Racing game fans have been enjoying Gran Turismo titles on Sony’s PlayStation consoles since 1997. The racing simulation series has been, arguably, setting the standard for other similar games, be it in terms of graphics, gameplay or simply licensing, that allows real world cars and tracks to be a part of the game.

Set to release in spring 2016, the next iteration from the franchise is called Gran Turismo (GT) Sport. And it is a first-of-its-kind product in the world of gaming. The basis for that is a partnership between game developer Polyphony Digital and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing body that hosts a number of racing events globally, including the Formula One (F1) World Championship. The idea is to bring some of the real-world experience of driving in a championship to virtual gaming.

The Gran Turismo Sport game will be exclusive to the Sony PlayStation 4 console, because it is developed for the powerful hardware this console runs. However, this game is not to be confused with Gran Turismo 7, which will actually be the logical successor to the Gran Turismo 6 game that arrived quite late in the PlayStation 3’s lifecycle. GT 7 will be a different game altogether, and we will hear about that in the coming months.

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The idea is that GT Sport will have greater focus on the online gaming experience, something that the previous GT games had neglected in favour of a smoother offline experience. And while that worked back then, the entire focus has now shifted, which means Polyphony Digital is trying to keep up.

In essence, GT Sport will be an online-focused game with three playable modes: Campaign, Sports, and Arcade. Gamers will be able to compete in virtual championships with other players. But here comes the kicker—the results will be officially recognized by the FIA through a Nations Cup where countries compete against each other and a global Manufacturers Cup in which car makers can vie to reach the top step of the podium. All participants will be treated the same as real-life racing drivers and the winners will be presented with their awards at the FIA annual ceremony in Paris. This is a first-of-its-kind online game, but we await more clarification on how this works and what the real world awards will be.

It is clear that GT Sport has a very different gameplay focus compared to the previous iterations. That means the game can remain fresh for longer too, as online events don’t usually get repetitive after a while. And that also means there will be lesser pressure on Polyphony Digital to produce the Gran Turismo 7 for the PlayStation 4 quickly, and they can take their own sweet time fine-tuning that game.

While Gran Turismo games have always tried to recreate the world of racing in the closest possible manner (without the smell of the burning rubber, of course), the FIA stamp on GT Sport just gives this game a boost that none of its rivals will be able to match in the near future.

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