From GTPlanet Game Guides

This article is about the series as a whole, for the original game, look at the Gran Turismo 1 page.

Gran Turismo (GT) is a hugely successful and critically acclaimed series of racing video games produced for the Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 gaming systems. All of the games are said to simulate the appearance and performance of a large selection of vehicles, nearly all of which are licensed reproductions of real-world automobiles. As of April 30, 2008, the franchise has shipped 50 million units worldwide. The title Gran Turismo is Italian and Spanish for "Grand Touring."

Overview

The series is produced by Polyphony Digital (PD), and the producer for all of the games is Kazunori Yamauchi.

The appeal of the Gran Turismo series is due significantly to the graphics, the number of licensed vehicles, the extent and detail of simulation, and the ability to tune performance. Handling is modeled on real-life driving impressions, tuning based on principles of physics, and sound on recordings of real-life vehicles. The game has been a flagship for the PlayStation console's graphics capabilities, and is often used to demonstrate the system's potential.

Although Gran Turismo has an arcade mode, the majority of gameplay derives from its simulation mode. Players start with a certain number of credits (usually 10,000, except in GT3, where the player starts with 18,000 Cr), which are used to purchase used or new vehicles from a number of manufacturer-specific shops (e.g., one sells only Toyotas, one sells only Mitsubishis, and so on), or from used car dealers, and then can tune their car at the appropriate parts store for best performance on the circuit. Certain events are open only to particular types of vehicles. Also, in order to enter and progress through more difficult races, there is a license-testing system (Except for Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, which replaces the license system with class-based races), which guides players through skill development. Players may apply prize money won in events to upgrade their existing car or buy a new one, collecting a garage of carefully tuned cars.

Games

There have been 4 "Full" versions of the game, two on the Playstation, and Two on the Playstation 2.

There have also been multiple "Demo" versions of the game, the newest "Demo" release being Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, which was released on the Playstation 3.

List of Released games

Please note that these are not all of the games, but only the major releases.

• Gran Turismo 1
• Gran Turismo 2
• Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
• Gran Turismo 4: Prologue
• Gran Turismo 4
• Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

In production

There are currently two titles currently in production, the Playstation 3 Game: Gran Turismo 5, and a version for the Playstation Portable: Gran Turismo Mobile