Anybody hear anything on Gran Turismo 4? | FerrariChat

Anybody hear anything on Gran Turismo 4?

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by kizdan, Mar 25, 2004.

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  1. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
    5,505
    I am anxiously awaiting! I think I read somewhere about a June release. Anyone have any updates?
     
  2. CalGTS

    CalGTS Karting

    Jan 18, 2004
    138
    London, UK
    Full Name:
    Chris Leigh
    look on www.ign.com

    i'm sure it will look fantastic and be boaring to play like all the other versions
     
  3. Jordan Ross

    Jordan Ross Formula Junior

    Nov 4, 2003
    601
    Austin
    Boring to play? What are you smoking? GT3 was insanely fun, esp. once I learned how to drive the cars...
    The rally stages are a riot in a 600+hp rwd Ruf RGT, and the Diablo is a great car once you figure out how to get it!

    GT4 is gonna rule, but only if it EVER GETS RLEASED!!! :( all ive seen lately is more and more setbacks to the release date...now its looking like late august at best...damn PD get the game out already!
    And we in the US dont even get to play GT4:prologue, while Europe and japan are happily playing the crap out of it! grrrr
     
  4. KennyH

    KennyH F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Aug 13, 2001
    5,238
    NYC
    Full Name:
    Kenny
    The guys at the local game store said it should be out June (or was it July?) 1st- but you're going to need to buy the $99 hard drive as well as the $39 network adapter for it to work- so add the $50 game and GT4 is going to cost you close to $200... Regardless, I have to buy it, but damnn
     
  5. tigermilk

    tigermilk Formula Junior

    Jul 12, 2001
    321
    Houston, TX
    Full Name:
    James P. Smith
    I picked up GT4 Prologue when I was in Japan recently for work. I do reviews every now and then for a gaming site (www.sports-gaming.com), and while it hasn't been posted yet, I did submit the following:

    The Gran Turismo series has earned a place in the videogame hall of fame for sure. When it was released way back in 1998 in America for the original Sony Playstation, it marked a turning point in console driving games. The game was heralded for its depth, the extensive number of cars and tracks, and some good racing. Fast forward to the new millennium and the franchise has made its way to the PS2 in the form of GT3. The PS2 version demonstrated the graphical prowess of the PS2 but the innards of GT were still there, warts and all. Now with GT4 arriving sometime in the coming year, it’s not too soon to be thinking of the next installment in the series.

    An advanced peek at what the next Gran Turismo will be like can be found in the Gran Turismo 4 Prologue Edition. This Japanese release fits somewhere between a demo and full-blown release. The question is, is GT4 going to improve on the venerable series or rest on its laurels?

    Sadly, I think it’s more the latter. My complaints with GT3 center around the atrocious opponent AI. The 5 AI opponents drive like Ichabod Crane. AI cars follow pre-determined lines and bully their way through the race. Even if you have position on the track, they’ll force you out of your well-deserved position. If an AI car is behind, you always need to be cognizant of their distance as they won’t brake when you do. I’ve been corn-holed on more than one occasion by a brainless AI car braking late.

    So does it look like GT4 will improve? If the Prologue Edition is any indication, save your money race fans. This is the same old schlock that Sony has been pushing down our throats for three releases now. Gran Turismo sells on past reputation only. From a pure head-to-head racing viewpoint, GT4 Prologue Edition is bottom of the barrel. Same lousy AI and still only 5 AI cars. We could rattle off dozens of other race titles with better AI and a deeper field. Games like Heat, Dirt to Daytona, NASCAR Thunder, Moto GP (Xbox), TOCA, Project Gotham, Indy, and more all come to mind. If the smaller companies that develop those titles can program a decent racing game, surely Polyphony with the support of Sony could.

    A feature in Prologue that hopefully won’t make its way to the final GT4 release is the penalty feature. If you cut corners excessively (like driving across a hairpin) or use the guardrails or other cars like bumpers, you’re assessed a 10-second penalty where your car automatically shifts to first gear. I guess this feature is a lazy way to implement better racing in the game. Many of the games listed above don’t have to resort to such ludicrous tactics. Making driving across grass a penalty in itself by implementing appropriate physics. Cars should lose a majority of their control when in the dirt or grass. This natural speed scrub works well in other games and in real racing. To limit bouncing off walls, implement a damage model. Even if you don’t want to offend the manufactures with showing damage, you could at least deteriorate the handling and skip the visible damage.

    Graphically, the game is a mixed bag compared to GT3. There were areas where the game looks better, but this comes at a sacrifice. Racing in New York, for example, the rear view mirror only shows your opponents. The cityscape is not reflected in the mirror. Also, in the distance it looks like the game has some jitter. It looks like the background is rendered at half-resolution. As the background becomes foreground, the graphics snap into focus. Pop-up is more apparent in GT4 Prologue compared to GT3. Finally, car detail seems to be about

    Where GT has always been strong, however, is with the track design. While there are only 5 tracks available in the Prologue version, they are fantastic. Two traditional circuit type tracks are coupled with a New York street course and two rally style loops. If anything, GT has become stronger as a rally game. The course design and not having AI cars mess up the racing lend themselves to making this a pretty good rally racer. Of the two rally courses, the Cita d’Aria circuit is mind blowing. Imagine a picturesque Mediterranean village with narrow cobblestone streets, high walls, and loads of elevation changes. That’s Cita d’Aria. The closest track you could compare it to would be Monaco on the F1 circuit, but even Monaco doesn’t get my racing blood pumping like this track does.

    Functionally, GT4 Prologue plays similarly to GT3. You’ve got driving tests to complete and then there are the actual races. Since this is a stripped down version, things like buying parts and modifying vehicle settings don’t exist. The driving tests ranged from the usual brake, sector time, or lap time tests to driving a gas/electric hybrid and maintaining a certain average speed while not burning too much fuel. The tests are all pretty easy and can be passed with a bronze on the first try. The only exceptions were a few of the lap time tests. The ridiculous penalty system in the game meant that every time I lost focused and went off track a bit or nudged a car, the test would fail.

    If Sony can fix the wretched AI this series can turn from an average racing title to a must-buy. Casual gamers might be able to look past the obvious AI issues that linger release after release, but fans of the racing genre may be as disappointed as I with the game. As it is, only the rally racing entices me to run out and pre-order a copy. And that’s simply not enough with some of the quality rally games available on the PS2 and Xbox.
     
  6. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    24,957
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    I found GT3 a little boring too (same for Sega GT Xbox, same style). I'm a PGR fan all the way... that and Rallisport Challenge.
     
  7. Sarc

    Sarc Formula Junior

    Nov 1, 2003
    301
    USA
    ...and how does one procure a diablo might I ask?

    Also a question I've always wanted to ask; where can I race in the rain other than the rally stage? I recall on the commercial seeing the Japanese touring cars racing at night in the rain, but I can't weem to find it anywhere.
     
  8. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
    5,505
    We have to be getting close now........anyone hear anything?
     
  9. Schatten

    Schatten F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Apr 3, 2001
    11,237
    Austin, TX
    Full Name:
    Randy
    I'm a GT3 addict and anxiously awaiting the release of GT4. Recently went back to playing GT3 after getting home late at night from work and needing to decompress. I still find it fantastic and anything else seems to be a forgiving arcade game.
     
  10. tw1nturb0

    tw1nturb0 Karting

    Feb 2, 2004
    152
    Gran Turismo 4 will be hitting the shelves during the 2nd week of november.

    conversly, does anyone know if EA will have a successor to F1 Career Challenge??? I LOOOOVE THAT GAME!
     
  11. tomw

    tomw Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 25, 2004
    2,357
    London
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    Tom
    Taken from http://ps2.ign.com/articles/550/550786p1.html

    Also note lack of online play. Not that I'm fussed for now.
     
  12. tomw

    tomw Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 25, 2004
    2,357
    London
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    Tom
    Also, I finished Prologue a month or two back and can conclude the following:

    The updated graphics engine looks gorgeous,
    The in-car sounds are still pathetic,
    Gear changes take far too long on normal road cars (they're back to almost GT3 speed in racecars and high-end sportscars),
    The AI drivers now make mistakes. As you pressure them they start to run wide and miss braking points etc.

    I'm looking forward to the full release, especially with rumours abound of Ferrari's inclusion.
     
  13. SefacHotRodder

    SefacHotRodder F1 World Champ

    Dec 20, 2003
    11,148
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Chris
    I heard that it had been delayed
     
  14. damcgee

    damcgee Formula 3

    Feb 23, 2003
    1,864
    Mobile, AL
    Ferraris will NOT be in it. However, they will be in Forza Motorsport for Xbox (can't wait for that game -- should be out in January).

    GT4 is supposed to be out in mid November.
     
  15. coolestkidever

    coolestkidever F1 Veteran

    Feb 28, 2004
    5,538
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Patrick
    GT4 is going to be awesome even w/o Ferraris. i cant wait.
     
  16. damcgee

    damcgee Formula 3

    Feb 23, 2003
    1,864
    Mobile, AL
    Concur :) I'm very excited.
     
  17. WJHMH

    WJHMH Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Sep 5, 2001
    25,364
    Panther City, Texas
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    WJHMH
  18. coolestkidever

    coolestkidever F1 Veteran

    Feb 28, 2004
    5,538
    NJ
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    Patrick
    that is gonna make or break the game.
     
  19. tomw

    tomw Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 25, 2004
    2,357
    London
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    Tom
    It'd have to have been damn good to rival PGR2's integration of online features, I couldn't see them pulling it off.
     
  20. WJHMH

    WJHMH Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2001
    25,364
    Panther City, Texas
    Full Name:
    WJHMH
    Maybe they couldn't get it to work correctly, budget issues with Sony? I doubt it. Who knows what the hell happened. Not sure if fans can wait 2 or 4 more years until that feature shows up. I was so looking forward to online play with my PS2, I thought Sony wanted to dominate XBOX as for online driving sims. Damn, what a disappointment.


    F.U. SONY! I just might buy an XBOX now.
     
  21. coolestkidever

    coolestkidever F1 Veteran

    Feb 28, 2004
    5,538
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    Patrick
    hey at least we dont have to pay for online stuff
     
  22. ashsimmonds

    ashsimmonds F1 World Champ

    Feb 14, 2004
    14,385
    adelaide, australia
    Full Name:
    Humble Narrator
    i put a down payment on it back in march, when shops were touting an april release. come may i hear it's been pushed back to the end of the year. d'oh! hope the store remembers my deposit... dam inflation.

    the main things that sucked about GT3 were the stuttery and out-of-synch sounds in replays. that and the car details screens where if you wanted to read the interesting info, you had to read it in scrolling marquee style, really annoying.

    but what me and my old man missed most from GT1 was the excellent database. it was great to keep going through and trying to better my times on a track, and then my dad having a go while i was in bed and beating them all, then me having a go... etc. :) the next two games didn't have anywhere near as good a times database, effectively killing the longevity of the games, because as soon as i'd done most of it, i didn't feel like going back and doing anything over to do it better, as there was no real record of it. :(

    oh, and one MAJOR problem i've always had with the CPU cars, setting them at different levels just changes the speed at which they drive. surely a novice can still make a hot car go fast in a straight line... he's just more likely to futz up the corner. that's what i really want to see in GT4, AI that has more personality.

    as for sound, i liked GT2 the most... apart from the abundant tyre-screeching. GT3 seemed to go back to vaccuum cleaner mode.
     
  23. Malfoy

    Malfoy Formula 3

    Mar 22, 2004
    1,960
    Hampton, VA
    I gotta say I didn't find GT3 that fun BUT I did find it more fun that PGR2. That's perhaps the most boring racer I've ever played. (sorry Ryalex :) ) Quick list of my favorites

    1. Hot Pursuit 2 PS2(Most fun)
    2. Colin McRae Rally 04 (I love WRC and this is near perfection)
    3. Rallisport 2 ( its fun in its own way but its no McRae)
    4. GT3
    5. NFS: U (I'm sure the general consensus hates sub compact cars but this game was fun to play, esp the Drag)

    actually switch the order of GT3 and NFSU. :)

    6. TOCA Pro Race Driver 2
    7. PGR2

    I plan to play all the racers that come out this fall/winter though. I give most racers a chance.
     
  24. iceburns288

    iceburns288 Formula 3

    Jun 19, 2004
    2,116
    Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Charles M.
    My favorite racing game ever so far is PGR2... loads of fun.

    I am buying a PS2 soon so I can get GT4 in December, and I will buy GT3 so I can learn to play it well. Luckily my PS USB wheel works with PS2s... :D

    gtplanet.net has the most amazing screenshots ever... look for the Nurburgring ones with the Falken Skyline.
     
  25. WJHMH

    WJHMH Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2001
    25,364
    Panther City, Texas
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    WJHMH
    I'm currently playing Burnout 3, nothing like ramming your way through traffic & causing massive amounts of destruction.
     

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