Kazunori Yamauchi reaffirmed this Gran Turismo 7 will be a major series title in the form of previous games in the series.
The Polyphony Digital studio head spoke to journalist Toshifumi Watanabe for Octane Japan in an interview published earlier today. While the conversation was largely focused on Scapes, there was plenty of time to also talk about the PlayStation 5, Gran Turismo 7 and the ‘royal goal’ of the series.
One of the questions Watanabe asked referred to the identity of Gran Turismo and its future. Although Yamauchi did not want to draw on the last part of it, he especially mentioned the influence that Japanese car culture had on the original Gran Turismo, and how it acted as a target behind the series.
“I grew up as a car enthusiast, surrounded by the influence of Japanese car manufacturers and the sending of car media,” says Yamauchi, “and this is also the driving force behind my production. Although the title was played worldwide, I never forgot that it originated in Japan, and now I feel the responsibility and mission to inherit Japanese car culture. ‘
Interestingly, Yamauchi admits that fans can not always follow how Gran Turismo games change from generation to generation. This is especially true for Gran Turismo Sport, and its shift to esport. “It seems rather strange to some people!” he notes, noting that support for the game has grown in a different way than previous titles, and gained more momentum later in his life.
Sport Mode then, as we saw in the Gran Turismo 7 trailer last July, still has an important role to play, but GT7 will be nostalgic for those who have played previous games. ‘While he elements like the [FIA] championship realized in Sport, Gran Turismo 7 will return to the royal purpose of complete volumes such as [Gran Turismo] 1-4, and currently offers the best Gran Turismo experience, ”says Yamauchi.
Of course we’ve heard it before GT7 a combination of the “past, present and future” of Gran Turismo, so this reinforcement comes as music in front of the fans of classic GT games.
The interview also covers land such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, in which Yamauchi has been a guest judge for 11 years, and the real-time ray tracing of PS5. You can read the full article – in Japanese – on the Octane Japan website.