At the Sony conference during Paris Games Week we saw our first footage of what Polyphony Digital called Gran Turismo Sport. They didn’t show much of the game but touted their FIA partnership and laid out plans for online championships and live events. Removing the number from the series seemed like a simple marketing strategy for this nearly twenty year old franchise. Turns out the numbers aren’t gone and suddenly fans are having flashbacks to Gran Turismo 5: Prologue.
Prologue was a budget release and holdover title for fans while they waited for the real, numbered, release. While it sold well, possibly due to it’s cheaper price, it was criticized as a cheap replacement for the real thing. Polyphony has pulled the Prologue move twice before and now Sport comes along claiming to be something different.
To be fair Sport does seem different and both Sony and Polyphony are still implying Gran Turismo 7 will come before too long. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue was released three years after 4 and three years before 5. It’s already been three years since a numbered sequel and let’s hope Sport doesn’t signal yet another three year wait.
