Only Americans Want Damage In GT5
Europeans and Asians want more authentic cars and tracks.
American gamers seem to be the only people that really want Gran Turismo 5 to have crash damage, it was revealed in a recent Globe and Mail preview of the Polyphony racer.
A writer for the G&M, Chad Sapeiha, had the chance to play a demo of the highly anticipated simulation game and noted a conversation he had with a studio representative, whereby it was revealed that Europeans and Asian players are really quite apathetic about the feature.
Writes Sapeiha, “[A Polyphony rep said that] the only reason crash damage exists in the game is because of mountains of requests they’ve received from American gamers. The vast majority of content requests they get from European and Asian players is for more authentic cars and tracks.
“Only Americans, it seems, are fixated on busting up their virtual vehicles.” Although one might argue that crash damage adds to the authenticity of the cars and tracks.
The newspaper columnist adds that according to Polyphony’s research, “most players who want to see realistic damage - including issues that affects performance and handling - end up turning it off after just a few races.” How ironic.
Damage simulation has been something that a lot of people have been talking about in regards to the latest Gran Turismo, and the Japanese studio behind it have so far avoided implementing the feature. Perhaps this change in heart - to include something perhaps only a few will appreciate - signifies a real desire for the team to maintain its goal in making one of the most authentic racing simulations to date.
Gran Turismo 5 is due in Japan in Spring 2010.
A writer for the G&M, Chad Sapeiha, had the chance to play a demo of the highly anticipated simulation game and noted a conversation he had with a studio representative, whereby it was revealed that Europeans and Asian players are really quite apathetic about the feature.
Writes Sapeiha, “[A Polyphony rep said that] the only reason crash damage exists in the game is because of mountains of requests they’ve received from American gamers. The vast majority of content requests they get from European and Asian players is for more authentic cars and tracks.
“Only Americans, it seems, are fixated on busting up their virtual vehicles.” Although one might argue that crash damage adds to the authenticity of the cars and tracks.
The newspaper columnist adds that according to Polyphony’s research, “most players who want to see realistic damage - including issues that affects performance and handling - end up turning it off after just a few races.” How ironic.
Damage simulation has been something that a lot of people have been talking about in regards to the latest Gran Turismo, and the Japanese studio behind it have so far avoided implementing the feature. Perhaps this change in heart - to include something perhaps only a few will appreciate - signifies a real desire for the team to maintain its goal in making one of the most authentic racing simulations to date.
Gran Turismo 5 is due in Japan in Spring 2010.
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Comments
Steviepunk 15 Dec 2009 11:29
1/9
Really?
I'm not american but I want to see damage in car games. It just doesn't seem right if there is no car damage - although not extensive, Forza 3 has a suitable level of damage to make it feel like the cars are actually there and interacting with the world.
As for people turning off damage.... unless the people they have tested are hopeless at driving games, then I can't see why they would be turning it off. It factors into the overall difficulty level, if you are good at it, then having damage increases the risk for when you do get it wrong.
I'm not american but I want to see damage in car games. It just doesn't seem right if there is no car damage - although not extensive, Forza 3 has a suitable level of damage to make it feel like the cars are actually there and interacting with the world.
As for people turning off damage.... unless the people they have tested are hopeless at driving games, then I can't see why they would be turning it off. It factors into the overall difficulty level, if you are good at it, then having damage increases the risk for when you do get it wrong.
Mog 15 Dec 2009 12:27
2/9
Rubbish!
I wouldn't mind seeing damage in GT5 at all and I'm international.
Its not an essential thing because I don't exactly intend to go slamming my cars into barriers or other cars, but its a nice little feature to have.
I wouldn't mind seeing damage in GT5 at all and I'm international.
Its not an essential thing because I don't exactly intend to go slamming my cars into barriers or other cars, but its a nice little feature to have.
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alexh2o 15 Dec 2009 14:26
3/9
Whats the betting everyone would like this feature its just that Americans are the only ones who care enough to email "GIV ME DAMAGE NOW LULZ- and GUNZ!?!!!"
Joji 15 Dec 2009 15:29
4/9
Clearly a shot in the dark, duck so its bullet doesn't enter your cranium.
Damage in driving games is standard fair now, and its only those crazy japanese developers who deny it, because its cleary too much work for them. Graphics have to look good all the time in their eyes.
However, Polyphony are less of a developer for not including this ages ago, not doubt to protect and hide any flaws in their graphic engine. Time to stop b**ls**ting, guys.
Damage in driving games is standard fair now, and its only those crazy japanese developers who deny it, because its cleary too much work for them. Graphics have to look good all the time in their eyes.
However, Polyphony are less of a developer for not including this ages ago, not doubt to protect and hide any flaws in their graphic engine. Time to stop b**ls**ting, guys.
realvictory 16 Dec 2009 10:55
5/9
@Joji
That's because it hasn't needed damage before then, either.
I'm interested to know why people who do want it want it so much, though. If it's because they need to be fooled more into believing it's real, then I think they are misleading themselves by thinking that they can actually believe that it is real - maybe it's time to get over the fact that peoples' perceptions are adjusting to playing games now, and that existing technology is no longer enough?
Ultimately, what I think is important is whether or not it will add to the game. I don't think it will, I think it will detract from the gameplay. It would be a kind of reward for driving badly, in my opinion, if it's marketed as a new feature.
That's because it hasn't needed damage before then, either.
I'm interested to know why people who do want it want it so much, though. If it's because they need to be fooled more into believing it's real, then I think they are misleading themselves by thinking that they can actually believe that it is real - maybe it's time to get over the fact that peoples' perceptions are adjusting to playing games now, and that existing technology is no longer enough?
Ultimately, what I think is important is whether or not it will add to the game. I don't think it will, I think it will detract from the gameplay. It would be a kind of reward for driving badly, in my opinion, if it's marketed as a new feature.
Steviepunk 16 Dec 2009 11:19
6/9
realvictory wrote:
Ultimately, what I think is important is whether or not it will add to the game. I don't think it will, I think it will detract from the gameplay. It would be a kind of reward for driving badly, in my opinion, if it's marketed as a new feature.
Obviously some people diagree and think it will add to the game.
Particuarly with the GT series, it's about making it feel like you are are driving a car (with in the limitations of a games console!), so it's hardly going to help the self proclaimed 'real driving simulator' if you can drive a car into a wall at 100mph and have no visible effects - particuarly when it has been a standard feature of driving games for a while now.
From a gameplay point of view, it does add to the game on the basis that poor driving will lead to undesired consequences, eg handling problems, not just visual damage (though the visual effect should give the viewer a rough idea of how bad the car might be handling).
Likewise, in multiplayer games, visual damage gives you an indication of how well, or poorly, a competing driver is driving - something you may need to take into account before trying to squeeze him/her off the racing line into the next corner.
realvictory 16 Dec 2009 22:08
7/9
Quite a good argument for it; but how would this really affect the gameplay? It's penalising you more if you're less skilled at it. Considering it's quite difficult as it is (to drive well, at least), what it would achieve is that it would make the game harder for new players, possibly deterring new players. Of course, damage could optionally be turned off, which they might do. In that case, however, you're implementing a feature that only some of the players will enjoy (or might enjoy, since they haven't even played GT with damage yet - they're just predicting that they're going to prefer it ;)). Or at least you'd be splitting the game into two different games, which is a lot more work.
realvictory 16 Dec 2009 22:10
8/9
In addition to that, as Mog said - the people who are good at the game, i.e. you, wouldn't even see it (unless you crash on purpose).
Steviepunk 17 Dec 2009 09:36
9/9
realvictory wrote:
Quite a good argument for it; but how would this really affect the gameplay? It's penalising you more if you're less skilled at it. Considering it's quite difficult as it is (to drive well, at least), what it would achieve is that it would make the game harder for new players, possibly deterring new players. Of course, damage could optionally be turned off, which they might do. In that case, however, you're implementing a feature that only some of the players will enjoy (or might enjoy, since they haven't even played GT with damage yet - they're just predicting that they're going to prefer it ;)). Or at least you'd be splitting the game into two different games, which is a lot more work.
Not really, if you look at how Forza 3 implements it, GT5 could do it in the same way. In Forza, damage is part of the difficulty settings, so on the easier settings there is no damage, then low to mid the damage is set to visual only, then when you get up to hard and above damage affects performance as well as visual.
So if you are not very good at racing, you can bounce off the walls all you want but when you get better, you first start to see what impact damage would have, then when you are good damage becomes a serious consideration, particularly on street circuits where a mistake can affect the performance of you car for the rest of the race