Ben-DutkaWe told you in our recent preview that EA has been quite bullish in regards to hyping SHIFT 2: Unleashed . So this shouldn't come as any surprise.
But before saying the upcoming sequel to Need for Speed: SHIFT will be the best thing since sliced bread, EA executive producer Marcus Nilssen stirred the pot a bit by saying Gran Turismo 5 – which he labels as their primary competition – has "too many cars." Yeah, that's right. Boy, we remember a time when the first question out of a gamer's mouth in regards to a racing game was, "how many cars are in it?" Back in those days, if the answer had been "over 1000," the car lovers would've dropped dead from a mega heart attack.
But that doesn't stop Nilssen from saying to VideoGamer :
"I think it's ridiculous, I do. How many of the millions of people who will buy GT5 are going experience all those cars? None!
I don't think people are interested in driving a Polo 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 – if that would be in such a game, I don't know. I think that people want to drive the original cars that are out there, and those are the cars that we're building: everything from the car-porn cars that you see in the street – the Porsches, the Maseratis – to the race monsters that race around Spa or Monza. It basically caters to all those consumers."
But that's hardly the part that will set the forums and communities ablaze with your standard adolescent hissy fits. Nilssen went on to – seemingly – make a distinction between Gran Turismo 5 and Forza 3 ; here's the intriguing quote in question:
"We're competing on the same turf. I would be foolish not to be concerned about GT5. GT5 is a beast. It's hard to understand what you should be worried about – it's so big and they have so many features.
I fundamentally think that if you look at Forza 3 and you look at Shift 2, they're not in the same division. Shift 2 is just so far ahead."
Okay, so SHIFT 2 is "competing on the same turf" with GT5 but in regards to Forza 3 , it's "just so far ahead." At least, that's how we interpret the wording; he may have phrased it in a different way when speaking, or he simply didn't intend to differentiate between the two. But either way, you can see he does give GT5 plenty of respect after saying it has "too many cars," so don't get too upset.
For the record, Unleashed will boast around 130 cars. Do with that what you will; we have no comment.
Related Game(s): Gran Turismo 5 , SHIFT 2: Unleashed
Hahaha. I like the guy.
I assuming everybody here knows this but haven't seen much talk about it but supposedly full model damage (visual and mechanical) is fully unlocked at level 40 and it looks pretty impressive.
http://playstationlifestyle.net/2010/11/27/the-low-down-on-gran-turismo-5s-damage-modeling/
@Xombito
from what i've read, that is just a rumor and sony has stated that its false, claiming damage is not an unlockable feature, but is in fact present the entire time. They go on to say that damage modeling is very minor in the standard cars and a bit more noticeable in the premiums. The most realistic damage is found only in premium high-end race cars such as the WRC cars like the one in the video at the link you provided.
I saw the IGN article stating that. All I'll say that there is something fishy about the article. I don't know yet myself. I'm not nearly that far.
if you say so. if you look at the vid at your link, notice that the car is already busted up when the video starts… so we have no idea how much effort was put into destroying it. out of curiosity i took a WRC car and crashed into anything and everything i could. eventually i got it to look just like that (at level 22 mind you). it takes multiple crashes and you can have it looking like that too… i just don't see any evidence to support this unlocked at level 40 theory, so i'm inclined to believe that article.
Forza 3 is better than these 2!!
Because it has rewind feature!!!
*sarcasm*
On a serious note, i really can't believe some are arguing that Forza 3 is better. Why, because they think the damage is better and because you have more color and wheel options. The game is ugly and the physics are nothing compared to GT5. The cars looks like they are all made out of construction paper. Theres hardly any reflection off the paint. Its like someone spray painted all the cars. Also the damage looks retard in my opinion. Parts of the car scratch or damage when it wasn't even the part of the car that hit or touched the wall/car etc. That game is weak sauce.
Last edited by Jawknee on 12/3/2010 11:43:23 AM
Even though the critics are undecided about the quality of GT5, it's good to know the competition thinks it's the game they have to try and beat.
But then EA did criticized GT5 for being sterile.
I've seen those criticisms about the game, or more specifically the courses, being 'boring' or sterile'. The games that are being used as comparisons in these kinds of criticisms are arcade racers. The basic disconnect is that Gran Turismo is the real driving simulator. You are running a game that is designed to simulate real driving in real cars on real courses. If you overlay an additional visual layer to augment that reality so that it's a more exciting experience, you're effectively overwriting the very thing that the game is striving to achieve.
On the one hand EA criticized the game, and on the other it get's backhanded compliments from them. I think we're seeing a situation where those in the industry who really know driving games realize just how good GT5 actually is – despite any visual flaws. However because they are in the industry, and in competition they can't really compliment it directly.
I spent over an hour playing in GTs photo world last night. Took some awesome pictures that will make great wall papers. Yet another superb feature of the game that rewards the player who invests time.
Well said Highalander. I too spent a lot of time last night in picture mode. Took some nice shots of my Nissan Skyline V Specs. 😉
I don't get this complaint that the game is "sterile". I am having a blast. I find the tracks fun. It's also a nice trip down memory lane when i drive through some of the tracks that were present in GT2. Love that Mountain Trail Circuit. Really, all these complaints about GT5, I think is nothing more than an attempt to discredit the game by anti-Sony fanboys. The game is nothing short of amazing and if people can't see that then its their loss. No racing game since GT2 has got me this hooked. My wife got mad at me because I played too much yesterday. LOL!
I too was playing in photo mode last night. Weird.
And Jawknee, I know what you mean about the nostalgic feeling. I was racing Deep Forest and I could just envision sitting in my buddy's room on the floor listening to some random rap he had on the stereo while we both got our tyres to red and then tried to see who could get first. Good times.
Indeed guys, indeed. I love the nostalgic feeling of racing some of those custom GT tracks, they are so well constructed. the Top Gear track is a major addition for me too because I'm such a fan of Top Gear, and racing the track brings similar feelings of nostalgia because I've seen people drive it so often before.
The Photo mode is often an overlooked feature. but, for anyone that likes cars, and photography, this is your opportunity to make 'car porn' of your very own…LOL! Seriously, you can spend a long time lining up the perfect angle and shot. But, the results are gorgeous.
Hey, I just wanted to get on the bandwagon and say that I too was messing around with photo mode last night, no joke. I have so many cool wallpapers now, it's hard to choose.
You guys tinkered with all the photo mode features right? Lots of possibilities on how you want it to turn out. Best thing about it since GT4's photo mode is you can get up close and personal with your car.
Looking forward to a demo of Shift. Will GT5 ever release a demo? I'd like to spend some time with it before committing $60.
you can download the gt5 time trial challenge thing if you want to get a feel for its physics
I can't find it in the Sony store. 🙁
GT5 is well worth it. More worth it then anything EA will put out. It has a ton of content and the gameplay is the finest racing gameplay this gen. If your interested in anything EA is putting out, just get GT5 because it will be much better and more worth your $60.
well then I guess it might have been a limited time thing
Even if you're able to download it, you won't be able to play it. It was an online only demo, and they're no longer supporting it.
FYI for all you guys(and gals) who live in Europe & are playing around in the "photo mode", here….enter the contest….
Gran Turismo 5 Photo Mode Competition
Brrrrr, it’s only the beginning of December and most of us have already been affected by freezing temperatures and showers of snow.
What better way to honour this occasion than a competition to share photos from Gran Turismo 5 of your favourite cars in snowy terrain?
We want you to take photos of your favourite driving moments in a car of your choice and on a track of your choice as long as the track’s weather environment is set to ‘Snow’.
Entry to this competition starts today Wednesday 1st December and will close in 2 weeks on Wednesday 15th December.
We will then select the top five photos, which will be exhibited in a PlayStation Blog article.
To enter check out the thread on our Gran Turismo forum.
Here you will find details on how to take the photos and submit them to us.
Good luck, drive safe and remember to always wear a seatbelt!
http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2010/12/03/gran-turismo-5-photo-mode-competition/
Last edited by BikerSaint on 12/3/2010 4:48:28 PM
But, Gran Turismo has always been the Gold Standard for racing games.
It's been so since the launch of GT1.
LOL! These tools complaining GT5 had way to many cars is laughable. How can having more of something, more options, more choices be a bad thing? I highly doubt their new game is even close to GT5. Considering they will probably only offer 40 of the cars the developer thinks are the best instead of giving us an abundance of cars like PD did and letting the consumer decide. 1000 cars is something EA would NEVER offer the consumer. They see it as a way to gouge us further. They must think PD is crazy for giving us that much content for $60 instead of posting it up on PSN for inflated prices. So sick of EA these days and them gouging consumers with their rip off DLC.
Oh and these tools also said Medal of Honor was on par with Call of Duty games which it clearly is not. More hot air from EA.
A very good point. NFS games arrive and on day 1 there's DLC codes to unlock all teh cars – for a fee, or unlock individual cars. All for a fee. I remember one of the NFS games (more recent ones) where I started to add up the possible cost of unlocking all the cars early, you might as well buy the game twice. Of course, that one didn't have the 'time saver special' all the cars were unlocked individually for a fee.
In GT5 the cars are all there, you unlock them just by playing, that seems to be a foreign concept these days though. After all you can monetize those cars and the player's own tendency to be lazy and what an easy solution.
DLC has given companies like EA and Activision an incentive to give us less content in games. Its a shame really that the industry is going down this path. Pretty soon, Sony and Nintendo's first party games are going to be the only games left that offer a great value. These other publishers are abusing DLC and they know it and I think EA came out swinging because they already know Shift 2 isn't going to be up to snuff when compared to GT5. Especially on a value standpoint. There's just no comparison. I still can't believe how much content we get in GT5. It really is something Activison or EA would NEVER offer us.
Forza 3 has too many colors to choose from! I just want a couple of standard colors, and less variety!
/sarc/
Here's the deal. People are so fricking stubborn and annoying about what they expect from a racing game, it's ridiculous. What it boils down to is the lack of that speeding feeling. Unfortunately for them, they won't ever realize how FAST truly fast cars feel! It's insane, in gt5, to finally crack triple digits where poorly fitted vehicles barely touch 60.. Talk about an adrenaline rush! Fortunately, we realize how this game is meant to be played. It's not a pedal masher and a flick of the wheel. Fighting over/understeer is one of the most challenging things I've been forced to deal with in this game. That Lotus challenge in Special Events for the Top Gear track is just making a mockery out of my in-game driving abilities… Ouch!
You know what I feel GT5s' amazing track list needs? Road America. Being an Midwesterner, I love this track. It's long, technical, but generally allows some serious speeds on quite a few straights, nearly an quarter mile long. It's truly an amazing track.
This guy has been very vocal about GT5 but now we know why: he respects it.
It is kinda funny the reference to Forza 3 though. It surely will make xbox fanboys go in RAGE mode. Since GT5 got some mixed scores due to some blocky shadows, standard cars and the UI they have been all over the interwebs knocking the game and saying Forza 3 is better. Time for some reality from a non sony developer mouth, it seems.
Last edited by raztad on 12/3/2010 11:15:50 AM
…998…..999…..and…..1000! Done!
Suck on that Nilssen!
Just let EA dream a little bit about that since no any other game would be able to offer what GT5 does , I dont think that SHIFT2 will be close enough to GT5 in our definition for driving simulator .
dream dream dream
Okay, I've heard a lot of rubbish about the insane number of cars available in the game, and how it's all pointless. Here's the thing with 1,000 cars offered in GT5.
Yes, probably very few, if anyone, will buy and drive all the cars. But by offering so many options, they covered people's differing choices.
For instance, I own a 1.2 litre 2009 Honda Jazz, and am very interested in driving the older versions and ALL variations of the car available in the game. A friend of mine owns latest iteration of Suzuki Alto and was thrilled to ride the different variations of it in the game.
So as I said, not everyone will drive 1,000 cars, but almost everyone will find just the cars they wanted to drive. How many games can boast of that?
I fail to see how that is a bad thing.
"but almost everyone will find just the cars they wanted to drive."
Exactly. There is something in there for everyone and like you, I too fail to see how that's a bad thing. It's a bad thing for EA I guess. As I said, it's something EA would never offer their customer. There's too much value in it for the consumer. It takes away EA's ability to price gouge us and it makes their racing games weak sauce when compared to GT5. I think they already know Shift 2 will not be on par with GT5 that's why they had to send out their spin doctors to try and do damage control before their turd hits the market.
"but almost everyone will find just the cars they wanted to drive"
Thats EXACTLY why I love GT. There a few cars that will own multiples of, race around races I've already completed just to modify. Yes, I was bummed none of the 4 variations of my personal car are in the game. But I will probably have several R34 Skylines ( have 2 already), 3000GT VR4, a few Mustangs and Camaros, I don't even have real money yet to get into the expensive cars that weren't in older GT's. But there is also fun in taking a sub 100HP car and pushing it to its limits. GT allows you to do what you want at your own pace. Want to see how many different lightweight cars you can beat the championship with, have at it. Want to blow thru the first couple ranks to get to the high HP races, go right ahead.
The question that should be asked is, why WOULDN'T a racing game fan want 1000 cars in a racing game?
I am 100% happy with the 1000 cars in GT5. What I like might not be what you like, and vice versa.
Sure, would have I liked a Pontiac premium? Of course, but that's not what makes GT5 special. It's the fact that I drove a VW Samba Bus on the Top Gear Test Track in an event that makes the game special.
It's not about the same Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, and other super cars that the other game feature.
Plus, I am still holding out for GT5's DLC…
Whats with the critics saying the tracks in GT5 are "sterile"??! Most of the tracks are from the actual locations in real life. I don't suppose many critics realize that, because they aren't racing fans to begin with.
I *love* the fact that I can race on the Top Gear test track, or the Tsukuba Course.
Any racing fan who watches Top Gear or Best Motoring would relish at the chance to drive on those courses!
Seriously, if a critic isn't a big fan of driving/racing, then say so in the first paragraph of your review. This way, we know what to expect in the review numbers.
yeah it is pretty bs, I just read the 1up review a few days ago and one of the reviewers complaints was that they used alot of the same tracks from the old games. Its not like they make them from scratch, and there are only so many world recognised racing tracks
They're idiots. Gamers these days are a disgrace. A generation of nerds raised on MS's bs and propaganda and now they are old enough to review games so naturally they bite at the ankles of Sony and it's games any chance they get.
It's ridiculous. Race tracks in real life aren't like they are in freakin' Split/Second or Burnout. They don't go racing through construction sites and they're very rarely on real roads. If anybody has ever actually BEEN to or even SEEN a real track, it's about as "sterile" as you can get.
It's a road. There's really nothing but grass in between, and maybe a wall. They don't like trees and buildings. See, those things will KILL you.
Well, maybe they want dancing clowns.
Here's the bottom line- many critics were looking for a video game, not a simulator.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 12/3/2010 12:28:15 PM
Definitely and exactly Ben. I've been saying this all along too. A real racing circuit looks just like what we see in GT5. Truly. Hell, even driving around my home town on a clear day when the roads are quiet resembles GT5.
All these complaints about it being boring or sterile are coming from people who somehow expected GT5 to be an arcade racer. They're comparing it to arcade racers. But it was never, ever going to be that.
Like NFS Shift, they want the real world tracks to be customized with party houses, electronic billboards, and hot air balloons. Seriously, just look at Laguna Seca and Nurburgring in that game.
So true, Ben.
Which leads to another gripe. Many critics think the cars feel too "slow" in GT5.
I think they are expecting the game to be like Blur or Split/Second or even Burnout — with the exaggerated speeds. If so, then stick to those arcade games. This is a simulator!
Another stupd complaint. I fixed a 2009 Nissan Skyline GTR Vspec to 825hp and my Forza loving friends eyes popped out of his head when he saw how fast the car coming off the line. Idiots the lot of them. This game really has shown the ugly, biased, phony side of so called game journalists. More so than any other Sony game.
They want light speed cars, play Wipeout.
Last edited by Jawknee on 12/3/2010 2:54:48 PM
There's a good dose of dancing clowns in Dark Cloud 2 =)
No such thing as too many cars. 'nuff said.
I don't think any thing is wrong with the vast amount of cars to pick from, the amount GT5 has will cater to almost anyone who likes cars/racing.
On YouTube this one guy was comparing Forza 3's Damage to GT5's, he said Forza is winning, i told him you have to get to the higher levels to unlock more damage to the vehicle. You have to love it when they don't research things when they are making comparisons to games and what they have to offer.
130 cars? I would rather spend my time tuning and racing a Fiat 500 in GT5 than waste it playing Shift 2. Sorry EA but mentioning Shift and GT5 in the same sentence is just wrong. Anyone who does not own GT5 get it! It's pure awesome!!
Last edited by Evil Incarnate on 12/3/2010 1:04:09 PM
Not much to say here. Some of you guys pretty much already sums up what I had in mind about Nilssen's comment. Obviously, he doesn't get what the GT franchise is about. Kaz even mentioned at one time during the development of GT4 that he never expected a consumer to experience all 700 cars in the game. His vision was to offer a really diverse selection that consumers may or may not want to try out. Another part is that he wanted to honor every type of automobile out there.
I respect Nilssen for respecting GT, but all I'm saying is he just doesn't get the vision Kaz and the GT franchise is trying to achieve. Kaz, Nilssen, and Dan Greenwalt all have their unique level of passion in cars, so obviously, priorities are different. Good to know competition is heating up though.
"Gran Turismo has always been the Gold Standard for racing games."
When it come to being the gold standard for a racing sim, Iracing far exceeds Gran Turismo in that light and many more thanks to its ultrarealistic attension to detail when it come to the physics modelling and track accurate re-creation. The same for Forza and Shift, neithers of can exceed Iracing. Its just like Microsoft Flight Simulator being the standard for flight sims(thankfully though the Aero Dancing games have met its it standards).
"The basic disconnect is that Gran Turismo is the real driving simulator."
When it come being the "real driving simulator", that title rightly belong to Iracing.
Last edited by A2K78 on 12/3/2010 1:12:52 PM
Physics calculation, yes, but not what you may think about real-life world track recreation. The thing about iracing is:
1. It doesn't have to worry about the casual players, only super hardcore ones.
2. It's a PC game so it's in a class of its own.
Other than that, if you're looking for content, iRacing is not even close. But yes, physics wise it hasn't been beaten yet. Eventually next gen or later, GT will at least match the physics in iRacing. Tag that along with the level of content GT always provide, as well as graphics.. WIN.
This isn't about PC racing games. It's about being the best racing simulator for consoles.