For a while I've been telling myself my days of gaming are done. I'm too old for it. I've outgrown it. There are more productive ways to spend my free time. I abandoned video games with most of my college dorm habits years ago. Or so I thought. One thread has remained, keeping me loosely connected that virtual world. That thread is Sony's series of Gran Turismo driving simulation games for Playstation. Even considering how long I've avoided buying a gaming console, it may be just the thing that makes me change my mind.
My younger sister has almost always been a step ahead of me in terms of technology. Between the two of us, she was the first to own an iPhone, an iPod, a MacBook, a digital camera and a video camera (which I still don't have). The first step in her long run of cutting-edge electronics domination was the purchase of the original Playstation console. Well, I think it came as a gift, but technically it was still hers. As a result my GT obsession began. I raced the one or two tracks that came on the Playstation demo disc over and over until I broke down and bought asked my mom to buy me the real-deal first generation Gran Turismo. I was hooked.
This obsession naturally led me to GT2. The improvements were amazing! And I thought the first one was good! Although I never actually owned GT3 or GT4, the progression continued. My interest eventually took a back seat to college, and now marriage and career (all very worthwhile, IMO). So that brings us to the present day. It's been well over a decade now since I've owned a video game console (SNES), and yet I find myself considering rekindling my love for a single game with the purchase of Sony's latest and greatest (for now). I couldn't care less about console wars, manufacturer loyalty, Project Natal, or even update cycles. Like I said, my interest in video games has revolved around one title.
To the delight of countless fans and enthusiast, Sony announced this week that it will officially release the fifth iteration of Gran Turismo in November of this year. If you have kept up at all with the development of this particular game, you know it's been a long process. I've casually observed the progress of the project, checking out screenshots when they show up online, and drooling over supposed gameplay footage. It's been more than enough to keep me interested. Every round of teaser images seems to be better than the last. The detail in the cars and scenery is unbelievable. After all this time, this game must be good. It has to be. The certainty that GT5 will become a reality might just be enough to urge a few hundred bucks from my wallet in exchange for a new gadget on which to play it.
Any GT fans out there? What do you think -- will GT5 be worth the money I'll spend on a PS3, or should I just accept the fact that I've grown out of it and move on with life?