Welcome to Gran Turismo 4 unofficial page!

19th December 2003

"Gran Turismo 3 was merely brilliant, this will be amazing, assures GamesMaster

From motor shows to game shows, from London to Toyko, GT4 has probably clocked up more miles than a battered Mondeo mini-cab on a round the world detour. From four-track demo to sneak preview, to full on PlayStation Experience, thousands have enjoyed a chance to look, to play, to drool over the details. But one question has kept popping up: "How come it doesn't look loads better than A-Spec?"

LOOK OF LOVE But do not mock these people, because, in their own way, they are right. GT4 isn't a huge visual leap from the near-perfection of GT3. Sure, the extra detailing and sharper backgrounds don't make this follow-up slap you around the face like a jilted lover with a halibut, but that's because looks don't matter. Right?

Instead, think back to GT2 and how it compared with GT3. Have you got that fixed in your mind? Right, A-Spec was a stepping stone, a gorgeous improvement. But it didn't have the car count or the new tracks to be the greatest, most involved Turismo ever - that was GT2. But soon it will be GT4.

Where A-Spec paddled in a pool of 197 motors, GT4 swims with more than 500. Where A-Spec reshaped old tracks like the Autumn Ring, number four whips out more than 100 slabs of mostly original tarmac. Where A-Spec featured only the GT and Arcade mode, this time you can race online against six other drivers. And where GT3 was merely brilliant, this will be amazing.

Verdict: As soon as you get your hands on the ever-improving, latest version of GT4, you understand how the real development work has gone on underneath the bonnet, in between the axles and under the wide, racing tyres. Just looking at the game only tells you that the new car models are shiny, clean and precise, that the new tracks are as original and inventive as ever and that the newly enhanced backdrops seem to demand that you to reach out and touch them. It's only after a few minutes behind the wheel (Logitech's specially designed one) that you start to feel how the handling has been sharpened to be even more believable. For the first time since Turismo 1, the car physics and track technology has been fundamentally re-written. You can feel the car shifting its weight sideways as you accelerate hard out of a bend, and the nose dipping as you brake sharply for the next one. It's a subtle improvement at first, but the extra realism added is vital when you get down to some really hard racing. Just flip off the traction control in the awesome Dodge Viper, and as the horizon spins in a 360 degree blur you'll quickly understand why Gran Turismo 4 is still so far ahead of the competition"

16th December 2003

Waiting...for Christmas eve and Gran turismo 4.

14th December 2003

"Gran Turismo 4 features authentic racing gameplay with new fully-enhanced features that focus on more cars, courses, race modes and online gameplay via the PS2 Network Adaptor. Gran Turismo 4 uses an all-new physics engine coupled with revolutionary technology to deliver enhanced, if not perfected, game physics and graphics providing a near-realistic automotive racing simulation." from http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-70-2sj-71-41.html

Gran turismo 4 release date isn't announced at the moment but it should be shipping at January 2004. But it wouldn't be a big suprise if the game would be delayed but fingers crossed... :)

13th December 2003

Now there is available a "demo" version of the Gran Turismo 4. Sadly it's only available in Japan but you can buy it online. We just have to hope that the full game will coming after around the next year. The demo is called Gran Turismo 4 Prologue and it has 50 cars and 5 tracks. If I remember right it costs about 30-35 dollars in Japan but I'm not sure. I'll wait for the full version...

10th November 2003

"Sony Computer Entertainment Japan announced today plans for a special version of Gran Turismo 4. Titled Gran Turismo 4 Prius Trial Version, this version of the original real driving simulator will give players a chance to try out a digital re-creation of Toyota's Prius car.

As with car-specific versions of Gran Turismo 3, this title will not be sold to the public. Only those who try the Prius at Japanese Toyota retailers between 10/20 and 11/30 will receive the game.

The new title was announced at a celebrity-packed event that took place on the upper floors of newly opened Roppongi Hills facility in Tokyo's Roppongi district. As part of the announcement, celebrities tried the game and shared their comments.

So too did series producer Kazunori Yamauchi, who commented "Re-creating the complex systems of the Prius on the PS2 was very interesting." Yamauchi recently flew out to the US to attend Sony's Gamers Day during which he demoed GT4.

This special version of Gran Turismo 4 enables players to try out the Prius in its newly released incarnation as well as its past models. A play-through of the game apparently reveals just how much improved the new model is, with better cornering and speed, and an overall different feel between the two models.

In addition to a standard time attack race, the Prius Trial Version enables players to race around a track attempting to conserve fuel at all points. At the end of the race, the game reveals where you wasted gasoline while racing.

We're not sure if this is a mode that will be in the final game, or if it was something SCE cooked up to show off the fuel savings of the fuel-cell powered Prius car.

If we manage to actually convince the kind folks at Toyota to let us into one of their Prius cars, we'll be back with a playtest of this cool little collectors' item."

(Big thanks to http://cars.ign.com/articles/451/451420p1.html?fromint=1)

-TiiBet gt4tiibet@suomi24.fi

www.tiibet.tk