Gran Turismo HD available December 24 in North America @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on December 22, 2006

News: Looks like Sony's HD update to Gran Turismo will be kinda, sorta available in America after all.

Sony has announced that the free download of Gran Turismo HD Concept will not only be available only in Japan. According to the company, the game will appear on the PlayStation Store on December 24 for North America gamers as well.

This "demo" version of Gran Turismo HD will feature one track (Eiger Nordwand) and ten cars, available in both stock and tuned versions. The car lineup includes:

1995 Suzuki Cappucino

1989 Mazda Eunos Roadster

2004 Honda Integra TYPE R

1996 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR

2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe

2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR

2005 Lotus Elise 111R

1994 Nissan SKYLINE GT-R Vspec II

1995 Toyota Celica GT-FOUR Rally Car

2006 Ferrari 599

GTHD will include two gameplay modes, the basic Time Trial and something called Drift Trial. In Drift Trial, players will be able to "master the art of drifting." Both modes support an online scoreboard feature as well as allowing the ability to upload movie clips of race replays. And as the little HD in its title signifies, the whole thing will run in glorious 1080p.

"Gran Turismo HD Concept provides PS3 and automotive fans a glimpse into the future of Gran Turismo," states Kazunori Yamauchi, famed creator of the Gran Turismo franchise. "With the power of the PS3 technology, the world of Gran Turismo is refined by its full HD visual presentation and unique interactive experience, resulting in an even more realistic and true driving simulator."

Sony has said the next "real" Gran Turismo game, Gran Turismo 5, is in development and will be available during 2008 at the earliest.