Gran Turismo HD for PS3 - The First Racing Game with No Cars

Straight from the pages of Famitsu - the all knowing yet impossible to read by most westerners - Japanese gaming magazine, 1UP picks up the story behind Sony's plans for the Gran Turismo HD remake for PlayStation 3 via an interview with producer Kazunori Yamauchi. Two versions will accommodate players with different payment options, yet strangely enough, only the premium package contains two courses and an incomplete list of 30 unlockable cars during gameplay (with the same amount to be added at a later date). The regular version contains no cars whatsoever, a hilarious development to say the least, as fans are wondering what exactly Sony will provide for your money, hinting at a game with no content.

Here comes the novelty, since Sony is already looking further into the future to their upcoming online distribution service and advances a new payment scheme involving microtransactions. It is still uncertain if Sony will reinforce the same model for the American market, but in Japan, car pricing will range between 50-100 yen ($0.43-$0.85) and courses between 200-500 yen ($1.71-$4.26). There are approximately 750 cars and 50 tracks available for purchase, thus, should one buy all the available game items, the pricing would raise to a minimum of $450, not counting on the initial purchase. I am not the only one finding the sum outrageous, a considerable difference from the $60 announced average price for PS3 games.

With the premium game being considered a prologue to the PS3's eventual Gran Turismo 5, we can only wait and see if Sony will somehow sweeten up the deal, or if the announced system will hold altogether.