the other racers and have a smile on your face at being able to do it the way you want to with a mean machine. But if you get your wheels going in what are considered true sims like Assetto Corsa, RaceRoom, Live For Speed or iRacing, you quickly see that some attention to physics details somewhere are just a bit fudged. And please don’t tell me that you think that PCARS is on par with those guys, it just isn’t. It’s a nice racer. GT6 is a nice racer. Forza 6 is in some ways, I can discern, a better racer. But those guys are the real deal.

    16. SZRT Ice

      You’re belittling ways are admirable, but try to keep up.

      To “de facto see” something, is to say “I in fact see”. My #5 using the term “de facto” was in response to TJC_69’s #5 saying “anyone who pre-orders a game… must meet the following criteria. #5 being deluded, haven’t learned, will even by a steamy pile of manure, etc. My “de facto sees GT as” is to say, “I in fact, see GT as” etcetera. etcetera. If I “de facto see pizza as better than spaghetti”. That’s inarguable, as I’m speaking of my own point of view. What “pizza is to me”. Thus, if I in fact see Gran Turismo as what I stated above, you can argue all you want if it applies to you, but it does not change the FACT of what it is to me. Not everyone sees things through Johnny Penso’s eyes, so you can take your “defensive shell” and de facto, stuff it. I knew exactly how I used the term.

      Again, and I quote: “A person who has tried everything else, and de facto sees Gran Turismo as…”

      Everything that follows is in reference to how I “see Gran Turismo” as…

      When you’re wrong, you’re wrong Johnny.

  11. mickoafna

    I’m not going through that again.
    I’ll wait at least a year once this thing is out before I even consider buying.

  12. Deko Wolf-GTPT

    Isn’t GT sport meant to be a free game before the full Gran Turismo game on PS4?

    How can you pre order a free game?

  13. Soulfresh_ACV

    Running out of news to report on GT Sport? MAKE SOME! Journalism 101 lol. You’ll be the judge whether it’s newsworthy or not. Personally, I agreed with JohnnyPenso.

  14. draggerlane

    I just checked the playstation Store and they don’t even have it on preorder yet. I wouldn’t trust this at all. Very sketchy

  15. celtiscorpion73

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  16. Ameer67

    Is there something we don’t know? A 300% pre-order increase based on non-existent information is scary.

    1. Johnnypenso

      Without absolute numbers, % increases are pretty much meaningless. Going from 1000 to 5810 preorders would satifsy the % increase but it’s certainly not overwhelming interms of raw numbers.

    2. GTP_CargoRatt

      I agree Johnnypenso. Whats more, without a definitive release date, your bound to hear a lot more crying and complaining about how long Sport is taking to be released, especially if it goes past the spring. I for one would not have made a preorder just because of the VR announcement, that is just silly to me. If, and its a big if, I decide to buy Sport, it will be long after it has been released and I have read reviews regarding all aspects, peripherals and all.

    3. Ameer67

      You are right JP. But what I’m worried about is why there are pre-orders AT ALL on a game that’s nearly invisible.

    4. SZRT Ice

      Once it’s announced, companies do pre-orders. A PS4 GT that allows one to sit in the cockpit of these cars via VR is a no-brainer for most. I’ve desired that since GT5. Enough to warrant a purchase from me. I’ve spent $65 on worse games that this community is fond of. PCARS has way less content than GT. And I’m not as bothered by GT’s physics and standard cars as some others are. I actually enjoyed GT5 Prologue more than PCARS, honestly. Kinda surprised at how this community has turned on GT. Oh well.

    5. Johnnypenso

      No need to worry Ameer. Amazon is a retailer and it’s merely their attempt at securing future business. The numbers could be tiny or they could be huge, we have no way of knowing, but it does at least tell you that some people have an interest in both GTSport and Morpheus but again, without raw numbers it’s kind of meaningless.

      About it being a “no-brainer” as Ice seems to think, I think for most people it is a “brainer”, given the angst you often see on forums about spending $4 on DLC or, egads, $100-200 for a wheel. Morpheus costs as much as the console and for many GT fans or PS4 owners, that’s a significant chunk of change, more than a weeks net pay for many people working full time and paying bills. Just a guess but I expect 10-15% adoption rates in the first year, which would make it a raging success IMO. On the order of $1.5-2.5Billion in sales + added game sales + added console sales + added PS subscriptions etc.

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