After Waiting For Five Years, Gran Turismo 5 Isn’t Looking So Hot Right Now

Or is it? Gran Turismo 4 released on February 22 2005. That’s more than 5 years from now as Gran Turismo 5 is scheduled for release today. So, how has 5 years treated the game? Not so hot, you say.

For starters, GameStop US has said that it won’t be holding a midnight launch event in a couple of its stores. Why? “The game is not big on hype”, according to a GameStop employee.

What everyone will fail to realize is that sales of Gran Turismo games have a “long-tail” pattern, no matter how many the game sells in its debut months it will continue to sell really well for a really long time, adding up to colossal numbers.

Several gaming news and blog sites are echoing the same. UK magazine PSM3 writes, “GT5 is a colossal disappointment. Epic. Global.” They’ve largely attributed Gran Turismo 5 as more of the same, albeit a better looking one.

Not everyone feels the same, while another PSM3 writer declared, “It’s brilliant… the best GT yet”.

So why the contrasting view points? It seems many had a little too much expectation for the game. After all, it’s a game – a racing game. That’s Gran Turismo 5, be it better than the other racers out there in the market. We can’t confirm until we’ve got our hands on Gran Turismo 5.

But one thing is for certain. It looks a helluva’ better than its competitors. We urge you to check out the comparisons here.

If you believe in “world’s first review from an unknown site”, Juexvideo.com reviewed Gran Turismo 5 saying “If Gran Turismo was “The Real Driving Simulator” it is no longer the case.”

Personally? I still have high hopes for Gran Turismo 5 – but as I put in the disc I must remind myself “it’s just a racing game.”

[Update] Gran Turismo 5 reviews are now live. We’ve got it rounded up all in one place for you to check out.