Gran Turismo 5 at Tokyo Game Show: Community Features, Legacy Tracks, Weather Effects, X1 Prototype

At last night’s Gran Turismo 5 panel at the Tokyo Game Show in Makuhari Messe, Polyphony Digital’s Kazunori Yamauchi gave an extensive update on new features coming to GT5. Highlights included new community features related to My Home, weather effects such as rainfall, returning legacy tracks, and new cars. For more details, see the full announcement on Gran-Turismo.com. But first things first! Watch the new Tokyo Game Show trailer for Gran Turismo 5 below.

My Home Detailed

Gran Turismo 5 will include a big focus on social media functions and community interaction. The record of your playing experience, as well as your future objectives, are all organized on the “My Home” screen — a sort of “home base” for GT5 players. In addition to your PS3, My Home will also be viewable from your PC’s web browser starting on November 2nd, GT5’s release date. Kazunori explained that while console gaming and web browser gaming are separate fields, GT5’s My Home function will help bridge this gap.

My Home is made up of three modes: GT LIFE, Profiles, and Community. Today, Polyphony Digital primarily touched upon the Community element. Kazunori explained that, while the major feature of the Community element is the ability to privately communicate with and race your PSN friends online, there are many other communication features built into GT5. Sharing photos and user-created courses, mail, and even a BBS bulletin board will all be included in the Community section of GT5. These functions will also be available for use in a web browser on Gran-Turismo.com as well as your PS3. You’ll also be able to “gift” cars or car parts to your PSN friends.

Inside Community is “My Lounge,” in which up to 16 friends can gather to hold online races. Lounge rules are up to you and can be changed from lounge to lounge: A Spec allows you to race from behind the wheel, while B Space allows you to give commands to an AI driver as a sort of “director’s mode.” The AI driver feature also allows you to “rent out” AI drivers, and they’ll gain experience as they race.

Remote Racing is a special mode in Commmunity that also ties into the AI drivers and web browser support. In Remote Racing, you can set up an AI driver as “public,” and he may race against one of your PSN friends while you’re away. When you return, he’ll have gained experience while you were away. In Remote Racing, you’ll be able to watch these races, but not give AI commands like you would in the standard B Spec mode.

New Cars and X1 Prototype Reveal

With over 1000 cars in the final game, Polyphony Digital showed off a selection of new cars, starting with the X1 Prototype Project, a dream car that was designed in a partnership between Red Bull Racing and Polyphony Digital. See the mysterious X1 Prototype in the new video below.

Kazunori explained that both teams were interested in building a car that “throws aside all rules and regulations,” and was built for maximum performance — “the fastest racing car on land.” The X1 Protoype will be playable in GT5. In addition to the X1 Prototype, Kazunori also introduced a selection of new cars that will make it into GT5 on November 2nd.

Isuzu 4200R ’89

Citroën GT by Citroën Race Car

Volkswagen typ2 (T1) Samba Bus ‘62

Volkswagen Kubelwagen typ82 ‘44

Volkswagen Schwimmwagen typ166 ‘42

Returning Legacy Tracks

Kazunori also confirmed that some popular legacy tracks from GT’s history have been rebuilt and remodeled for GT5. Check them out in the screens below.

Trial Mountain Circuit in Gran Turismo 5

Laguna Seca Raceway in Gran Turismo 5

Sarthe 2009 in Gran Turismo 5

Weather Change Effects

Finally, the Polyphony Digital team also confirmed that environmental changes due to rain and snow have been implemented — down to functional windshield wipers. Combined with other new visual effects such as day-and-night cycle, lightning and tire smoke, Kazunori explained that the weather effects will allow for more immersive racing experiences. Kazunori also confirmed that the weather effects wouldn’t be available on every course, but primarily courses focused on endurance racing.