14 DAY TRIAL // Video game developer Polyphony Digital and publisher Sony are announcing that the next installment in the long-running Gran Turismo franchise will be coming to the PlayStation 4 and will be called GT Sport.
A trailer for the racing experience is being shown during the Paris Game Show, featuring a look back at the history of motorsport while also giving fans a quick look at some gameplay from the forthcoming title.
The official announcement explains that "Building on its legacy as the most realistic and accessible driving simulator, GT Sport has partnered with the FIA to push the boundaries of racing games. In addition to everything you'd expect from a GT, the team at Polyphony and the FIA are introducing an online racing series that will be recognized alongside real world motor racing by the FIA."
The racing experience is designed to allow players to actively compete with other enthusiasts in special events that will run over the course of the year and will allow them to interact with stars from the real world, including the likes of Louis Hamilton.
GT Sport will allow gamers to take part in a Nation's Cup, which is centered on the native country of the player, and a Manufacturer's Cup, where gamers will pick their favorite brand and will try to win events using its vehicles.
Polyphony Digital also aims to make the game the most realistic in the series, using the power offered by the hardware of the PlayStation 4 and the years of experience that the studio has with the genre.
Gran Turismo needs to play catch-up to Forza
Kazunori Yamauchi, the original creator of the series, says that his team is carefully evaluating the game modes and the vehicles that will be part of the title, although no announcements about a full line-up will be made soon.
GT Sport seems to be designed to deliver on the classic commitment to realism that the franchise is known for while adding a range of new features that can draw in a new group of gamers.
At the moment, GT Sport is set to go into beta on the PlayStation 4 in early 2016, but no official date is being offered at the moment.
This probably means that the full game will only be launched late next year or early in 2017.
Apparently, the development team is also thinking about bringing GT Sport to the coming PlayStation VR and testing so far has been encouraging.
The biggest problem with the game is that since the PS4 and the Xbox One arrived on the market Microsoft managed to launch two different versions of its own Forza title, and they have been both well received.
This fall Forza Motorsport 6 arrived with a wide range of vehicles and features improved night and bad weather racing mechanics and the Horizon spin-off has also found a solid fan base.
It will be interesting to see what kind of new ideas Polyphony Digital can introduce in GT Sport to convince players to try out the coming racing game.
