mxt_77

I have a feeling that they intend to sell "add-on" cars through the Playstation Store. That's going to frustrate me because I believe all the good stuff should come with the original game, but Rock Band has pretty much acclimated me to the idea of paying for additional content, so I'm sure I'll drop the coin if they offer something I really want.

Oh... and I totally hope my manager sends me home early tomorrow so I can pick up my copy and start playing!

dogas

I ordered from amazon today. They offer free shipping to get it tomorrow! I'll have my copy via mail by about noon. no fuss, no muss.

http://www.amazon.com/Gran-Turismo-5-Plays...90533296&sr=8-1

kenstyle

S2k007

^ Jealous.

samerthehammer

Damn! Nice setup kenstyle. Is that the playseat?

asiliat

i never understood this game. It'll never "feel" real.... Great for learning which way the track turns, but that's about it.

mxt_77

Do you have a better, affordable option? No? I didn't think so. Did you know that 'real' race drivers train on racing sims? Did you know that airline & fighter pilots also train on flight sims? If it's real enough for them, then it's real enough for us.

Elistan

Better option? A real trackday or autocross. They're even affordable.

(I find these racing sims entirely uninteresting, I keep comparing them to real driving and find them completely different. )

Chris S

She should talk to my wife about chilling out - I have a PS3, XB 360, and a Wii, all hooked up to different TV's in different rooms. Rarely play any of them, but it's nice to have the option and not be platform-limited.

mxt_77

I think your definition of "affordable" differs from some people.

Let's do a comparison:
GT5:
Cost: $54.99 from Amazon. Plus the cost of a PS3 & TV if you don't already have one. The only additional cost is the cost of electricity to run your PS3 and TV, which is nominal.
Time: You can 'drive' as much as you want for as long as you want.

Autocross:
Cost: $25-50 for a one day event. Plus the cost of gas to & from the event, and gas during the event. Plus wear & tear items (tires, brakes). Plus maintenance (oil, brake fluid, etc). Plus 'mods' if you're wanting to become competitive. And this assumes that the car that you're driving is autocross-worthy to begin with, which might not be the case for everyone.
Time: 4-10 minutes of on-course time.

HPDE:
Cost: $150-300 for a one-day event. Plus the cost of gas to & from the event, and gas during the event (which is much more than an autocross... usually 1 full tank for a day's event, at least). Plus wear & tear items (tires, brakes). Plus maintenance (oil, brake fluid, etc). Plus anything that you damage if you have an 'off'. Plus any additional safety upgrades that you do to protect yourself in case the unforeseen happens. And again... this assumes that you've already got a track-worthy vehicle.
Time: 1-2 hours of on track time.

Racing:
Cost: $150-500 for a one-day event. Plus the cost of having a separate race car ($3500+). Plus the cost of a separate tow rig. Plus all of the safety gear. Plus maintenance items. Plus race tires, fuel, brakes, rotors. Plus the cost of anything that gets damaged during the race.
Time: 1-2 hours of on track time.


Yes, it's true that you "can't beat the real thing", but for some people that's just not an option. And even for those that do have the resources, sometimes there just isn't an event available at the time that you want to be on course. (off-season, 3am, or maybe they live 500 miles from a track.)

You'll never get the feel of g-forces from GT5. You'll never get the same adrenaline rush because the risk of damage or injury is nil. But you do get to exercise the same reflexes and basic skill set (finding braking points, being smooth with inputs, finding the fastest line through a turn, etc). For some (most) people, this is the closest they can afford to get to real track time. For others, it's as close as they want to get. To each their own.


It's strange that I never see anyone go into a Halo or CoD thread and say that it'll never feel as real as killing an actual person. In the end, it is is still just a game.