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Gran Turismo 5 demo hits 1M downloads in three weeks, game delayed indefinitely

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:29:00 EST

GT Academy demo screenshots - Click above for high-res image gallery

The GT Academy, the partnership between Sony's Gran Turismo game and Nissan, released a time trial demo last month to begin searching for a racer good enough to jump from high-def screen to high-speed chicane. Last year Lucas Ordoñez was the first to go from gamer to racer, scoring a podium in his first race with the GT Academy team. You need to get on it if you want to follow in his footsteps, because you've already got a million competitors - that's how many folks have downloaded the time trial in the first three weeks.

If that isn't convincing enough, there is another less appealing reason to download the demo: GT5's release has been delayed indefinitely. Sony didn't indicate on its web site what caused the delay, saying only, "We apologize for any inconvenience." It was not, however, the previously attributed marketing issues. Some reports point to "production issues" with the $60 million game. London's Times newspaper, however, said analysts think this could be a deliberate Sony strategy. They suggest that Final Fantasy XIII did so well that Sony wants to release GT5 in the next financial year, after March, to lengthen the sales boost.

We'll lean toward production issues as opposed to a deliberate strategy. Heck, we'd believe werewolves caused the delay before we'd believe this was planned. The game does look phenomenal but it's already three years overdue, meanwhile Forza 3 eats into market share. On top of that, we have never heard of a successful business strategy that involved telling your biggest fans, repeatedly, "We don't have it yet," then switching to, "We don't know when we're gonna have it... um, we'll call you."

Will GT5 do well whenever it shows? Of course. But we will wonder how well it could have done. For now there's always the GT Academy demo, and among those million downloaders you'll want to look out for the one who goes by the name Duke Nukem Forever (whose initials are, coincidentally, DNF). There's a press release on the time trial after the jump, and a pretty bunch of high-res screenshots below. Thanks to everyone who sent tips!

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5 Demo

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5

[Source: Reuters]

Continue reading Gran Turismo 5 demo hits 1M downloads in three weeks, game delayed indefinitely

Gran Turismo 5 demo hits 1M downloads in three weeks, game delayed indefinitely originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gran Turismo 5 demo coming to PSN on Dec 17, GT Academy returns [w/VIDEO]

Chris Shunk — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Technology, Videos, Nissan, Toys/Games

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Just when we thought we were going to wait until the end of March to get our hands on Gran Turismo 5, our friends at Joystiq tell us that Polyphony Digital will release a demo version of hotly anticipated racing game on December 17. The demo will be available on the Playstation Network for download both in Europe and North America, giving long-patient fans a taste of what the full game will be like when it finally arrives in stores.

And as cool as it is that the demo arrives within two weeks time, even cooler is the fact that gamers will be given the opportunity to compete for some nifty prizes. All you have to do is post your best time trial by January 24, 2010. The best time from the U.S. and Canada wins a trip to the Indianapolis 500. A sweet prize, no doubt, but it doesn't come close to the top Euro prize. The best driver from select European countries gets to enter the GT Academy. After completing training the ~~lucky~~ skilled gamer will race in the European GT4 Cup in a non-virtual race-spec Nissan 370Z. How amazing is that?

It would be even better if GT5 actually shipped on December 17, but it looks like we won't be racing one of the world's best driving simulators until March at the earliest. Hit the jump to view a slick video that contains more information about the GT Academy.

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5 screen shots

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5

[Source: Joystiq]

Continue reading Gran Turismo 5 demo coming to PSN on Dec 17, GT Academy returns [w/VIDEO]

Gran Turismo 5 demo coming to PSN on Dec 17, GT Academy returns [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ordoñez becomes first racer to make transition from virtual world to racetrack podium

Damon Lavrinc — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

We've all dreamed it, but Lucas Ordoñez gets to live it. As the winner of the Nissan/Playstation GT Academy contest, in which Gran Turismo gamers competed to win a slot as a pilot in the European GT racing championship, Ordoñez spent the latter half of 2008 training under Johnny Herbert in preparation for this year's season.

At his first outing in the GT4 series at Silverstone this past weekend, the GT Academy team started in 11th place, moved to 6th, 4th and then 1st before the safety car was called out, the 350Z came into the pits and Ordoñez took the helm. With time running out, Ordoñez began his battle for the podium and after a crash on the final lap, our Playstation protagonist seized the opportunity to land a third-place finish - far better than the top-six result the crew's captain set for the team. Ordoñez and the GT team are due to run in Italy next weekend, followed by four more races this year.

Continue reading Ordoñez becomes first racer to make transition from virtual world to racetrack podium

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Sony picks GT Academy winners to race in Dubai 24 Hours

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:39:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Supercars, Nissan, Toys/Games, Lifestyle

First art imitates life and now video games do the same, with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Nissan having joined forces to create the GT Academy. Over the course of eight months, the academy culled a group of wannabe racers from a field of entrants who posted the best lap times in GT5 Prologue. Then, for five days at Silverstone, the finalists competed in the game and on the actual track, watched by ex-F1 racer Johnny Herbert and a panel of five judges.

The two winners were just announced, and Top Gun status went to Lars Schlomer and Luis Ordonez. Schlomer is a taxi driver in Bonn, Germany; Ordonez is an MBA student from Spain. Now that they've won, they'll be thrown into boot camp for four months to learn to how to race for real silver: in four months, they'll have to earn their racing licenses and get ready to drive a factory-backed Nissan 350Z in the 24 Hours of Dubai this coming January.The rest of us will have to be content with GT5 Prologue for now...

[Source: Sony]

Sony picks GT Academy winners to race in Dubai 24 Hours originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GT Academy competition to put GT5 Prologue player in real race

John Neff — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Nissan, Toys/Games

This is either the stupidest idea ever or the most brilliant co-promotion for two brands in the history of mankind. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, the distributor of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue across the pond, and Nissan are joining forces to host a competition that could place a really good gamer behind the seat of a real Nissan 350Z at a very real 24-hour endurance race in Dubai. The competition is called GT Academy, and the first round will be an online GT5 Prologue tournament hosted on the PLAYSTATION Network (for Europeans only, we presume). Based on the picture provided, it appears that entrants will be racing a Nissan GT-R in a special livery when the competition begins later this month. The rest of the competition will span some eight months, at the end of which the winner will receive a four-month training program to earn actual racing licenses. With his or her newfound knowledge of real physics and how actual damage occurs, the winner will then be given a stint behind the wheel of a Nissan 350Z in the 24-hour endurance race in Dubai.

Based on the press release after the jump, we're a little unclear exactly how GT Academy will whittle down all of these entrants over eight months or how much driving the winner will actually be doing in Dubai. Having raced GT5 Prologue online using the PLAYSTATION Network, we can't imagine qualifying is going to be a pretty sight. There are always plenty of jerks willing to brake late in a corner and buddy bump you into the wall regardless of the game's imposed penalties, especially if they know that seat time in a real 350Z is beyond their own reach.

[Source: Nissan, SCEE]

Continue reading GT Academy competition to put GT5 Prologue player in real race

GT Academy competition to put GT5 Prologue player in real race originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 May 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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