Sony's decision not to launch Gran Turismo 6 (GT6) on PlayStation 4 took many by surprise given the huge popularity of the franchise. Sony had announced it will release the racing game on PlayStation 3 this holiday season.
Addressing the general concern, Sony's computer entertainment Europe CEO Jim Ryan explained why the latest Gran Turismo instalment is not coming on to its next-generation gaming console, saying GT6 can still deliver a significant difference from GT5, despite being on the same platform.
"You had GT1 and GT2 on PS one," Ryan says in an interview on the PlayStation Blog, "GT3 and GT4 on PS2, then there's GT5 on PS3 and a space next to it. The difference between Gran Turismo and GT2 is unbelievable, but they're both on the same platform. The difference between GT3 and GT4 is huge. We're absolutely confident when GT6 comes, you'll see a big step change up from GT5 too. There's still a lot of potential on PS3 that a developer like Polyphony can really exploit."
He also commented on the other major factor - install base, saying if Sony has to release the game on PS4, it will have to do it with a day-one install base of zero. Gran Turismo franchise has traditionally been a big seller with three entries shifting over 10 million units. '"And the other factor is that on PS3 we have an install base of 70 million units. On PS4 on launch day we'll have an install base of zero units," he says. "There'll be plenty of games to help drive PS4- not least DriveClub in the racing genre from Evolution Studios, a studio with a fantastic pedigree."
However, according to the game's creator Kazunori Yamauchi, GT6 will come on to PS4 console sometime down the line. "We actually do have a PlayStation 4 version in mind, but for this holiday season, we thought it would be best for users to release on PS3 for now," Yamauchi told IGN last week.
