It's fair to say that we haven't heard much when it comes to Gran Turismo 7 of late. However, CEO of Polyphone Kazunori Yamauchi has recently conducted an interview where he shed light on GT7.
Specifically, Yamauchi detailed which direction the series would go in for their upcoming racing sim. We've got everything you need to know right here!
A main series game
We weren't sure whether Gran Turismo 7 would be a continuation of the main series of GT games or a sequel to GT Sport. Kazunori Yamauchi has now cleared that up by clearly stating that it's the former:
"While inheriting elements such as the [FIA] championship realised in Sport, Gran Turismo 7 will return to the royal purpose of full volumes like [Gran Turismo] 1-4, and provide the best Gran Turismo experience at present.”
If we dissect what Yamauchi has stated there, we can figure out what he's referring to.
"The royal purposes" is likely a direct translation from Japanese, but we believe it's referring what GT was originally meant for. It could also be a subtle reference to GT7 taking back GT's crown as the king of racing sims.
The Real Driving Simulator will once again focus on making GT7 the best driving experience possible from the comfort of your own home.
Yamauchi admitted that some fans may have found it hard to follow how GT has evolved throughout time and the generations of consoles. This especially refers to GT Sport, which he confessed:
"It may have seemed quite outlandish for some people!"
However, Yamauchi also stated that the game grew in a different pattern to previous GT titles, as it gained momentum more as time went on and esports continued to gain popularity.
You could argue that GT Sport is a game that was made before its time. Released in 2017, esports hadn't yet exploded into pop culture, but that was only a few years away.
Perhaps we could see an element to the game in GT7 that is as prodigious as GT Sports esports elements? We'll have to wait to find out.
What about Sport?
That doesn't mean that the features pioneered in GT Sport will be thrown out for GT7 though, far from it.
Esports have grown massively in recent years and Gran Turismo was one of the first major racing sims to embrace the digital racing revolution. Gran Turismo Sport pioneered this and GT7 will unsurprisingly continue it.
Yamauchi has also previously stated that the next Gran Turismo will be "combination of past, present and future" and he has also referred to GT Sport as "the future" of GT.
Influences on GT
Yamauchi also had time to open up on the influences behind the original Gran Turismo games and how the game has come full circle to be a driving force in the industry:
“I grew up as a car enthusiast surrounded by the influence of Japanese automobile manufacturers and the transmission of automobile media.”
“That is also the driving force behind my production. Although, the title has been played worldwide, I have never forgotten that it originated in Japan, and now I feel the responsibility and mission of inheriting the Japanese automobile culture.”
Trailer
If you want to refamiliarise yourself with the GT7 announcement trailer from last year, we've linked it below:
Until then, be sure to keep checking our site for all the latest Gran Turismo news.