After ten thousand years of development, Gran Turismo 5 is finally out this week, but it has earned itself a major detractor already. Electronic Arts, in promoting Need for Speed, has diminished GT5‘s important, calling it a “sterile” car collecting game that Shift 2: Unleashed of racers will easily beat.
“… If you compare Shift and Gran Turismo, I actually do see Shift as a direct competitor to Gran Turismo for sure,” says senior VP Patrick Soderlund. “Honestly, my take on this. Would I want to compete with Gran Turismo on sheer scale – meaning number of cars and the depth that they have in the game? Probably not.
“What does make sense to me … I think they have a very sterile, almost car collecting type of product where that’s mainly what we do and I think we can offer something different. Our idea is that if we can offer the most authentic driving experience and portray what it feels like being inside a race car, then I think that’s where we can excel and where we absolutely will beat them. That I know for sure.”
Bold words indeed, but methinks the PS3’s usual band of loyal defenders will most definitely disagree with him.
