Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator behind the PlayStation-exclusive Gran Turismo franchise, has cast a reflective glance on his time with Sony during an interview with Dengeki magazine (via Gematsu) commemorating 20 years since the original PlayStation launched in Japan.
Yamauchi-san recalls that he submitted over 100 different game proposals to Sony back in the 90s, which ultimately lead to the creation of the Japan-exclusive racer, Motor Toon Gran Prix.
Looking back, the Polyphony Digital boss feels this was quite a perspicacious choice of game, as it would ultimately lead to a long and prosperous relationship with the PlayStation brand.
Of course, Yamauchi-san would become synonymous with racing simulators thanks to Gran Turismo, a genre which he feels has come far in terms of how close they are able to approach reality as hardware becomes more advanced.
Looking forward, he feels that video games will continue to evolve at an impressive rate, and wants the industry to keep taking risks moving forward. Naturally, he feels PlayStation will be at the forefront of pushing the envelope in terms of what games are able to achieve.
On the topic of a PlayStation 4 iteration in the Gran Turismo series, Yamauchi-san wouldn’t divulge any specific details on the project, other than it would be a brand new title. However, PS4’s user-friendly hardware ensures that his team are enjoying the process of making the game. He is also acutely aware of a global decline of interest among cars and racing, and is keen to reignite that interest in the future.
Finally, he expressed interest in making something completely separate to the GT series one day. Specifically, he mentions about conveying his ideas on life and death as a human being.
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