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Old 12-07-2005, 02:36 PM   #1
taygunho
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http://www.us.playstation.com/pressreleases.aspx?id=310

Nov. 9, 2005

GRAN TURISMO DEVELOPERS OFFER MOTORCYCLE RELEASE TO RACING GENRE WITH TOURIST TROPHY FOR PLAYSTATION®2
Based on Gran Turismo Racing Technology, New Release Aims To Raise The Bar For Motorcycle Riding Simulations

FOSTER CITY, Calif. November 9, 2005 - Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the Spring 2006 North American release of Tourist Trophy, available exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Created by Polyphony Digital Inc., developers of Gran Turismo™ – the best-selling worldwide racing videogame franchise, Tourist Trophy offers players more than 80 licensed motorcycles to race in various game modes amongst more than 35 international courses. Featuring gameplay for up to two players,Tourist Trophy captures the fluid movement of man and machine like never before with perfected game physics and graphics for an authentic true-to-life motorcycle riding simulation. Featured licensed motorcycle manufacturers include BMW Motorrad, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Triumph and more.

“Since the inception of Gran Turismo, it has been a labor of love for us to offer players the most authentic racing experience possible, and we are excited to build upon this foundation with our new motorcycle entry titled Tourist Trophy for PlayStation 2,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, famed creator of Gran Turismo franchise, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “With motorcycle racing background, our development team for Tourist Trophy follows the Gran Turismo standard in realism, taking into account the various parameters of individual motorcycles, riding style, environments and how they react to the player’s moves.”

Gameplay Description / Key Features
Tourist Trophy offers two modes of play, Arcade Mode and Challenge Mode. In Arcade Mode, players have access to a quick race for single-player or two-player battle. In both modes, players have the opportunity to select their bike, track and difficulty level. In two-player battle, players have the option to race in split-screen.

For the Challenge Mode, it serves as a career mode for players to earn their way up the ladder by participating in the license school missions, various race events and more in an effort to upgrade and unlock new bikes and related accessories. The license school will include various tests that will strive to better the player’s driving skills in driving a motorcycle in various conditions and at various speeds, taking into account the rider and their riding style. Upon obtaining a license, players will have access to various race events based on engine class (250cc to 1500cc), course selection and more. In between race events, players have the opportunity to participate in a Time Trial on various courses to improve lap times and access their garage.

To further improve their racing skills, in Challenge Mode, players have access to Photo Mode, which allows them to take snapshots of their favorite bike and race gear in their favorite location, as well as freezing frames of an actual race from a replay. Upon taking a photograph, players have the opportunity to save it to a Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation®2) or a USB storage device and share it with friends.

With the incorporation of the motorcycle driver, players have access to a wardrobe where they can customize their rider by selecting from numerous licensed helmets, suits, shoes and more to further authenticate the riding experience.

For more information on Tourist Trophy, please visit http://www.touristtrophy-thegame.com.
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Old 12-07-2005, 10:02 PM   #2
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someone I ride with bought this game and said it was amazing... I went to all of the local stores but nobody had it. :cry:
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Old 12-08-2005, 02:01 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by corpse_grinder0
someone I ride with bought this game and said it was amazing... I went to all of the local stores but nobody had it. :cry:
It doesn't come out until next year, my friend.
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Old 04-03-2006, 11:44 PM   #4
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Goes on sale tomorrow...

Saw a commercial on TV... I have a copy on reserve... this better be good... I can't wait
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Old 04-04-2006, 03:42 AM   #5
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Picking mine up tomorrow afternoon. I did see a video that showed some questionable phyics in action that left me a little concerned. Hopefully that won't be the case. I also hope they cleaned up a few of the annoyances that I had with GT4, I doubt it though.
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Old 04-06-2006, 02:48 AM   #6
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Well it's in my possession as I type this. Let me get a few hours of seat time and I will be back tomorrow with a report.
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Old 04-06-2006, 05:40 AM   #7
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Well, you do the review, in the mean time I will provide some eye candy and the words..."Farging Hell - this shit is FUN!"



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Old 04-06-2006, 08:25 AM   #8
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Sweet!

Worth it just for the RG500!

/reminisces...

...so, what does it 'play' like then, guys? Should I part with some $ later today?

Edit: A closer inspection of the pics I see a TZR250 also. Double sweet!
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Old 04-06-2006, 09:20 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by dani_d_mas
I think I'll finally buy this game... just to feel what's about riding in the Ring

Anyway - I'm not sure about the physics... since I've tried three or four games of this type, including the MotoGP, and the "realism" hasn't impressed me much
As an avid motorcyclist, realism, feel and handling have always been the downfall of motorcycle games - until now.

I can honestly say this is the first motorcycle game that has me thinking in my head as if I was riding.

You get to change your riding style - and no kidding, until I set my rider to behave on bike like I do, I was not able to turn soon enough - so no that my guy is a "hang off, hug the tank knee out" physics guy, I am able to get in and apex like crazy.

Of course, as with all video games, you are first mastering the programmers controls then second mastering the vehicle, but if you can imagine the way GT3/GT4"felt" the first time you played it - and how it "felt" almost intuitively how you would expect it to "feel" to control a particular car.. well it has that "feel" about it.

This is a MUST have for any motorcycle enthusiast.

Compared to this, MotoGP1/2/3 are like NeedForSpeed:Ricer Edition.

(without spoiling minacious review though ) there are complaints - too few bikes (but the ones they have are really well done) and they still don't have VCR controls for replays etc etc.

All the complaints of GT4 over GT3 are there - sort of like being with an old girlfriend years later - the sexual relations are familiar and exciting, but you remember why you got over here and wonder if she'll ever change...
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Old 04-06-2006, 09:58 AM   #10
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Cheers for that, RC.

Looks like a trip home via the game shop today
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Old 04-06-2006, 10:04 AM   #11
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Oh - and the sound... if there is anything the Japanese know how to do it is 2-stroke sounds...

Onboard sound really had me thinking I was back on my buddies RG500, and it was 1985 and we were heading into the mountains.. now if only they had a 1984 FJ1100 in the game so I could verify those on bike sounds...
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Old 04-06-2006, 10:16 AM   #12
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hahaha.. nice quick review. you speak very highly of it I might just have to pick up a copy..
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Old 04-06-2006, 10:57 AM   #13
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I searched but I didn't fı-ound any copy in Turkey and I called a cideogame dealer and asked when it will come to Turkey. He said they had no idea but they are expecting in two months. Sad news for me
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Old 04-06-2006, 10:57 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by dutchmasterflex
hahaha.. nice quick review. you speak very highly of it I might just have to pick up a copy..
If this game had the same bike line-up as Riding Spirits.... this would be the greatest console game ever... in the history of the world.

Period.

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Old 04-06-2006, 10:23 PM   #15
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For this to be the first foray, and even though it was lazily built on the GT4 code, this is a great game. Here’s hoping that we see a more realized sequel.

As we pretty much already all knew; this is basically GT4 on two wheels. The same quirks and annoyances that are present in GT4, are showing their ugly faces here. I still can’t get over the fact that they coded in over twenty ways to hear a damn camera shutter. Why Polyphony Digital, why?

I need not go into too much detail about the graphics, user interface, and all that jazz, you’ve seen it in GT4. What I will talk about is the implementation of controlling a bike and how well it was done. I will also touch on the sound and available options.


CONTROL

WOW! For anyone that has played any of the other motorcycle games on the market, and figured they were the top banana, get ready for an eye opener.

I went into this game using the same habits I had from playing the MotoGP series. That was my first mistake because it landed me on my virtual ass many more times than I’d like to say. The controlling of a bike is far more realized with TT’s offering, and you have to pay close attention to every little input. In a sense, you have to become one with the controller, especially if using “Pro” mode controls. Pro mode is one of three modes of control offered to help with (or not) controlling the rider and machine. “Standard” holds your hand. It applies both brakes at all times, and controls the tuck and minor lean of the rider depending on the situation. “Pro” leaves it all up to you. You control the front and rear brake separately (as it should be), as well as the tuck and lean of the rider. You must decide when it is appropriate to tuck and move the body, and it play a big part in how well the bike control will be maintained. “Semi-Pro” is pretty much like “Standard”, but it lets you control when to tuck.

Like I said about leaning and tucking; it plays a huge part in controlling the bike, more so than any other game has implemented. Every little input of the left analog stick will change the dynamics of the bike. It’s not hard at all to unload the rear tire when heavy on the front brakes and accidentally pressing forward on the stick instead of keeping a more neutral position. I ended up in the dirt quite a few times when barreling down a straight and braking before a tight turn.

When leaning the bike over it is also important to pay attention to the amount of push you are applying. Slam the stick over, and the rider will do the same to the bike. When I first put the game in I did a quick run on the beginner track. I had the toughest time trying to negotiate the little chicane it has, and kept slamming the bike into the ground when transitioning from one side to the next. I was going into this with that MotoGP series control mindset. I could do something like that all day in that game and wouldn’t have to really watch how fast I was moving the stick because the game was pretty much doing in for me – the direct input wasn’t there. Well in TT it is there, because the smoother the control of the stick, the smoother the control of the rider controlling the bike. As funny as it may seem, I had to act like I was on the bike, and do what I would really do in a real-world situation like that. In most video games you can just go balls to the wall and not really have to worry about these intricate little details.

Then there is that tuck button. You want to be a human air brake when ham-fisting it down a straight? Lift off the tuck button. You want to possibly upset how the bike is handling at speed going through some turns? Lift off the tuck button. I think you get the idea.

It’s really hard for me to express how pivotal control of the left stick is without you actually experiencing it yourself. Just know that all those input of the stick, even the slight ones, are moving the rider around, and in turn changing what the bike is doing.

With all that praise for the physics, it’s not perfect. I have done some things on the bikes that just made no sense. It would slap me out of the Sim world and knock me into an Arcade world, but only for a short time.

SOUND

Did they come close to what these bike sound like in real life? You know what, they came pretty darn close.

The first thing I did was hop on the bikes I have owned myself. They all sounded pretty close. There were some differences in pitch, and certain rpm levels sounded different than they would normally, but for a video game, it was acceptable. The V-Twins didn’t fare so well in my mind though. The low rumble and thump just didn’t sound right at all; very much in the same way that the V8s in GT4 never sounded quite right to me. PD also did a good job with wind noise. It is most evident when riding at speed and not in a tucked position.

A.I.

Remember the A.I. in GT4? Well good, because just like in GT4, still as much of a joke as ever. The three other riders (yes, only three - A limitation of the hardware I’m going to assume) have no clue that you are next to them and go around the circuit like mindless drones. I need not say anymore.

OPTIONS

Not a whole lot here really.

-One hundred or so bikes all beautifully rendered.

-Same tracks we got in GT4, some with a few variations.

-A very lazily done race event section. No where near as in-depth as GT4.

-No money to play with. Win a race, win a bike. That’s it.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any mods to be purchased. Kind of hard when there is no money to be used in the game. There are some minor customizations that can be done to each bike’s suspension, gears and what not, but that is it. Hopefully this will be worked out in TT2.

The biggest plus as far as options are concerned is how much you can tailor the body position of the rider. Head adjustments, upper body adjustments, arms adjustments, ass adjustments, etc – all of these can be adjusted. It also effects how the bike is controlled and isn’t just for show. Good job.

FINAL SCORE - 7.5 out of 10

So there you have it. I look at this game as more of a test bed than a fully realized game. PD wanted to see how well it would be received, and I think it was received well, at least in the Sport Bike Community.
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