Kazunori Yamauchi Talks About Next Gran Turismo, Update Plans for Gran Turismo Sport, and More

Giuseppe Nelva January 27, 2018 12:55 PM EST

Gran Turismo Sport Producer Kazunori Yamauchi talks about what could come in a possible "Gran Turismo 7" even if he doesn't yet know if it'll be named like that.

Today Gran Turismo Sport Director Kazunori Yamauchi was at Taipei Game Show, and he was questioned by media during a round-table interview that the Japanese site GameWatch published.

First of all, Yamauchi-san mentioned that he thinks the current updating plan with new cars, courses, and GT League events is going to continue in the future. We also hear that Polyphony digital plans to implement both cars that were included in past games, and completely new ones.

The world of GT League will also continue to expand in the future, and Yamauchi-san feels that there is the possibility that unique races that were never implemented before will appear.

Asked about the possible addition of more elements of customization, he explained it was designed with a different philosophy than in numbered games like Gran Turismo 6 or a possible Gran Turismo 7 that might come in the future. That kind of customization will probably come in the next game of the series. The same can be said about the possibility to apply more detailed adjustments of the car’s settings.

Asked whether there are already concrete plans for the next GT, he mentioned that he cannot say anything specific, but “from the moment he releases a Gran Turismo, he has started creating the next Gran Turismo.” About whether it’ll be called Gran Turismo 7 or not, he mentioned that he doesn’t know yet.

One of the journalists in attendance mentioned that some players are not used to the Sportsmanship element, and complying with it is difficult. Yamauchi-san commented that when he sees top players competing at events, they race almost with the same quality you see in top-class real races. If a lot of “good drivers” grow up with the game, Gran Turismo sport might approach the real world of motorsport.

To a remark that there might not be enough entertainment for casual players in the game, Yamauchi-san explained that the physics and behavior of the cars are designed so that advanced players (who may have actually driven a real car on a circuit) can perform convincing actions. At the same time, even people driving a car for the first time act not unlike not unlike that they imagined. He believes this is the first time he achieved both sides at the same time.

Interestingly, Yamauchi-san also mentioned that he doesn’t think that he’ll ever make racing games that are more entertainment-oriented, but he might work on different non-racing genres.

Plans to extending the FIA License feature are continuing to unfold, with Polyphony in communication with each national institution. They’re moving one step at a time, as it’s not easy to push forward the project on a global scale.

Asked whether there could be a sequel to the 2006 PS2 motorcycle racing game Tourist Trophy, Yamauchi-san explained that there are no plans for that at the moment. Yet, he hears that request often, so he is always aware of it “in a corner of his mind.”

While there are no plans to add multiplayer to VR races, we heard that time trials might come with a future update. He would also like to add a new UI element in which players can insert their ages, implementing the ability to play with players in a similar age range. However, this not easy to do for online gameplay.

Gran Turismo Sport is currently available exclusively for PS4. It just received a sizable update with new cars, tracks, and events, and another major patch launched in December.