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[sublimit]

At the most recent Gran Turismo World Tour event in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to tour Polyphony Digital’s studios to see exactly how Gran Turismo is made.

Of course, Polyphony is one of — if not the — most secretive video game developers in the industry. The company rarely allows media to visit its offices, and almost never allows visitors behind their desks with cameras rolling. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what I was able to do, with series creator Kazunori Yamauchi himself as tour guide.

With the next Gran Turismo game still a closely guarded secret, this is a particularly sensitive time for Polyphony Digital. It was not easy to arrange this tour, and I would like to thank my friends at Sony and Polyphony for making it possible.

But a lot of work gets done here, too. This is home base for over 150 Polyphony employees, making it the largest of the company’s four offices. It has another office in the southern Japanese city of Fukuoka, along with smaller studios in Amsterdam and Los Angeles.

Overlooking the event space is a glass room that appears to contain the ultimate in Gran Turismo memorabilia — that’s Kazunori Yamauchi’s personal office. The room contains many of his own racing trophies and some of Polyphony’s most prestigious awards, including the two BAFTAs they received for Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec and Gran Turismo 5.

Kazunori walked us through the process of capturing a track like Spa and adding it to the game. A data capture team of around 10 people travel to the location and take as many as 80,000 photographs, capturing every detail, texture, and surface they need to replicate.

They drive the track in a car loaded with special cameras that capture the environment in 360-degree video at 8K resolution. This gives the designers a reference to see how the track appears at any point, from any angle.

Next, the laser scanning begins. Polyphony scans each track with multiple laser scanners with varying degrees of precision, depending on what part of the environment is being captured. The highest-precision scans use fixed-position scanners which capture a radius of around 50 meters at a time.

Lower-resolution laser scans come from LIDAR mounted on cars, drones, helicopters, and even airplanes. These capture the details of the geography and buildings surrounding the track.

A lot more info and photos at the link:

How Gran Turismo is Made: A Behind-The-Scenes Tour of Polyphony Digital

At the most recent Gran Turismo World Tour event in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to tour Polyphony Digital’s studios to see exactly how Gran Turismo is made. Of course, Polyphony is one of — if not the — most secretive video game developers in the industry. The company rarely allows media to visi

www.gtplanet.net

 

[ethomaz]

Interesting read.
They said one time I guess they can recreate a track digitally each 3 months... I don't know if that time decreased.
They attention to details is unbelievable.
There are a lot of work in that.

 

[LostDonkey]

Thanks for sharing, cant wait to read.

 

[PhillMeCream]

Is getting GT Sport worth picking up? I haven't played one since 5

 

[ethomaz]

Is getting GT Sport worth picking up? I haven't played one since 5

Well I consider it the best GT game ever created.
The online part is something unique in console scheme... only iRacing in PC has something similar.

 

[PhillMeCream]

Well I consider it the best GT game ever created.
The online part is something unique in console scheme... only iRacing in PC has something similar.

I'm definitely going to pick it up if I can see it on sale, also want to pick up a racing wheel

 

[sn0man]

Is getting GT Sport worth picking up? I haven't played one since 5

do you like a single player game? Then it’s trash.

do you want an online competition game? It sounds really good.

anyone that skimmed the article: did they mention GT7?

 

[ethomaz]

do you like a single player game? Then it’s trash.

do you want an online competition game? It sounds really good.

anyone that skimmed the article: did they mention GT7?

The single-player is pretty good... it teach you how to become a racer and decrease lap times to be competitive... it is really successful in that.

IMO it is the best single player of any GT game... for these nostalgic they added the old and boring GT mode called GT League... I n very touched it but you can give a try if you want that old modes back.

The main criticism at launch was lack of content... everything else received praise (online and single-player)... content issue doesn't exists anymore... they added so much content these 2 years.

 

[sublimit]

anyone that skimmed the article: did they mention GT7?

Nope.

 

[V4skunk]

The single-player is pretty good... it teach you how to become a racer and decrease lap times to be competitive... it is really successful in that.

IMO it is the best single player of any GT game... for these nostalgic they added the old and boring GT mode called GT League... I n very touched it but you can give a try if you want that old modes back.

The main criticism at launch was lack of content... everything else received praise (online and single-player)... content issue doesn't exists anymore... they added so much content these 2 years.

GT6 destroys Sport. Especially in single player.

 

[EGOMON]

PD is one of the devs studio out there always pushing the envelope forward for everyone else to follow

 

[ethomaz]

GT6 destroys Sport. Especially in single player.

GTS ia a way better game in single player that GT6... GT6 was a big step back from. GT5 single-player... I won't call a failure but GT6 is probably the worst GT created.

 

[sn0man]

I hear that in GTS you have to log into the net to save any progress. Is that true?

Also do they have upgrades and engine swaps and all that stuff?

maybe I don’t know what GTS is about.

 

[FranXico]

I hear that in GTS you have to log into the net to save any progress. Is that true?

Also do they have upgrades and engine swaps and all that stuff?

maybe I don’t know what GTS is about.

Progress is tracked online, yes. I think some kind of offline support was patched in, but I think items won't unlock unless you log in online. IIRC, could be wrong.

 

[urmie]

I hear that in GTS you have to log into the net to save any progress. Is that true?

Also do they have upgrades and engine swaps and all that stuff?

maybe I don’t know what GTS is about.

Yes, it works on online saves system which is unfortunate.

Upgrades are all gone in the traditional sense (this isn't a full fledged GT game), now you just go into settings and use up "mileage points" to upgrade your cars by level. (Level 1, Level 2, etc)
Engine swaps: Nope

GTS is an e-sports focused racing game and the single player stuff (if you can call it this) was shoehorned in by PD after many complaints from the community. It's a much fuller game now, but at release it was empty.

 

[V4skunk]

GTS ia a way better game in single player that GT6... GT6 was a big step back from. GT5 single-player... I won't call a failure but GT6 is probably the worst GT created.

But GT6 is literally the same as GT5, but on steroids lol. GT6 is the best game in the series so far! It's only problem was being released on PS3 while PS4 was already out.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I hear that in GTS you have to log into the net to save any progress. Is that true?

Also do they have upgrades and engine swaps and all that stuff?

maybe I don’t know what GTS is about.

Online focused game.

If you aren't hooked up to the net, no progress saves.

 

[ethomaz]

But GT6 is literally the same as GT5, but on steroids lol. GT6 is the best game in the series so far! It's only problem was being released on PS3 while PS4 was already out.

GT5 has more content and modes than GT6.
GT6 was a cut GT5.

 

[thelastword]

The painstaking work and all the effort that goes into GT to replicate that great ATD......

 

[V4skunk]

GT5 has more content and modes than GT6.
GT6 was a cut GT5.

GT5 does not have more content than GT6.

 

[TTOOLL]

I play GT Sport every single day. The amount of love they put in this game is something to behold.

Btw, I recently "discovered" the McLaren F1 and fuck me, it's definitely my favorite car in the game now.



Edit: wow!! Is that translator-san??

 

[alucard0712_rus]

Online focused game.

If you aren't hooked up to the net, no progress saves.

I think its to prevent save file from hack, like it were on PS3.

 

[ethomaz]

GT5 does not have more content than GT6.

Are you kidding, no?

- GT6 have downgraded graphics
- GT6 removed some driving physics
- GT6 removed B Spec mode * it was added over a year after in a light form so nobody knows about that *
- GT6 removed B Spec Web Remote
- GT6 removed B Spec Driver and customization
- GT6 removed a lot of career events
- GT6 removed Endurance Races
- GT6 removed many licence tests
- GT6 removed the track editor
- GT6 removed many photo mode locations
- GT6 removed many Special Events
- GT6 removed cars customization like horn, color of your car/rims
- GT6 removed the drag strip test track
- GT6 removed Used Car Dealership
- GT6 removed many cars from Arcade Mode
- GT6 removed many custom race options

That is what I remember but it is probably way more content removed.

GT6 is a tiny game compared with GT5.
Part of the lowest sales in the franchise is not only because it was launched after PS4... the fact that it offer less content and a less enjoyable experience made a lot of GT5 owners not migrate to GT6.
I bought GT6 (Ayrton Senna Edition) because I'm a die hard fan but there is nothing added to these that already play GT5... in fact you lose a lot.

PS. I got Platinum in GT6 in few days (if I'm not wrong a week)... GT5 took me months lol the difference in content is brutal./.. ohhhh GT5 is a hard game than GT6 too... the AI is better.

 

[sn0man]

We played very different GT6 games. You can paint a car. There were a lot of special events.

 

[ethomaz]

We played very different GT6 games. You can paint a car. There were a lot of special events.

There is way less Special Events than GT6.
Can you change the horn in GT6? Nope.
Can you change the color of the rims in GT6? Nope.
You can paint the car in GT6 but there is way less customization option for that compared with GT5.

Anyway these are your points? Special Events and Paint? Because there is way more removed content in GT6 than just these minor.

GT5 is the last real CarRPG launched in the market.

PS. More I think more I remember... GT6 has middle race saving feature? Well GT5 has... you can save in the middle and continue another day... that is great for 24 hours / 8 hours / 4 hours Endurances (that GT6 didn't have too).

 

[marquimvfs]

Can you change the horn in GT6? Nope.e I think more I remember... GT6 has middle race saving feature? Well GT5 has... you can save in the middle and continue another day... that is great for 24 hours / 8 hours / 4 hours Endurances (that GT6 didn't have too).

That's the main point for me, the lack of endurances

 

[sn0man]

Can’t argue with your points. That said I’d kill for GT6-amounts on PS4 Pro.