14 DAY TRIAL // Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed that its PlayStation Portable version of Gran Turismo will be arriving in North America, Europe and Japan on October 1.
The date was previously uncertain for the Japanese market but Sony says that the racer will be simultaneously out in order to make sure that all players have a chance to get it as soon as possible and experience the great racing it can offer. The same-day release also serves as a bulkward against piracy, which is pretty widespread on the PSP.
Japanese players will have a choice of possible pre-order bonuses, depending on the stores where they buy the game, with different cars unlocked, while the Corvette ZR1 will be available to all those who are taking home a “first press” edition of Gran Turismo PSP. A similar set of bonuses is also available to those who are picking up the game in North America.
One new detail related to the series, revealed via Japanese magazine Famitsu, is that Lamborghini cars will, for the first time, be featured in a Gran Turismo title.
Kazunori Yamauchi, who is the director of the series, said that “I came from the 'supercar' generation of the 80s, so there's always been a special place in my heart for Lamborghini and especially the Countach. Ferrari has continually reinvented its image with the times; that's the charm of the brand. Lamborghini, meanwhile, has always been futuristic and revolutionary, and it's never wavered from that. It's always new, but it never changes, and that's what I like about it.”
Gran Turismo for the PlayStation Portable will probably serve as a tie over for fans of the series who are eagerly awaiting Gran Turismo 5, which was recently rumored to feature no less than 1,000 cars that can be raced on 60 track configurations.