‘Gran Turismo Sport’ revs up for November launch on PlayStation 4

By Danny Cowan May 19, 2016

Gran Turismo Sport Gameplay Trailer Captured on PS4

At a Sony-sponsored event in London on Thursday, Polyphony Digital CEO Kazunori Yamauchi announced that a new entry in the long-running Gran Turismo racing sim series will launch worldwide for the PlayStation 4 later this year.

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Gran Turismo Sport marks the franchise’s first-ever appearance on the PlayStation 4. The finished product will be available digitally via the PlayStation Network and at retailers on November 15.

Like previous entries in the series, Gran Turismo Sport is designed with realism and authenticity at the forefront, with Sony announcing that the upcoming sequel will be “the world’s first racing experience to be built from the ground up to bring global, online competitions sanctioned by the highest governing body of international motorsports, the Federation International Automobile.”

After picking a country or vehicle manufacturer to represent throughout the game’s included campaign mode, players will compete across several featured race classes, including GT3, Prototype, and Rally modes. More racing options will be revealed as the game approaches its November launch.

Presenters at Sony’s London event additionally revealed that Gran Turismo Sport will feature 137 “super premium” cars with realistically modeled interiors and exteriors. Polyphony Digital notes that all featured vehicles have been “remodeled from scratch,” scrapping existing designs from 2013’s Gran Turismo 6.

Early reports state that Gran Turismo Sport will include 27 courses across 19 locations at launch. More courses and vehicles will likely roll out in the months after launch as downloadable content.

Players who pre-order Gran Turismo Sport will receive three bonus in-game cars, and additional incentives are available from retailers like GameStop, Amazon, and Best Buy. Also up for pre-order this week is the Gran Turismo Sport Limited Edition, which offers digital bonuses including eight additional vehicles, extra in-game cash, and bonus customization items like avatars, decals, and an exclusive racing helmet.

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Gaming

Everything announced at PlayStation’s September 2022 State of Play

Kratos looks at the Leviathan Axe.

Sony pops up every few months with a new showcase that highlights titles coming to PlayStation platforms. While fans were hoping for a full-fledged PlayStation Showcase this month as State of Play presentations took place in March and June, Sony decided to hold another State of Play on September 13 ahead of Tokyo Game Show to highlight games coming to PS4, PS5, and PlayStation VR2. As the June State of Play featured the likes of Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy XVI, and Resident Evil 4's remake, this presentation had a lot to live up to.
State of Play | September 13, 2022 | [English]
While it wasn't as impressive, lasting 20 minutes and featuring 10 games, every title shown looked intriguing in its own way. In particular, we got a look at the next Tekken game and an exciting trailer for God of War: Ragnarok ahead of its release in November. This is every announcement that PlayStation made during the September 2022 State of Play.
Tekken 8 announced for PS5
Tekken 8 - State of Play Sep 2022 Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games
The announcement that kicked off the show was Tekken 8. We saw some cutscenes and gameplay featuring Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima, and it looks just as impactful and satisfying as ever. In a PlayStation Blog post, Katsuhiro Harada explained that this content was taken straight from the game's story mode, and runs at 50 frames per second. It has no release date but is confirmed for PS5.
Like a Dragon Ishin! is finally coming to the West with a remake
Like a Dragon: Ishin! - State of Play Sep 2022 Announcement Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games
Rya Ga Gotoku: Ishin is getting a full remake treatment. This game was released for PS3 and PS4 in the early 2010s but never came to North America or Europe as the Yakuza series was not yet popular in the West at the time. It's now titled Like a Dragon: Ishin!, remade with Unreal Engine 4, and will be released for PS4 and PS5 in February 2023.
God of War looks great and is getting a themed DualSense controller
God of War Ragnarök - State of Play Sep 2022 Story Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games
To wrap up the show, Sony revealed that a limited-edition DualSense wireless controller based on the next God of War game is launching on November 8 before providing a deeper look at God of War: Ragnarok. We saw more interactions between Kratos, Tyr, and Atreus, as well as some new gameplay featuring the awe-inspiring fantasy enemies and set pieces players will encounter during the game. God of War: Ragnarok launches on November 9.
Everything else

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge Enhanced Edition is coming to PlayStation VR2.
Demeo is coming to PlayStation VR2.
Hogwarts Legacy is getting a PlayStation-exclusive quest.
Pacific Drive, the debut game from Ironwood Studio, was announced.
Sony explained how PlayStation Stars works and confirmed that it will start rolling out in various regions later this month.
Bandai Namco announced a new mecha game called Synduality.
PlayStation will publish Stellar Blade, which debuted at last year's PlayStation Showcase as Project EVE, and it will launch in 2023.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is publishing Rise of the Ronin from Koei Tecmo Games' Team Ninja as a PS5 exclusive in 2024.

Gaming

Two Sam & Max games are getting a PlayStation remaster

sam max remasters coming to playstation on september 29 remastered

Skunkape Games, a small indie team comprised of some members of Telltale Games, has announced that the remastered versions of Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space will be released on the PlayStation on September 29.

Both games were originally released in 2006 and 2007 as Sam & Max Season One and Sam & Max Season Two, respectively. The project was developed by Telltale Games, who adapted them from the comic book series created by Steve Purcell. When Telltale shut down in 2018, Skunkape bought the rights to the Sam & Max series and remastered them for Nintendo Switch, PC (via Steam), and Xbox One in 2020 and 2021 with Purcell's blessing. Today, it released a trailer confirming the PS4 port of the remasters of the adventures of the crime-fighting dog and rabbit duo.

Gaming

The Last of Us Part I should launch on PlayStation Plus Premium

Ellie looking concerned.

The Last of Us Part I is one of the most notable PlayStation 5 games to launch this fall. It’s also one of the year’s most controversial titles.
Despite the acclaim associated with The Last of Us series, there is heated debate surrounding the remake’s $70 price tag, which is more than the original release and The Last of Us Remastered cost at release -- even though it's lacking the multiplayer mode that came with both. This situation turned what should be a certified slam dunk for Sony into a divisive release, and Sony could fix it with one key change: making The Last of Us Part I a day-one title on PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium.
This isn’t because The Last of Us Part I isn’t worth $70. In fact, its improved visuals and the vast amount of new accessibility features clearly warrant the price tag in the eyes of some. That said, even defenders of the heightened price can recognize the controversy arising from charging more than ever for a remake of a twice-released game. The Last of Us Part I is in a rough situation, and being a PS Plus game would ease some of those concerns.
Why being on PS Plus would work
As The Last of Us is one of Sony's most popular modern franchises and has a TV show on the way, it's understandable why Sony and developer Naughty Dog eagerly want a modernized version of The Last of Us Part I on store shelves at full price. Still, those who've already bought the game twice and aren't impressed by the visual and accessibility overhaul don't seem as compelled to pick up the game for the third time. Sony would remove this significant roadblock plaguing The Last of Us Part I by putting the game on a subscription service.
The Last of Us Part I Rebuilt for PS5 - Features and Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games
There are plenty of examples showing why this would be a wise idea. The Age of Empire series' Definitive Edition games showed how well remakes work on subscription services. Several years after their original release, many players are still actively engaged with the first three Age of Empire games. While interested players can still purchase the remakes individually, putting those games on Game Pass for PC on day one ensured that the community didn't have to pay full price for a game they were already playing daily. Instead, they could just get the remake through their subscription and continue.
The Last of Us Part I is in a similar situation, even with the multiplayer content removed. This demonstrates why a subscription service release could lessen some of the negative stigmas around the game. The successful Stray, which was included in PS Plus at launch, shows that day one PlayStation Plus games can still generate plenty of positive buzz. The game's subscription service availability ensured that the conversation stayed on the game's cute cats, not the fact that it was a $30 game that only lasted about five hours.
Sony has recognized the power PS Plus can have on embattled games before. Destruction All-Stars was originally a $70 PS5 launch title, but ultimately launched as a PlayStation Plus game that was free to subscribers. Although The Last of Us Part I seems like it’ll be a better game than Destruction All-Stars, a day one game makes even more sense on PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra now than it did on PS Plus in February 2021.

Despite all of those factors, Jim Ryan made it clear that he does not want AAA PlayStation Studios games on PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra on day one during an interview with Games Industry.
“We feel like we are in a good virtuous cycle with the studios where the investment delivers success, which enables yet more investment, which delivers yet more success,” Ryan said. “We like that cycle and we think our gamers like that cycle … We feel if we were to do that with the games that we make at PlayStation Studios, that virtuous cycle will be broken. The level of investment that we need to make in our studios would not be possible, and we think the knock-on effect on the quality of the games that we make would not be something that gamers want."
His argument makes sense from a business standpoint, but data from Microsoft shows that people play more games (and games they might not have played initially) when they are available on a subscription service. Even if it seems unfair to judge, many people weigh the amount of new, entertaining content a game offers to its price tag. Sony's can't truly say whether The Last of Us Part I is worth $70, but it can shift the discussion in its favor with an act of goodwill.
The Last of Us Part I will be released for PS5 on September 2, 2022.