Tag: sound

Blade Runner
Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
Directed by	Ridley Scott
Screenplay by	Hampton Fancher David Peoples
Based on	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Produced by	Michael Deeley
Starring	Harrison Ford Rutger Hauer Sean Young Edward James Olmos
Cinematography	Jordan Cronenweth
Edited by	Terry Rawlings Marsha Nakashima
Music by	Vangelis
Production companies	The Ladd Company Shaw Brothers Blade Runner Partnership
Distributed by	Warner Bros. (worldwide) Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong)
Release dates	June 25, 1982 (1982-06-25) (United States) December 22, 1982 (1982-12-22) (Hong Kong)
Running time	117 minutes[1]
Countries	United States[2][3] Hong Kong[4]
Language	English
Budget	$30 million[5]
Box office	$41.8 million[6]

Blade Runner is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples.^[7][8] Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The film is set in a dystopian future Los Angeles of 2019, in which synthetic humans known as replicants are bio-engineered by the powerful Tyrell Corporation to work on space colonies. When a fugitive group of advanced replicants led by Roy Batty (Hauer) escapes back to Earth, burnt-out cop Rick Deckard (Ford) reluctantly agrees to hunt them down.

Blade Runner initially underperformed in North American theaters and polarized critics; some praised its thematic complexity and visuals, while others critiqued its slow pacing and lack of action. The film's soundtrack, composed by Vangelis, was nominated in 1982 for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe as best original score. Blade Runner later became a cult film, and has since come to be regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films. Hailed for its production design depicting a high-tech but decaying future, the film is often regarded as both a leading example of neo-noir cinema and a foundational work of the cyberpunk^[9] genre. It has influenced many science fiction films, video games, anime, and television series. It also brought the work of Dick to Hollywood's attention and led to several film adaptations of his works. In 1993, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Seven different versions of Blade Runner exist as a result of controversial changes requested by studio executives. A director's cut was released in 1992 after a strong response to test screenings of a workprint. This, in conjunction with the film's popularity as a video rental, made it one of the earliest movies to be released on DVD. In 2007, Warner Bros. released The Final Cut, a 25th-anniversary digitally remastered version; this is the only version over which Scott retained artistic control.

The film is the first of the franchise of the same name. A sequel, titled Blade Runner 2049, was released in 2017 alongside a trilogy of short films covering the thirty-year span between the two films' settings. The anime series Blade Runner: Black Lotus was released in 2021.

Plot[edit]

In 2019 Los Angeles, former police officer Rick Deckard is detained by Officer Gaff, who likes to make origami figures, and is brought to his former supervisor, Bryant. Deckard, whose job as a "blade runner" was to track down bioengineered humanoids known as replicants and terminally "retire" them, is informed that four replicants are on Earth illegally. Deckard begins to leave, but Bryant ambiguously threatens him and Deckard stays. The two watch a video of a blade runner named Holden administering the Voight-Kampff test, which is designed to distinguish replicants from humans based on their emotional responses to questions. The test subject, Leon, shoots Holden on the second question. Bryant wants Deckard to retire Leon and three other Nexus-6 replicants: Roy Batty, Zhora, and Pris.

Bryant has Deckard meet with the CEO of the company that creates the replicants, Eldon Tyrell, so he can administer the test on a Nexus-6 to see if it works. Tyrell expresses his interest in seeing the test fail first and asks him to administer it on his assistant Rachael. After a much longer than standard test, Deckard concludes privately to Tyrell that Rachael is a replicant who believes she is human. Tyrell explains that she is an experiment who has been given false memories to provide an "emotional cushion", and that she has no knowledge of her true nature.

In searching Leon's hotel room, Deckard finds photos and a scale from the skin of an animal, which is later identified as a synthetic snake scale. Deckard returns to his apartment where Rachael is waiting. She tries to prove her humanity by showing him a family photo, but Deckard reveals that her memories are implants from Tyrell's niece, and she leaves in tears.

Replicants Roy and Leon meanwhile investigate a replicant eye-manufacturing laboratory and learn of J. F. Sebastian, a gifted genetic designer who works closely with Tyrell. Pris locates Sebastian and manipulates him to gain his trust.

A photograph from Leon's apartment and the snake scale lead Deckard to a strip club, where Zhora works. After a confrontation and chase, Deckard kills Zhora. Bryant also orders him to retire Rachael, who has disappeared from the Tyrell Corporation. Deckard spots Rachael in a crowd, but he is ambushed by Leon, who knocks the gun out of Deckard's hand and beats him. As Leon is about to kill Deckard, Rachael saves him by using Deckard's gun to kill Leon. They return to Deckard's apartment and, during a discussion, he promises not to track her down. As Rachael abruptly tries to leave, Deckard restrains her and forces her to kiss him, and she ultimately relents. Deckard leaves Rachael at his apartment and departs to search for the remaining replicants.

Roy arrives at Sebastian's apartment and tells Pris that the other replicants are dead. Sebastian reveals that because of a genetic premature aging disorder, his life will be cut short, like the replicants that were built with a four-year lifespan. Roy uses Sebastian to gain entrance to Tyrell's penthouse. He demands more life from his maker, which Tyrell says is impossible. Roy confesses that he has done "questionable things" but Tyrell dismisses this, praising Roy's advanced design and accomplishments in his short life. Roy kisses Tyrell and then kills him by crushing his skull. Sebastian tries to flee and is later reported dead.^{[nb 1]}

At Sebastian's apartment, Deckard is ambushed by Pris, but he kills her as Roy returns. Roy's body begins to fail as the end of his lifespan nears. He chases Deckard through the building and onto the roof. Deckard tries to jump onto another roof but is left hanging on the edge. Roy makes the jump with ease and, as Deckard's grip loosens, Roy hoists him onto the roof to save him. Before Roy dies, he laments that his memories "will be lost in time, like tears in rain". Gaff arrives to congratulate Deckard, also reminding him that Rachael will not live, but "then again, who does?" Deckard returns to his apartment to retrieve Rachael. While escorting her to the elevator, he notices a small origami unicorn on the floor. He recalls Gaff's words and departs with Rachael.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

Interest in adapting Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? developed shortly after its 1968 publication. Director Martin Scorsese was interested in filming the novel, but never optioned it.^[11] Producer Herb Jaffe optioned it in the early 1970s, but Dick was unimpressed with the screenplay written by Herb's son Robert, saying, "Jaffe's screenplay was so terribly done ... Robert flew down to Santa Ana to speak with me about the project. And the first thing I said to him when he got off the plane was, 'Shall I beat you up here at the airport, or shall I beat you up back at my apartment?'"^[12]

The screenplay by Hampton Fancher was optioned in 1977.^[13] Producer Michael Deeley became interested in Fancher's draft and convinced director Ridley Scott to film it. Scott had previously declined the project, but after leaving the slow production of Dune, wanted a faster-paced project to take his mind off his older brother's recent death.^[14] He joined the project on February 21, 1980, and managed to push up the promised Filmways financing from US$13 million to $15 million. Fancher's script focused more on environmental issues and less on issues of humanity and religion, which are prominent in the novel, and Scott wanted changes. Fancher found a cinema treatment by William S. Burroughs for Alan E. Nourse's novel The Bladerunner (1974), titled Blade Runner (a movie).^{[nb 2]} Scott liked the name, so Deeley obtained the rights to the titles.^[15] Eventually, he hired David Peoples to rewrite the script and Fancher left the job over the issue on December 21, 1980, although he later returned to contribute additional rewrites.^[16]

Having invested over $2.5 million in pre-production,^[17] as the date of commencement of principal photography neared, Filmways withdrew financial backing. In ten days Deeley had secured $21.5 million in financing through a three-way deal between the Ladd Company (through Warner Bros.), the Hong Kong-based producer Sir Run Run Shaw and Tandem Productions.^[18]

Dick became concerned that no one had informed him about the film's production, which added to his distrust of Hollywood.^[19] After Dick criticized an early version of Fancher's script in an article written for the Los Angeles Select TV Guide, the studio sent Dick the Peoples rewrite.^[20] Although Dick died shortly before the film's release, he was pleased with the rewritten script and with a 20-minute special effects test reel that was screened for him when he was invited to the studio. Despite his well-known skepticism of Hollywood in principle, Dick enthused to Scott that the world created for the film looked exactly as he had imagined it.^[21] He said, "I saw a segment of Douglas Trumbull's special effects for Blade Runner on the KNBC news. I recognized it immediately. It was my own interior world. They caught it perfectly." He also approved of the film's script, saying, "After I finished reading the screenplay, I got the novel out and looked through it. The two reinforce each other so that someone who started with the novel would enjoy the movie and someone who started with the movie would enjoy the novel."^[22] The motion picture was dedicated to Dick.^[23] Principal photography of Blade Runner began on March 9, 1981, and ended four months later.^[24]

In 1992, Ford revealed, "Blade Runner is not one of my favorite films. I tangled with Ridley."^[25] Apart from friction with the director, Ford also disliked the voiceovers: "When we started shooting it had been tacitly agreed that the version of the film that we had agreed upon was the version without voiceover narration. It was a f**king [sic] nightmare. I thought that the film had worked without the narration. But now I was stuck re-creating that narration. And I was obliged to do the voiceovers for people that did not represent the director's interests."^[26] "I went kicking and screaming to the studio to record it."^[27] The narration monologs were written by an uncredited Roland Kibbee.^[28]

In 2006, Scott was asked "Who's the biggest pain in the arse you've ever worked with?" He replied: "It's got to be Harrison ... he'll forgive me because now I get on with him. Now he's become charming. But he knows a lot, that's the problem. When we worked together it was my first film up and I was the new kid on the block. But we made a good movie."^[29] Ford said of Scott in 2000: "I admire his work. We had a bad patch there, and I'm over it."^[30] In 2006 Ford reflected on the production of the film saying: "What I remember more than anything else when I see Blade Runner is not the 50 nights of shooting in the rain, but the voiceover ... I was still obliged to work for these clowns that came in writing one bad voiceover after another."^[31] Ridley Scott confirmed in the summer 2007 issue of Total Film that Harrison Ford contributed to the Blade Runner Special Edition DVD, and had already recorded his interviews. "Harrison's fully on board", said Scott.^[32]

The Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles served as a filming location, and a Warner Bros. backlot housed the 2019 Los Angeles street sets. Other locations included the Ennis-Brown House and the 2nd Street Tunnel. Test screenings resulted in several changes, including adding a voice-over, a happy ending, and the removal of a Holden hospital scene. The relationship between the filmmakers and the investors was difficult, which culminated in Deeley and Scott being fired but still working on the film.^[33] Crew members created T-shirts during filming saying, "Yes Guv'nor, My Ass" that mocked Scott's unfavorable comparison of U.S. and British crews; Scott responded with a T-shirt of his own, "Xenophobia Sucks", making the incident known as the T-shirt war.^[34][35]

Casting[edit]

Casting the film proved troublesome, particularly for the lead role of Deckard. Screenwriter Hampton Fancher envisioned Robert Mitchum as Deckard and wrote the character's dialogue with Mitchum in mind.^[36] Director Ridley Scott and the film's producers spent months meeting and discussing the role with Dustin Hoffman, who eventually departed over differences in vision.^[36] Harrison Ford was ultimately chosen for several reasons, including his performance in the Star Wars films, Ford's interest in the Blade Runner story, and discussions with Steven Spielberg who was finishing Raiders of the Lost Ark at the time and strongly praised Ford's work in the film.^[36] Following his success in those two films, Ford was looking for a role with dramatic depth.^[26] According to production documents, several actors were considered for the role, including Gene Hackman, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Peter Falk, Nick Nolte, Al Pacino and Burt Reynolds.^[36][37]

One role that was not difficult to cast was Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty,^[38] the violent yet thoughtful leader of the replicants.^[39] Scott cast Hauer without having met him, based solely on Hauer's performances in Paul Verhoeven's movies Scott had seen (Katie Tippel, Soldier of Orange, and Turkish Delight).^[36] Hauer's portrayal of Batty was regarded by Philip K. Dick as "the perfect Batty – cold, Aryan, flawless".^[21] Of the many films Hauer made, Blade Runner was his favorite. As he explained in a live chat in 2001, "Blade Runner needs no explanation. It just [is]. All of the best. There is nothing like it. To be part of a real masterpiece which changed the world's thinking. It's awesome."^[40] Hauer rewrote his character's "tears in rain" speech himself and presented the words to Scott on set prior to filming.

Blade Runner used a number of then-lesser-known actors: Sean Young portrays Rachael, an experimental replicant implanted with the memories of Tyrell's niece, causing her to believe she is human;^[41] Nina Axelrod auditioned for the role.^[36] Daryl Hannah portrays Pris, a "basic pleasure model" replicant; Stacey Nelkin auditioned for the role, but was given another part in the film, which was ultimately cut before filming.^[36] Debbie Harry turned down the role of Pris.^[42][43] Casting Pris and Rachael was challenging, requiring several screen tests with Morgan Paull playing the role of Deckard. Paull was cast as Deckard's fellow bounty hunter Holden based on his performances in the tests.^[36] Brion James portrays Leon Kowalski, a combat and laborer replicant, and Joanna Cassidy portrays Zhora, an assassin replicant.

Edward James Olmos portrays Gaff. Olmos drew on diverse ethnic sources to help create the fictional "Cityspeak" language his character uses in the film.^[44] His initial address to Deckard at the noodle bar is partly in Hungarian and means, "Horse dick [bullshit]! No way. You are the Blade ... Blade Runner."^[44] M. Emmet Walsh portrays Captain Bryant, a rumpled, hard-drinking and underhanded police veteran typical of the film noir genre. Joe Turkel portrays Dr. Eldon Tyrell, a corporate mogul who built an empire on genetically manipulated humanoid slaves. William Sanderson was cast as J. F. Sebastian, a quiet and lonely genius who provides a compassionate yet compliant portrait of humanity. J. F. sympathizes with the replicants, whom he sees as companions,^[45] and he shares their shorter lifespan due to his rapid aging disease.^[46] Joe Pantoliano had earlier been considered for the role.^[47] James Hong portrays Hannibal Chew, an elderly geneticist specializing in synthetic eyes, and Hy Pyke portrayed the sleazy bar owner Taffey Lewis – in a single take, something almost unheard-of with Scott, whose drive for perfection resulted at times in double-digit takes.^[48]

Design[edit]

Scott credits Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks and the French science fiction comics magazine Métal Hurlant, to which the artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud contributed, as stylistic mood sources.^[49] He also drew on the landscape of "Hong Kong on a very bad day"^[50] and the industrial landscape of his one-time home in northeast England.^[51] The visual style of the movie is influenced by the work of futurist Italian architect Antonio Sant'Elia.^[52] Scott hired Syd Mead as his concept artist; like Scott, he was influenced by Métal Hurlant.^[53] Moebius was offered the opportunity to assist in the pre-production of Blade Runner, but he declined so that he could work on René Laloux's animated film Les Maîtres du temps – a decision that he later regretted.^[54] Production designer Lawrence G. Paull and art director David Snyder realized Scott's and Mead's sketches. Douglas Trumbull and Richard Yuricich supervised the special effects for the film, and Mark Stetson served as chief model maker.^[55]

Blade Runner has numerous similarities to Fritz Lang's Metropolis, including a built-up urban environment, in which the wealthy literally live above the workers, dominated by a huge building – the Stadtkrone Tower in Metropolis and the Tyrell Building in Blade Runner. Special effects supervisor David Dryer used stills from Metropolis when lining up Blade Runner's miniature building shots.^[56]

The extended end scene in the original theatrical release shows Rachael and Deckard traveling into daylight with pastoral aerial shots filmed by director Stanley Kubrick. Ridley Scott contacted Kubrick about using some of his surplus helicopter aerial photography from The Shining.^[57][58][59]

Spinner[edit]

"Spinner" is the generic term for the fictional flying cars used in the film. A spinner can be driven as a ground-based vehicle, and take off vertically, hover, and cruise much like vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. They are used extensively by the police as patrol cars, and wealthy people can also acquire spinner licenses.^[60] The vehicle was conceived and designed by Syd Mead who described the spinner as an aerodyne – a vehicle which directs air downward to create lift, though press kits for the film stated that the spinner was propelled by three engines: "conventional internal combustion, jet, and anti-gravity".^[61] A spinner is on permanent exhibit at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington.^[62] Mead's conceptual drawings were transformed into 25 vehicles by automobile customizer Gene Winfield; at least two were working ground vehicles, while others were light-weight mockups for crane shots and set decoration for street shots.^[63] Two of them ended up at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, but were later destroyed, and a few others remain in private collections.^[63]

Voight-Kampff machine[edit]

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
European box art
Developer(s)	Polyphony Digital
Publisher(s)	Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)	Kazunori Yamauchi
Series	Gran Turismo
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3
Release	JP: December 13, 2007[1][2] AU: March 27, 2008[3] EU: March 28, 2008[1][4] NA: April 15, 2008[1]
Genre(s)	Racing simulation
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (グランツーリスモ5 プロローグ, Guran Tsūrisumo 5 Purorōgu) is a 2007 racing simulation video game developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the eighth overall installment in the Gran Turismo series. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is a precursor to Gran Turismo 5, in celebration of the series' tenth anniversary.^[5]

The game has sold 5.09 million copies worldwide, making it the second highest-selling PlayStation 3 exclusive title after its successor, Gran Turismo 5.^[6]

Gameplay[edit]

This game introduced the ability to race with up to 16 cars at once to the Gran Turismo series. According to game developer Polyphony Digital, the NPC's AI has also improved from previous Gran Turismo games.^[7]

New to the series is the realistic in-car view feature. It includes functioning speedometers, odometers, reflecting rear-view mirrors, wing mirrors and real-time in-car lighting effects, such as shadows. Players driving with either the control pad or the steering wheel can look left and right in the cockpit of the car by using the D-pad. This function can be mapped to other buttons on the controller if preferred. Any PlayStation 3 - compatible steering wheel works with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Three viewing modes show the car from exterior angles. The fourth, called "cockpit mode", includes the driver's perspective from the interior of the car looking past the steering wheel to the track and is available only for "premium" cars.^[8]

The Spec II update brings Drift Mode (similar to that of Gran Turismo HD Concept), car tuning adjustments, and head to head two-player racing offline.^[9]

Online[edit]

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is the first mass-produced Gran Turismo game to feature online multiplayer.^[10] Up to 16 players can play online at once in GT5 Prologue. Since Gran Turismo 5's development cycle was so long, GT5 Prologue's servers were online for two years even though the game only served as a prologue.^[11] Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2 was intended to contain an online component, but this feature was pulled before the game's release to avoid further delays; a beta of GT4 online was even released.^[12] Gran Turismo HD Concept also contained an online Time Trial feature.^[13]

The latest update, entitled Spec III, added new cars and further improvements to the game and was released in October 2008. A separate disc was also released in Japan that included all updates, including Spec III. The Platinum release of the game, originally unveiled in Europe, also comes with the Spec III update.^[14]

Interface[edit]

The game has a brand new interface called 'My Page' that acts as the player's personalized menu for the game. When the game starts up, the player is taken straight to this interface, and the currently selected car is displayed on the screen in a picturesque real-life location. The vehicle is set in a Full HD advanced 3D environment with a 360° camera and the GUI's real-time zoom-in function is enabled.

In the Japanese version, the 'My Page' interface includes:

1. News: a regularly updated online log archiving game news such as newly added Online Event Races, VOD programs or technical information such as server maintenance schedule.
2. GT-TV: a Video-on-demand service was offering free of charge and playable HD content. Available videos are real-life car-related videos such as new model tests, Auto show reports, car documentaries, or special event videos. Game videos such as opening and ending movies are also available for download from the Blu-ray Disc to the console's HDD once unlocked. However, premium content was discontinued on December 29, 2009, to move focus to the release of the full game.
3. Online: Online Events consist of either multiplayer races from 2 up to 16 players (some of which are world scale), or online Time Trial events. Each event is limited in time, once finished, a ranking board shows the most successful players' scores. Top players' replay files are made available for download as ghost replays. Each week new events with their specific parameters (car class, tire types, assistance level, etc.) are added to the list while older are closed.
4. Ranking: an online ranking board for each course archiving the best record per track and car.
5. Arcade: a single race mode is allowing the player to choose a track to race on board the currently selected car and to compete against 15 AI-controlled cars. Credits are not earned in this mode.
6. 2P Battle: an offline two-player split-screen mode.
7. Event: Event Races are championships, time trials and mission races against the AI in various classes. Once completed in Gold, Silver, or Bronze level, new, harder classes are made available. Credits are earned by the player as he wins the races in top positions. Three basic classes are available Class C, B, and A. Once Class A is completed, the game's ending movie is available for download in GT-TV, and a bonus class called Class S is added.
8. Garage: where the players' cars can be viewed, raced and also sold to earn credits.
9. Dealerships: where the player can buy a new car using credits earned from Event races. Various models from world-famous automakers are available for purchase in the showroom. Some automakers have their Event race consisting of a one-make race for a specific model. Brand related News is regularly provided through online updates.
10. Replay: saved or downloaded replays are available for watching.
11. Option: various options settings for the game.
12. Manual: the game's Playing Manual is displayed on-screen. The Manual is almost always updated with a software update.
13. Save: allows to record the game when the auto-save feature is disabled.

When the user's PlayStation Network account is signed off, online content related icons are disabled (1, 2, 3 and 4). The Museum is activated from the 'My Page' interface once the game is in rolling demo mode. This feature provides the players with automakers' background and history.

Updates[edit]

Updates were available on game boot through online download, all free. Game content such as new cars, game modes or GT-TV videos were added with each update. Some elements such as BGMs are regionally exclusive due to licensing issues.^[15] Once Polyphony Digital begun to focus on Gran Turismo 5, it stopped applying updates to GT5 Prologue.^[16]

GT-TV[edit]

The Gran Turismo TV feature was introduced in the free demo version. The VOD service was activated on October 22, 2007, providing free SD trailers for three upcoming GT-TV programs,^[17] Super GT ("Climax Digest"), D1 Grand Prix ("Top of the Drifting World") and Best Motoring ("Best Motoring Trailer").^[18][17] From October 22 to November 30 three GT-TV exclusive HD videos featuring game producer Kazunori Yamauchi premiered in the demo: "First Impression: Lancer Evolution X",^[19] "Tokyo Motor Show 2007"^[20] and "GT-R Legend Inside Story part I".^[21]

The demo was removed from the Japanese PlayStation Store on November 30^[22] and its online functions ended on December 6,^[23] however all issued VOD videos were later re-released in the game's retail version through updates, except the SD trailers. "The GT-R Legend Inside Story" part 1 documentary was included in the Blu-ray Disc though.^[24] It was later completed by parts II & III, both released through GT-TV updates.

The first episode of the BBC's Top Gear series 6 was available for free since March 31.^[25][26] In the meantime, five videos released in December 2007 have been removed. On April 1, two promotion videos for Super GT ("Fascination for the Super GT") and D1 Grand Prix ("The Drifting World") were added.^[27] The first trailer for Video Option ("What is the Video Option?") was also included announcing upcoming releases for this magazine.^[28]

On August 1, 2008, GT-TV was completely overhauled with a new interface, layout, and the launch of the PPV (pay-per-view) service. The "GT-R Legend Inside Story (all parts)", "'08 Nurburgring 24h Introduction" and "First Impression Lancer Evolution X" videos stayed free-of-charge. "Fascination for the Super GT", "The Drifting World", and "What is The Video Option?" videos were taken off of GT-TV.^[29] The new update added new PPV videos; 8 Top Gear videos, 1 Option video, 1 Super GT video, D1 Grand Prix video, 1 Gran Turismo video and 1 Best Motoring video. Also kept were the opening and ending movies, also staying free-of-charge. All PPV videos were released at a reduced price at the launch of the service.^[30] When asked whether the GT-TV service could come to the PSP, Yamauchi answered, "We definitely want to do that in the future", suggesting that watching GT-TV on the move could become a reality in the future, but this never happened ultimately.^[31]

Cars[edit]

The Japanese release in December 2007 featured 37 stock cars (plus the uncredited GT-R "Black Mask" returning from the free playable demo) from various Japanese, European and American manufacturers including Nissan, Ferrari, and Ford.^[32] While GT3 and GT4 did have Formula One cars, GT5 Prologue was the first of the series to feature a fully licensed F1 car, the F2007.

The Spec II update added new manufacturers, more stock cars and introduced racing cars and tuned cars. The update brought the total number of playable cars to 71.^[33] The North American version of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue brought additional stock and tuned cars, increasing the game's car list to 76 credited cars.^[34]

Tracks[edit]

Four circuits located in Japan, Europe, and North America are included in the original game, plus two fictitious tracks: The High-Speed Ring and Eiger/Eiger Nordwand. In the absence of suitable roads in the real-life location around Kleine Scheidegg and the Eiger, the game developers created the track based on an actual hiking trail.

Each track is available in two different layouts. London, High-Speed Ring, and Eiger Nordwand are available in the forward and reverse directions. The Fuji International Speedway is available in both "F1" and "GT" variation; the Daytona International Speedway has both the Oval and Road Course layouts; the Suzuka Circuit has a shorter layout known as the East Course.^[35] Each real-life circuit has an HD video "Course Guide" that documents the location with actual footage and commentary text.

Spec II update^[34] adds the Gran Turismo franchise's classic High-Speed Ring fictitious circuit (available in both forward and reverse version) which brings the total number of tracks to six (twelve different layouts).^[36]

Input device support[edit]

The Gran Turismo 5 Prologue free playable demo was the first PlayStation 3 release supporting both Dual Shock 3 controller vibration and racing wheels force feedback feature. On February 20, 2008, Logitech announced a new Gran Turismo official wheel, the Driving Force GT to be launched in May to coincide with the game's western release.^[37] Previous official Gran Turismo wheels are supported, which include the Driving Force Pro, GT Force, Driving Force and Driving Force EX. Limited support for the Logitech G25 Racing Wheel is available; the wheel is not officially supported, but it is possible to re-map the button layout via the Driving Force Pro setup screen^[38] and the clutch can be enabled by pressing the triangle button at the start of each race, as soon as the player has control of the car.^[39] Support for the Logitech G27 is also limited, for example, the paddle shifts do not work in-game, although the paddle shifts signals are detected (up and down) in the controller configuration screen.

Release[edit]

Japanese PSN demo[edit]

A free demo (グランツーリスモ5 プロローグ 無料体験版) was made available for download between October 20 and November 30, 2007^[40] in the Japanese PlayStation store with the Suzuka Circuit and seven playable cars.^[41] The demo unlocked cars as they were unveiled at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show. This demo replaced Gran Turismo HD Concept that was removed from the Japanese PlayStation Store on September 30.^[42]

The demo initially had four playable cars from various Japanese and European manufacturers. The remaining three cars (Mazda ATENZA Sport '07, Lexus IS-F '07 and Subaru Impreza WRX STI '07) were unlocked as each one was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. The show also unveiled the release of the Nissan GT-R '07 (replacing the "GT-R Black Mask" with its defining panels concealed).^[43] The Black Mask was removed from the car section on October 23 to coincide with its official unveiling at the Tokyo Motor Show and was subsequently made available the following day.

SEMA Show 2007 demo[edit]

The North American version of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue demo was unveiled at Sony's booth during the 2007 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[44] Compared with the Japanese demo this new version had American cars (Dodge Viper GTS '02 and Ford Mustang V8 Coupe Premium '07) and tracks (Daytona International Speedway), these were included but not playable in the PSN demo. An American tuner car, the Art Morrison Corvette '60 SEMA version 2006, was added to the selectable vehicles.^[44] This vehicle was later added to the retail game with update "Spec II".

Downshift Session 2008[edit]

This was an event held in October by Polyphony Digital to celebrate ten years of Gran Turismo. The main attraction in the show was Gran Turismo 5 Prologue running at a resolution of 3840x2160. The game normally runs at 60 FPS and 1920x1080 resolution. The game needed four PlayStation 3 consoles to run, and it was projected onto a 220-inch (5.6 m) screen using an expensive Sony projector. Each PS3 handled the rendering of one-quarter of the screen. With one PS3 system, approximately 2.1 million pixels would be displayed, but with this special high-resolution display, approximately 8.3 million pixels were displayed. A separate demo ran with the original resolution but at 240 FPS.^[45]

Release with 80 GB PlayStation 3 in Japan[edit]

On October 9, 2008, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III was announced to be released for a limited time only, bundled with the new 80GB PS3 model released only in Japan. The new model had a choice of 3 colors; black, silver, and white, and came with the DualShock 3 controller as standard. Spec III introduced gameplay improvements and 3 new cars. The new packaging has also been shown, showing the GT by Citroën car on the front instead of the Nissan GT-R. The bundle was released on October 30.^[46]

Documentary[edit]

Beyond the Apex is an 18-minute GT-TV documentary included in the Blu-ray version of the North American release of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. This documentary was filmed and edited over four months by director Greg Harvey.^[47] It features behind-the-scenes footage of the development of the game along with an interview with series creator, Kazunori Yamauchi.^[48]

Soundtrack[edit]

A Gran Turismo 5 Prologue soundtrack was released in Japan on February 20, 2008. The CD is published by Village Music and includes 18 tracks.

The "Moon Over the Castle" theme song from the Gran Turismo series is featured, arranged and performed by Vince DiCola. DiCola stated in an interview with Music4Games that he recorded two versions of the theme, one for use in-game and the other for the soundtrack album.^[49] This new version of the song was re-recorded in Los Angeles.^[50]

Reception[edit]

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[51] According to SCEE's ThreeSpeech blog, the game has reached the one million mark in pre-orders from PAL territories making it the first PlayStation 3 game to reach Platinum status before its release.^[55] Hyper's Eliot Fish commends the game for "looking and feeling fantastic". However, he criticizes it for having "no damage model".^[56]

By April 30, 2008, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue had shipped 2.23 million worldwide according to Sony Computer Entertainment and Polyphony Digital, with 270,000 units in Japan, 550,000 in North America, 1.38 million in Europe, and 30,000 in Asia.^[2] As of August 2009, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has shipped 3.94 million copies worldwide, with 690,000 copies in Japan, 820,000 in North America, 2.33 million in Europe, and 100,000 in Southeast Asia.^[57]

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),^[58] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.^[59] By December 2011, the games had sold 5.34 million copies; making it the second highest-selling PlayStation 3 title of all time being beaten by its successor, Gran Turismo 5.^[60]

References[edit]