Gran Turismo 5 will have car damage! Apparently that's revolutionary

[YogSothoth]

I’m reading the newest Playstation: The Official Magazine and it’s preview on the anticipated Gran Turismo 5 car racing game coming out for the PS3 when the following aside passage caught my eye:

"Those playing close attention know that Gran Turismo 5 will feature car damage for the first time in the series. Deformation damage will be a factor on all cars in the game, while racecars will go a step further with doors and side paneles that can tear completely off.

“What the game won’t include is the kind of epic crashes found in games like Burnout. Expect precisely zero explosions, and it’s still unclear whether or not you’ll be able to “roll” vehicles. The reason behind all of this, of course, is that the auto manufacturers involved simply don’t want their cars being totaled in the game–Gran Turismo is just a bit too real, and having prospective customers flip and demolish their vehicles is, in their minds at least, not very good marketing. (This is, of course, the same reason you don’t see real-life car models in games like Burnout and Grand Theft Auto).”

At first I chuckled, imagining a bunch of white-coated marketing gurus sitting around a table clucking affirmatives to each other that their cars should not be shown damaged. But then I got annoyed that they’ve been successful at limiting the creative license of a very well-built game series, and now I find myself actually pissed about it.

I know this happens a lot in writing or movies where an editor or a producer would tame the product before it goes out for mass consumption. I don’t like that either, but I can understand it. However, car damage in a racing game is like bruises in a boxing game, you can’t have it without it!

So some marketing idiot has a problem with people crashing in a racing game? What are they afraid of, people who can’t tell a controller from a steering wheel? People who own Ferrari’s and Bugatti’s going 200mph on the freeway and purposely flip their cars? There’s no Camry’s in Gran Turismo (thought with over 1000 cars, maybe there is, who knows?) so what the hell are they afraid of?

I’m upset because I see their reasoning as completely flawed and ego-centric, hypocritical, and ineffective. The vast majority of people who play games are not going to equate racing game performance to real life. For those crazy enough to do that, it’s even less likely that they’d be able to hold down a job or afford one of these souped-up race cars. That’s the flaw. The ego part comes from their self-serving thinking. They don’t have problems with cars blowing up in general, just their own cars. And it’s hypocritical because they obviously want to have their cars in the game and they allow the producers of the game to tweak their performance to what is realistic. I haven’t played a GT game yet where a tiny sports car controls like a big rig. If the car companies allow that and don’t push for their car to be the “best” in the game, why not let them show damage?

Since this isn’t the Pit, I wanted to solicit opinions from people regarding this. I’ve made it clear that I don’t like what they’re doing and I don’t think it makes any sense at all. This isn’t a game where the main character is a well-known car model that comes to life and runs over orphans. This is a racing game, cars crash sometimes. Sometimes there is damage and sometimes it explodes. I don’t believe such damage would have any negative impact on the car’s brand at all. What say you Dopers?

[Oakminster]

@YogSosoth

Since this isn’t the Pit, I wanted to solicit opinions from people regarding this. I’ve made it clear that I don’t like what they’re doing and I don’t think it makes any sense at all. This isn’t a game where the main character is a well-known car model that comes to life and runs over orphans. This is a racing game, cars crash sometimes. Sometimes there is damage and sometimes it explodes. I don’t believe such damage would have any negative impact on the car’s brand at all. What say you Dopers?

I think there is some reasonable ground for concern. I don’t do racing games, but most games tend to have certain builds/equipment that is better, from a gamer’s perspective, than others. Nobody in the real world wants to have their product identified as the sucky game-world product, for fear of negative connotations transferring to meatspace.

[Pithy_Moniker]

Forza 3 has real cars and though it can be difficult to do, they do flip and roll.

[Munch]

Project Gotham Racing has car damage. You even have to spend cash to repair it after the race.

[garygnu]

@Pithy_Moniker

Forza 3 has real cars and though it can be difficult to do, they do flip and roll.

Do they sustain visible damage?

@Munch

Project Gotham Racing has car damage. You even have to spend cash to repair it after the race.

Are they “real” cars, as opposed to nearly-the-same cars?

[Munch]

@garygnu

Are they “real” cars, as opposed to nearly-the-same cars?

Yup, sure do. I’d link to websites that would have a list, but I’m at work, and gaming sites are blocked. But PGR3 for the 360 had all recognizeable makes/models. Anything from a Ford Focus to a Lamborghini.

[Pithy_Moniker]

@garygnu

Do they sustain visible damage?

Yep, the fenders and bumpers dent pretty severely. Paint scratches and scuffs up. Bumpers and spoilers will break off.

Depending on your settings, the car damage can even affect the way the car drives. Heavy damage to one side or the other will cause the car to constantly pull in that direction. A hard enough head on collision will damage the motor ransmission and limit your top speed.

Forza 2 had these options as well.

[garygnu]

OK, then I agree with the thread title. Big deal. :rolleyes:

But I do wonder why damage was OK’d for those games, but not Gran Turismo.

[Pithy_Moniker]

@garygnu

OK, then I agree with the thread title. Big deal. :rolleyes:

But I do wonder why damage was OK’d for those games, but not Gran Turismo.

Sounds to me like it’s a bit of marketing BS on Gran Turismo’s part. I’m having a hard believing that every single automaker said no to having their cars beat up in one game but they all said “go for it!” in (at least) two others.

Even more damning is the fact that in Forza 3, you can create your own custom decals and put them on car you want. You can even bundle these as a car design and sell it or share it on the game’s online store. Most are flashy but there are some less than flattering ones including some that will make your Camaro or Mustang look rusted and trashed.

[Speak_to_me_Maddie]

@Pithy_Moniker

Sounds to me like it’s a bit of marketing BS on Gran Turismo’s part. I’m having a hard believing that every single automaker said no to having their cars beat up in one game but they all said “go for it!” in (at least) two others.

And that for ten years and four different iterations of the game every single auto maker said “no” to damage, and then suddenly all of them together agree to let it happen for GT5.