Still remember the heat flickering effect in GT3 on PS2 and Kaz explaining that the PS3 didn't have a high enough fill rate to recreate the effect in GT5 on PS3 - epic
. I hope that effect returns in GTS. That said I'd have to agree with most that GT3 especially was a benchmark and years ahead of its time. Sadly, they're now years behind mostly due to the strangely huge delay in release when it came to GT5 and then again GT6. I think PD never really got warm with the PS3 and that somehow threw a brick into their development cycle big time.
In the end it is a console racer, it is optimized for gamepads and above all it is a game made for car lovers and doesn't hide the pride and feel of accomplishment of the car industry and heritage of the nation of Japan. Just think of this epic intro to GT5:
Then again this will never be forgotten in the history of racing games:
All I'm gonna say is Viper Team Oreca, Castrol Tom's Supra and Pennzoil R34 Skyline GT-R - bliss.
With GTS I think they're gonna absolutely nail what they were always best at - graphics fidelity. Say what you want about GT6 but there is no other software out there that gets the lightning THAT right in certain conditions. Yes, there are technically better games out there and yes it doesn't always get it right but pick any of the dynamic daytime tracks like the Nurb and set it to early morning with some cloud cover - it's still breath takingly cool.
What they've never done and I think anyone who's followed PD for as long as I have is timely react to customer opinions, complaints or feedback. It seems highly patriarchal in its decision making and very rigid and not flexible at all. So many times I've prayed for customization of opponents, standing starts, etc. just the simple things that would've made it that much cooler or all those little functionalities like changing a driving option in-game instead of going back to the menu. I think in 6 they finally put that in. Friend of mine I've played 1000s of hrs of GT3 with and I used to joke that PD is like they know exactly what everyone wants and they can do it but they just love to tease and hide and keep things away until the time THEY decide everyone's gonna have it. Not very market orientated especially in today's market but also maybe a charming characteristic of a kind of ancient studio and overall creative director.
I'll never leave AC for GTS but I'm sure as hell going to enjoy the **** out of the visuals and photomode...maybe even the driving experience
. They have missed the turning point of staying relevant in the sim sphere no matter how good the game looks is my opinion based purely on observation and past experience without having spent one second in GTS.
Rock on Kaz!
PS: The thing that really kept me in the franchise after GT6 was launched and again had an impossibly screwed up grinding system was the BMW M3 or M4 bug that allowed that car to be sold multiple times for several million each until an update corrected that by which time I had amassed 20mn+ credits and bought every single car I ever wanted and all others as well and still had 10+ M4s left. Didn't feel bad for a second cuz PD had put me on the grind wagon one too many times before with GT3, GT Tokyo-Geneva, GT4P and GT4 (bough a PS2 for those games alone) and GT5P, GT5 and GT6 (again bought a PS3 just for them)...without it I would've spent about 90% less time in GT6 and never done those 1000+ laps around the Ring.
