Polyphony Digital Commemorates Senna’s F1 Anniversary, Reaffirms Plans for Related Content

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O30hygmGhkM

ayrton

On their Japanese website, Polyphony Digital has shared a brief video from the Ayrton Senna Foundation to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the start of the legendary driver’s Formula 1 career.

The post also re-confirms their commitment to bring Senna-related content to GT6, but details remain under wraps. As Kazunori Yamauchi told GTPlanet in December, the content will not be released until May of 2014 to commemorate 20 years since his passing.

Here’s the English text of Polyphony’s announcement, as translated by @Famine.

Ayrton Senna Foundation publish video to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Senna F1 debut

Gran Turismo 6
Non-profit organization Ayrton Senna Foundation has released a video to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the F1 debut of Senna.

During 1984, Senna competed in F1 with the Toleman team. On March 25, they made their debut at the Brazil GP held at the Jacarepagua Circuit in his native Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). Due to trouble with the turbo they did not finish, but [something about Formula Ford/British F3] it was a memorable first race.

As previously reported, PS3 has entered a partnership with the Ayrton Senna Foundation exclusive to Gran Turismo 6″, and we plan to release the content related to Senna in the future.

This site will continue to announce the initiatives of the Ayrton Senna Foundation in the future.

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Comments (87)

    1. austindeckerGT5

      Don’t get your hopes up because waiting for the Course Maker is like waiting for the GTA Online Heists.

  1. fordskydog

    Sure sure. PD, I am your biggest fan boy. But you are way out of hand with the promises a.nd the not delivering.

    Give me track maker first dammit. And some new cars.

    TRACK MAKER!

  2. myopinion11

    WHEN DOES THE SO MUCH PROMISED AND REVOLUTIONERING ENGINE SOUND UPDATE COME!!!! OR WILL IT EVER COME TO GT6!!I WOULDT BEE SURPRISED IF IT DOESNT EVER COME!

  3. mef

    Is Sony or Polyphony Digital actively supporting the Senna organization or are they just using Senna’s name to advertise their product? It smells of jumping on the Senna bandwagon.

  4. ocd1920

    It may be the abandonment of GT6 is coming about due to low sales. Maybe the entire franchise has run its course. Resources are expensive and I doubt the return on investment of those resources will be something to write home about. By adding all the promised DLC without a big increase in unit sales, losses will continue to increase. Bottom line is that it is probably a sound business decision on the part of Sony and PD to stop any further funding of GT6. It may be that GT7 does no better in sales, and could do worse. GT7 is going to require the purchase of the software along with the purchase of the PS4 console. Rather large outlay to try out GT7. Personally, the way GT6 is now, I am somewhat burned out on the franchise altogether and am going the iRacing route. I would like to see the promised DLC, especially the “coursemaker” in order to satisfy my curiosity regarding changes and improvements in the feature over the version found in GT5. All in all, though, I feel the franchise of Gran Turismo is quite possibly nearing an end in its current format. I do not see the GT franchise morphing into a multi-platform game, either.

    1. MeanElf

      As Sony have not been shy to terminate staff contracts amongst various of their game developers and even closed a studio (Liverpool), I’d have thought that a similar move as that would come first – instead, PD are actively seeking new staff…so I think that says enough on that score.

    2. MeanElf

      It was discussed on one of the gripe threads, or at least a thread that had a lot of griping going on in it. Tenacious D posted it so I can check with him if you like…

  5. BlacqueJacques

    Slow to deliver anything new (seasonals) with GT6; focus is probably on selling more ps4s with GT 7 Prologue or GT7 rather than a game for ps3 :(

    1. SZRT Ice

      They can’t “apologize” for GT6 with all features, bells, and whistles only being available on an improved/complete GT7 either. Here, spend a couple hundred dollars to experience what GT6 should of been. Nuh-uh, if they’re going to fix the GT series, it has to be here and now.

  6. Kurei

    So, by the time I wrap up F1:2013, WRC-4, and GTAV, one can expect said Senna content in GT6 ?

    If they keep their word, that timing would be nice, But PD’s track record says expect otherwise.

  7. RewindTape

    I hope it means we get the Brazilian GP track, which isn’t very far fetched as he made his F1 debut there. I love that track.

  8. StarLight

    PD should have planned the Senna content carefully.
    This year are three important dates:

    March 21 – Senna’s birthday
    March 26 – 30 years ago Senna debut in F1
    May 1 – 20 years after his dead

    Three fantastic dates to celebrate with Senna content and now PD seems to wait until May.
    What a pitty.

    1. thestig11

      I there is three packs, then maybe they will release appropriate content, like on his debut anniversary, the first track he drove at, and on his death day (I hate that phrase) his williams that he passed away in. Hopefully we get imola and several of his machines, especially the lotus and williams

  9. andrew84555

    I really hope PD knock it out of the park with this one. With a set deadline and a legend like Senna, failure is not an option.

  10. Darkxr

    It roughly says this
    [something about Formula Ford/British F3] -> All the effort he made when leaving his country and going into England to fight in Formula Ford, finally gave their fruits (allowing him to compete in F1) so it was a memorable moment.

    1. mickoafna

      I think PD won’t disappoint this time. Come May, I believe we are in for quite a surprise package :)

  11. Zuel

    Wouldn’t it be best to do something than to continue to complain? Complaining get you now where, if you want something or want some type of reaction you must take action. Stop reacting and act.

    1. Samus

      Yes, you do need to explain what we need to do. Do we need to fly to PD offices? Do we need to write them a letter?

    2. Zuel

      Really Samus?? OK

      Form an E petition so it can be filled out along with a letter and send it to Sony. I’m surprised NO ONE has thought about this before or bothered to say something about.

    3. Zuel

      You really don’t know until you try @samus, there is close to 300,000 members on this form. What would you do if you seen all those names? Just give it a try.

    4. Samus

      People HAVE tried petitions in the past, they get a few hundred signatures at best. If you think the 300,000 members here are active members you’re in for a surprise. There may be 500 active users at best, many of whom wouldn’t open a thread about a petition.

    5. NA

      Hehe, somebody tried a petition here in the last couple of months. I think somewhere in the ballpark of 20 people signed it.

    6. Zuel

      I agree with you @Tenacious D.

      So your saying the 240,513 member count is lie @Samus? Which means this whole bloody form is LIE Samus?

    7. Samus

      No, that isn’t what I said. This site has been around for over a decade, I believe. In that time yes, 240,000 people have signed up. They’re not all still active and reading the forum, is what I was getting at. Thousands haven’t logged in for years, but they’re still members.

      By the way it’s a ‘forum’, not a form.

    8. Zuel

      Typo @Samus.

      You may be correct you may not. The point is, if you or the people want a response or answers about the delays, get off your tanks and do something about. Because complaining is just going to bring on more complaining, and where does that get you. NO WHERE!!

      Sony in the pass have heard peoples concerns from other games, Like SOCOM US Navy Seals, Deep Space, COD, Need for Speed, Mass Effect and others and they’ve reacting by either giving a statement on the delays or buy giving out a pack of free stuff when the content was released.

      If the people are so passionate about GT why are they complaining about the delays instead of finding a way to get answers about the delays?

  12. Hekongaro

    Waiting for them is not the problem, the problem is the lack of communication.
    They promised new content every month, that hasn’t been happening and they haven’t said a single word explaining why not.
    They said there would be a new track last month, that’s not out and guess what? They haven’t offered any kind of explanation.
    They promised a bunch of new features, none of which have been added. No time window, no explanation.

    Rome certainly wasn’t built in a day and nobody expects GT6 to be fully updated and fixed by tomorrow, but a little communication is not too much to ask.

    Say if someone promised to do something for you on Saturday and they simply don’t show up and don’t say anything that promise is a lie.
    That is why PD has to stop with the lies. If they’re going to delay things they have to at least say it and give some explanation, even if it’s vague.

    I wouldn’t go back to something that’s bad until it’s not bad anymore. I haven’t touched GT6 since the week after the Red Bull events came out, it’s incomplete and does nothing for me.
    I’m not the only one who doesn’t play GT “just because it’s GT.”

    1. VindictiveScrub

      Pretty much my thoughts. I’ve supported, purchased and played the GT games since the first, and even though 5 wasn’t great, 6 is the first one I’m truly disappointed about. It still has many glaring issues, and some that make the game virtually unplayable (Input lag from steering wheels is an issue I’ve had, and it’s unbearable), and they’ve done nothing to even address that they’re aware of the issues and are working on fixes. Heck, even EA worked their butts off to fix issues with BF4, and apologized to users for the issues it had.

      As far as the DLC and features that were supposed to come monthly goes; I was skeptical, so I’m not surprised, but at the same time they said they’d be bringing new content monthly so it should’ve happened. It’s bad business practice, and you can clearly see people have taken action. The sales for GT6 from what I’ve seen have got to be considered disappointing, and while I don’t believe people are moving to Forza, instead I think people are waiting on games like Driveclub and Project C.A.R.S. to come through on the expectations They’ve built.

      As a lifetime Gran Turismo fan, I’m greatly disappointed by Polyphony Digital and Kaz, and don’t know whether or not I’ll continue to support the franchise. In the current state 6 is in, I can’t see myself purchasing 7 in a couple years, no matter how great the physics are or how pretty the game looks, if it’s technical support is going to be this bad.

  13. kayto101

    i know all of this was planned but i really want this on time senna is the best f1 driver of all time

  14. GTP_Versatile

    So by May, they mean June, or at least before August… all jokes aside, I hope they come through this time.

    1. Amac500

      This is one deadline I think PD will get right. It has to be May for the anniversary of Senna’s death. They can not miss the deadline.

  15. doblocruiser

    Just painful to see a legend connects his name to such an awful and uninspired game. Senna won’t be forgotten, GT rather quickly…

    1. RACECAR

      What would you prefer then for it to be connected to, Need For Speed? Another largely unchanged F1 title from Codemasters? Hardly see how its “Painful” when no one else seemingly wanted to do it.

    2. mef

      Senna does not need connecting to anybody. Its Sony who wants to associate themselves with his legacy. Not because they are charitable like Senna who donated in the region of 400 Million (!!!) over the course of his career, but because they want to lend their somewhat stale GT franchise with flair. I’m a big GT fan but be honest about what your own identify. Don’t pretend you are even in the same leage as Ayrton Senna who has helped thousands and thousands of people who were disadvantages through his charitable donations.

    1. HuskyGT

      Even if it’s completed, I have a hard time thinking how this will extend the life of the game. All I see is one F1 car that although no one denies the historic value of it, in terms of gameplay it’s completely useless. That and some time trials or challenges that some people will finish in 20 minutes.

      Waiting months just for that… Then it’s waiting all over again…

    2. Amac500

      I think it will be more than one car. I expect us to get Interlagos, the kart track at the beginning of the intro video, Senna’s Lotus, and perhaps Senna’s McLaren to match the suit. I would love for this to be an excuse to add Imola, but I would be surprised.

    3. HuskyGT

      A track is certainly of much more value, but how possible will this be considering they are already working on a track that never made it to its release time frame?

    4. Amac500

      It’s already done, or might as well be. They were there like a month ago again. Track is as good as done, it will be there, I wouldn’t use Zahara as an indicator for every track they try to add.

    5. forzaturismo

      yes, i think that it ll be similar to the vettel challenge:
      -kart challenge
      -formula junior challenge
      -formula 1 challenge.

      thats all. :(

    1. RACECAR

      This was announced before the game was even released and features one of Senna’s cars in the intro so I’m pretty sure its far from being a lie.

    2. MeanElf

      How is the Zhara track a lie – who knows what has been going on to delay it? It does exist though, even if it didn’t hit the February deadline.

    1. Amac500

      Normally I would shoot down the whole F1 car thing because of the license and blah blah. But with GT6, we can’t be sure. Plus there is Senna’s F1 car at the end of the intro, so I actually think we are getting at least one or two Senna cars. It’ll be interesting to see the licensing involved. I would be surprised if it’s a full F1 license, but ya never know.

  16. die996

    And I reaffirm my plans for my 2016 Bender Super World Tour, where I will go around the World on money gained from blackjack while enjoying a varied assort of ladies. Will that ever happen? Time will tell
    Now seriously, dear Polyphony, I have bought pretty much half of the games you’ve released (GT2, GT4, TT, GT5 and GT6) but, please, for the love of cars and games, stop with the lies! This is looking like a joke now. You have delivered NONE of the true new features that had to do with racing (endurance with A+B-spec, the GPS track editor, etc)

    1. HuskyGT

      That’s no excuse or a valid challenge. PD should be doing just that; updating the game monthly and adding new content.

      If they can’t, at least keep in contact with us, their loyal fans.

  17. HuskyGT

    I hope the wait is worth. So far y don’t see how Senna’s content will add much to the game, other than maybe his car and a few time trial events.

    1. HuskyGT

      Yeah, but then you realize how useless an F1 car is in the game. I hope the Senna thing is not the only content added, because again, I don’t see this adding much fun factor to the game.

      I would be okay, but if PD released at least one decent DLC pack every month with cars that are worth it, or tracks.

      …Yeah, yeah. Senna. Great driver. Legend. I get it. Not really what I expect in GT6 in terms of content though.

  18. aliengamer25

    This is really good, I have a feeling Polyphony has good content lined up for us, I never gave up hope. I personally think they are holding back because they see all the negativity and they are gonna surprise us once the servers from GT5 close and the dedicated drivers make the transition.

  19. thestig11

    senna always, i like gt6 now, when this comes my parents will hate me, as i will play it all day and all night, i am a massive senna fan!

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