Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of the video game franchise Gran Turismo, recently gave a lengthy interview surrounding the state of racing video games. Among many notable quotes about the genre he had one big gripe; sim racing rigs are getting too expensive.
Speaking at a rare event where Polyphony Digital, the studio behind Gran Turismo, invited members of the media in for a tour, Yamauchi touched on a number of points. It’s worth noting that these quotes were translated from Japanese so they may not be perfect but the general idea should be easily understood.
Specifically talking about gaming rigs, he said that “High-end wheels are fine, but I think we need something that is easier for everyone to pick up.” That comment likely refers to the influx of SIM racing rigs that can easily cost four figures.
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Add to that the available additional peripherals, some that we’ve reported on before, like cockpits, and it’s easy to see how a racing game can turn into a seriously expensive hobby. “It’s wrong to ask everyone to do that… I know that there is such a world of simulation, but it’s not the majority,” he said about the situation.
Comparing such expensive setups to the past he said “Of course, I know it’s a good experience, but it’s not something everyone can afford. For example, the first GT Force… there were quite a few of them because it was cheap.” And it’s the ability to get a decent SIM racing setup into the hands of more players that could help grow Gran Turismo even further.
“I want many people to play… There is such a narrow but rich world, but if you focus only on it, it will end as a market.” The GT creator also talked about reviving the motorcycle game Tourist Trophy, adding SUVs to the GT franchise, and more. The full list of comments from Yamauchi is well worth a read over on GTPlanet which reported on the event first.
