Tuesday 9 May 2006
We've managed to snaffle the first screens from Gran Turismo HD fresh from the pre-E3 Sony conference itself.
Presented and played in front of our eyes by the series' producer Kazunori Yamauchi, Gran Turismo HD is more of a demo of what we can expect from the next GT title, rather than a game in development.
And so while only four levels are playable at the moment, the game still looks absolutely stunning because it runs in true high definition (1920 x 1080 progressive scan) which is three times the detail that most HD games and programmes are shown in at the moment. Oh, and it just happens to be 12 times the resolution seen even in the mighty Gran Turismo 4.
With Yamauchi at the wheel, we were shown how a whole new range of vehicles have been added including trucks, vans, Formula One style racers and - in a first for the series - bikes and scooters. He also revealed that the game was about to manage another first - online play - that he promised will make the world of Turismo "not expand, but explode."
When we will see the full version of the final game Yamauchi would not say, but he did say, rather elliptically, that "the wait for the next generation of Gran Turismo, post launch of PS3, may not be as long as you think".
We will have more on what is already one of the most stunning games on PS3, including footage and a hands-on, just as soon as we can muscle our way to the front of the queue.
