Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that Polyphony Digital's driving simulation series Gran Turismo has shipped over 50 million units across the world.

The franchise debuted in 1997 on the original PlayStation, and made the shift to PlayStation 2 with Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec in 2001. The series' first PlayStation 3 retail release recently arrived in the form of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, which is meant as a sample of the eventual Gran Turismo 5.

While North America has only received five Gran Turismo games so far, Japan and Europe have seen seven due to Gran Turismo Concept 2001 Tokyo (PS2) in 2002 and Gran Turismo 4 Prologue (PS2) in 2003.

Sony noted that of the 50 million units shipped, 2 million of those were Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. However, it was not clear if Prologue's contribution only referred to physical copies, or if it included digital downloads of the title through the online PlayStation Store.

The vehicles of Polyphony Digital's driving simulation franchise Gran Turismo won't be invincible for much longer, series creator Kazunori Yamauchi has revealed.

Speaking with IGN, Yamauchi confirmed that the team will be adding vehicular damage to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3) through a downloadable update, possibly later this year.

Already available in Europe and Japan, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue packs 60+ vehicles and six tracks. It is is meant as a sneak peek to the eventual Gran Turismo 5, and will arrive in North America on April 17 as both a retail release and a PlayStation Store download.

In the past, the static vehicles of Gran Turismo have proven to be regular source of criticism for the PlayStation-exlusive simulation series, with rival developer Turn 10 capitalizing on the complaints by including damage in the Xbox-exclusive Forza Motorsport racing simulation games.

Sony announced today that the North American version of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will include a host of localized music tracks when it is released on April 17.

Weezer's "Automatic," The Mars Volta's "Goliath," and DJ Shadow's "LOVE LOVE" will provide some of the background music for Polyphony Digital's racer. Artists such as Kavinsky, Justice, The Earaches, and Thin Lizzy also made the cut.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue--a six-circuit prelude to the full Gran Turismo 5 sequel--is set to cost $39.99, available either in boxed form or by download via the PlayStation Store.

For the full soundtrack listing, click on through.... Read more

Sony has revealed the full feature list of Polyphony Digital's PS3 racing title Gran Turismo 5 Prologue this morning, along with a new batch of screenshots. The game is set to include six tracks for its 60+ vehicles to race on, including Suzuka Circuit, Eiger Nordwand, Fuji Speedway, London City Track, Daytona International Speedway and High Speed Ring.

Prologue will also feature a Drift Mode, where players will be evaluated based on "drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course." An in-depth car tuning system, two player split-screen racing, 16-player online races, and new online and offline racing events round out the rest of the bullet-points.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will hit the PlayStation 3 on April 17 for a price of $39.99, available for download on the PlayStation Store or at retail.

A full list of the vehicles follows.... Read more

Update: Sony has officially announced that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be released in North America on April 17, with a price of $39.99 for both the Blu-ray and online PlayStation Store versions. The Blu-ray disc will feature an exclusive behind-the-scenes video titled "Beyond the Apex."

Original story: Looking for another reason to get excited about your PS3? How about a new batch of screenshots for the upcoming Polyphony Digital racing title, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue?

The game is set to feature 1080p presentation, improved opponent AI, over 60 cars, and 16-player online races. All this, but with only five tracks to do it on. At least they're "stunningly realistic" tracks, or so they say. Judge for yourselves by clicking below. And hey, yellow Stig.

For some Gran Turismo 5 Prologue impressions, head over to GameSpot, where they nabbed a copy of the Japanese version of the PS3 racer.

In an unusual marketing tie-in, Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that it will make available full episodes of hugely popular BBC automotive television series Top Gear, syndicated in North America by BBC America, to PlayStation 3 owners through PlayStation Network starting some time next year.

Forty episodes of the show will be downloadable worldwide through Gran Turismo TV, a new PSN channel named for Polyphony Digital's long-running racing series. No prices were given, although reports on a recent issue of Japanese publication Famitsu indicate that in Japan the episodes will be sold at a relatively low cost.

Gran Turismo 5 is not set to release until at least mid-2008, but this year will see the release of the appetite-whetting downloadable-or-retail Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, recently revealed as supporting up to 16 players online. A demo is currently available through the Japanese PSN. The game's full release, set for December in Japan, will include a virtual version of Top Gear's well known test track, Hammerhead turn and all (playable The Stig likely not included).

"We at Polyphony are great fans of the world's best motoring programme, Top Gear, so we're delighted to be collaborating with BBC Worldwide to deliver Top Gear content via Gran Turismo," said Polyphony founder and avid motorist Kazunori Yamauchi.

A demo of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the latest in Polyphony Digital's long-running driving simulation series, is now available for download from the Japanese PlayStation Store. Though it is not yet available in North America and Europe, PlayStation 3 owners in those territories can simply create a Japanese PlayStation Network account to get their fill of the most graphically intensive racer on the system.

The 736MB sneak peek includes one track and seven cars, but does not feature the online multiplayer of the full version. The demo will be offered through the Japanese PlayStation Store until November 11.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, itself basically a tease of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5, is slated to be released through traditional retail outlets and as a PlayStation Store download. North American release and pricing details... Read more

Here's the latest Gran Turismo 5 Prologue trailer, described as a "Concept Movie". It runs for three minutes. Stream it below, or grab the HD version from FileShack. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is scheduled for an October release in Japan; no North American release details are known.

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A preview version of Polyphony Digital's upcoming PlayStation 3 driving sim Gran Turismo 5 will be available for download from the Japanese PlayStation Store this October. Titled Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the sneak peek will feature online play in addition to a number of different vehicles, including some currently unrevealed concept cars.

First announced last week at Sony Computer Entertainment America's E3 press briefing, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue follows Polyphony's tradition of providing an advance look at the franchise's next iteration. This legacy began with the Japan-only Gran Turismo 4 Prologue (PS2), which ... Read more