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[Wario64]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/08/06/news_6104345.html

TOKYO--Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for the PSP will essentially be a port of the PlayStation 2 Gran Turismo 4, said series producer Kazunori Yamauchi in an interview featured on Sony's official Japanese PlayStation Web site. In the interview, Yamauchi states that he plans to keep the same amount of content on the PSP version, but the developers at Polyphony Digital are determining what needs to be done to the PS2 version to make it playable on the handheld.

"The PSP is a portable game machine, and people may think it's oriented towards playing simple games, but it really has the same hardware performance as the PS2," comments Yamauchi in the interview. "Since we're already developing the GT4's system on the PS2 hardware, we're planning to port that directly to the PSP."

Yamauchi broadened the discussion to PSP games in general. "There's basically two ways of making games for the PSP. One way is to develop an original new game, which in general will be limited in its content since the price of PSP games aren't going to be too high, meaning the game's development budget will also be limited. We're going to be taking the second method, which is to take a system from a major title, and effectively sliding it onto the PSP hardware," he said.

Yamauchi also said that Gran Turismo 4 for the PS2 is currently still around 75 percent complete and that he plans to release it by the end of the year. Given that fact, though, it is unlikely whether the PSP version will be finished in time for the PSP launch in Japan this fall and in the US in early 2005.

Portstation Portable indeed

 

[Midas]

Wouldn't it be awesome if you could play online with your PSP against your friend at home when you're waitin' for your train to work or something like that?

 

[Shoryuken]

Yamauchi broadened the discussion to PSP games in general. "There's basically two ways of making games for the PSP. One way is to develop an original new game, which in general will be limited in its content since the price of PSP games aren't going to be too high, meaning the game's development budget will also be limited. We're going to be taking the second method, which is to take a system from a major title, and effectively sliding it onto the PSP hardware," he said.

This part is especially interesting. I hope he isn't saying that most publishers will opt to merely port existing games becuase of costs.

 

[drohne]

no, he's pretty clearly saying that original psp games will probably be simpler than console games, because they don't have the same potential to bring in revenue. certainly this has been true of most portable games in the past.

an overabundance of ports could certainly hurt psp, but a perfect, near-simultaneous port of one of the most elaborate, popular, and technically accomplished ps2 games is a pretty impressive gesture.

 

[Scoobert]

I thought Sony earlier said no ports?

 

[sonycowboy]

Not setting a great precedent there Sony.

If internal teams are being told original content is too costly ...

 

[The Faceless Master]

Port Station Portable?

 

[Defensor]

Logitech® Driving Force™ Pro support on GT4 PSP?!

 

[Temujin]

I thought Sony earlier said no ports?

I've heard that before, only replace Sony with MS.

And the GBA had at least 3 ports at launch (Nintendo themselves had Super Mario Advance).

But yeah, they're not really setting a good example...

 

[Soul4ger]

I thought Sony earlier said no ports?

They did say it, but I think it's one of those "Exact" ports clauses. Like, "No exact ports! The graphics will be worse on the handheld, so they changed some shit!" Something like that.

 

[MetatronM]

They said at E3 that it was going to be identical. They even showed it (or at least what they claimed was GT4 Mobile).

 

[tenchir]

Hmmmm...... I had an argument about PSP and ports like months ago.....

Wonder what's the excuse for this one? It's different from the PS2 because IT'S WIDESCREEN!!! SOME TRACKS ARE DIFFERENT!!!

 

[Brofist]

How is the fact that almost an exact version of GT4 will be playable on a handheld overlooked in this thread because "it's teh port"? Big fucking deal... Sure there are some fun GBA games, but have you people looked at GBA graphics lately? Sure don't look like GT4 to me, or even GT1 for that matter.

 

[Defensor]

Let's see the pricing of this GT4 PSP game compared the PS2 version when released.

 

[TAJ]

>>>Portstation Portable indeed<<<

Port or no, does anyone expect a racer that's even remotely as good as GT4 on the DS?

 

[luxsol]

>>>Portstation Portable indeed<<<

Port or no, does anyone expect a racer that's even remotely as good as GT4 on the DS?

/me takes cover

 

[tenchir]

Don't try to use graphics as a red herring. We are discussing Sony's statement about no port and went ahead and made a port.

If you want to talk about graphics, then post some pictures, but you have to keep in mind that PSP isn't rendering the same amount of work as the PS2(big screen vs small screen).

 

[Mrbob]

This could be cool if you can take your PS2 save file, transfer it to PSP, and then continue your game on the road. And vice versa. Don't really care about GT though...

 

[Brofist]

If the DS was even powerful enough to handle a port of a GC game the Nin fans would be spewing on each other.

 

[Brofist]

Don't try to use graphics as a red herring. We are discussing Sony's statement about no port and went ahead and made a port.

If you want to talk about graphics, then post some pictures, but you have to keep in mind that PSP isn't rendering the same amount of work as the PS2(big screen vs small screen).

People took that too literally here..of course there will be some ports. They were more trying to emphasize that there will be a lot of original content as well. C'mon...look how long it took to make GT4 for the PS2...do you think they were going to start from scratch and release GT4 Mobile in 2007?

 

[tenchir]

If the DS was even powerful enough to handle a port of a GC game the Nin fans would be spewing on each other.

But it isn't powerful enough to handle a perfect port. It's in the same situation as the PSP in that it doesn't have to handle the amount of rendering work for big screens.

People took that too literally here..of course there will be some ports. They were more trying to emphasize that there will be a lot of original content as well. C'mon...look how long it took to make GT4 for the PS2...do you think they were going to start from scratch and release GT4 Mobile in 2007?

I had a discussion about ports like months ago when the screens for Hot Shot PSP came out. I just found it humorous that even though Sony had made their stance known about ports(No Ports), they went ahead and made a port.

 

[Scoobert]

This could be cool if you can take your PS2 save file, transfer it to PSP, and then continue your game on the road. And vice versa. Don't really care about GT though...

But are you willing to spend $100 to do it?

Yes their are ports on the GBA, but they are from the snes. That's what, 2 generations? It's really not the same situation here.

 

[Catchpenny]

It'll sell well, but GT4 Mobile is completely uninteresting to me. I don't want to pay $30-40 for a portable version of a game I'll have bought and played through 6-12 months earlier.

 

[Brofist]

So if PSOne games were ported to the PSP it would be ok, but the latest games aren't?

 

[Brofist]

I guess because I never believed the Sony PR from day 1 regarding the "no port" policy, I''m not too disappointed with this news...but a flood of ports will be disappointing.

 

[tenchir]

I don't really care about GBA/SNES/DS/GC ports since Nintendo never said they don't want any ports. I am just talking about PSP because I found it amusing that Sony is already doing 180 on their stance with ports on their/a launch title(I am assuming that GT4 Mobile will be a launch title?).

 

[Deg]

There were loads of people insisting this would be a new game.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

But are you willing to spend $100 to do it?

Yes their are ports on the GBA, but they are from the snes. That's what, 2 generations? It's really not the same situation here.

But that's only really 'cause Sony took a huge technical leap, skipping over a portable on a PSOne/N64 level. Besides it's only really going to be applicable for the first two years or so of the PSP's life. Once the next-gen of consoles roll around there'll be that generational step behind. Plus negating the SNES ports because of technical limitations seems like very shaky grounds for an argument.

To be honest I never expected this 'no ports' thing to stick. And for a lot of games it isn't really appropriate. I mean for a sports game what are you going to do? Have different teams to make the game not a straight port? It'd be harder to make a unique version of GT for PSP without making it seem like cheating the PS2 version than say something like having a non-port entry into the DMC series.

Honestly if Sony hadn't said 'no straight ports' (which I believe was what they said not just 'no ports' at all) I don't think people would be scrutinising the PSP lineup so hard. And I suspect that Sony have a slightly different idea of what a 'straight port' is than some people. Adding WiFi mulitplay may be enough to slip under the radar.

 

[Mrbob]

But are you willing to spend $100 to do it?

Yes their are ports on the GBA, but they are from the snes. That's what, 2 generations? It's really not the same situation here.

Haha, heck no. I don't even like GT. I was just throwing an idea out that I thought would be cool.

Also, I don't remember Sony saying no ports. Can someone link me the statement? I always thought they were keeping a close eye on ports and restricting them. Not disallowing them.

 

[tenchir]

Sony Says "No" To Direct Ports

Sony's stance to push developers towards original content for the handheld system is one that it has stated publicly many times before, but a development source actively in production with PSP has confirmed that, in the process of working towards concept approval with Sony (the first stage of getting a game going, where design docs and concept ideas are shot over to Sony for them to approve -- check out this article on Nintendo's game production process to get an idea of how the industry works), the company has been told by Sony that it will not approve direct ports of PS2 titles. How far the term "direct" can be extended is up in the air -- whether that means games without any additional content or PSP exclusive features, or it means no ports of any kind and that any franchise release would have to be a new edition of the series -- but it seems that Sony is standing firm on this issue. Many of the game demos at E3 were from established series, and some were even direct ports of titles in those lines, but E3 was always meant to be a temporary showcase of technology rather than in-game content -- everything we saw at the show could easily change by the time the system actually releases.

They also talked about GT4 Mobile. Heh.

 

[Deg]

Haha, heck no. I don't even like GT. I was just throwing an idea out that I thought would be cool.

Also, I don't remember Sony saying no ports. Can someone link me the statement? I always thought they were keeping a close eye on ports and restricting them. Not disallowing them.

180 indeed. The no ports mantra was mentioned everywhere whther it was offical or not.

 

[TAJ]

Need I point out the number of SNES ports on GBA? And it looks like DS will home to many N64 ports.

 

[Mrbob]

Well, add one PSP exclusive car and you don't have a direct port anymore.

 

[tenchir]

Need I point out the number of SNES ports on GBA? And it looks like DS will home to many N64 ports.

Did Nintendo had any no ports policy? Again, I just found this all amusing.

Well, add one PSP exclusive car and you don't have a direct port anymore.

"The PSP is a portable game machine, and people may think it's oriented towards playing simple games, but it really has the same hardware performance as the PS2," comments Yamauchi in the interview. "Since we're already developing the GT4's system on the PS2 hardware, we're planning to port that directly to the PSP."

While it might not be a direct port(if you have a different definition of port), it's still a port. Then again, my definition of port isn't as general or really broad as another member of this forum who believes that MGS:TT is a port of PS1 MGS.

 

[Deg]

Well, add one PSP exclusive car and you don't have a direct port anymore.

Yup.

 

[DCharlie]

"How is the fact that almost an exact version of GT4 will be playable on a handheld overlooked in this thread because "it's teh port"? Big fucking deal..."

the problem for sony is going to be that companies are going to make releases that are near identical on two platforms - surely people are going to buy one OR the other? And if the machine does become very port heavy (it certainly looks that way already) then you are effectively into marketting a portable PS2 and not a new system that has an abundance of new ideas/games. Maybe it'll change - but i'd have thought that if a game was popular on PS2 then it would be ported to PSP, and vice versa.

 

[Phoenix]

So what if its a port? Does it matter? Why do people stress over ports so much?

 

[Memles]

Need I point out the number of SNES ports on GBA? And it looks like DS will home to many N64 ports.

Okay...you got ignored the first time for stating the "obvious", and now you're just pushing your luck.

You don't need to point it out at all. And, yes, DS will be home to some N64 Ports (As far as I know, there's only one or two so far, but maybe that's just my thinking on the subject). These are givens.

You make it sound like people are pissed that GT4 will be ported to the PSP. That's not the issue...the issue is "What PS2 Gamer in their right mind would rather have a slightly watered down PSP version when they could have the original?" or "Why in the hell would we rather play a less comprehensive game on the PSP, when we can play the full thing on the PS2?"

Because when these games release, there will still be millions of PS2 Gamers...the SNES and N64 Gamers of the world are few and far between, and thus there is no such overlap on GBA/DS. That is not to say porting is in any way advocated by this poster, but there's a difference between porting ten year old classics and games less than a year old on a current system.

 

[Deg]

So what if its a port? Does it matter? Why do people stress over ports so much?

lol

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Did Nintendo had any no ports policy? Again, I just found this all amusing.

Neither do Sony. They have a 'no direct port' policy which is a subtley different beast and one whose nature has yet to be tested and can't be tested just by a games list.

"The PSP is a portable game machine, and people may think it's oriented towards playing simple games, but it really has the same hardware performance as the PS2," comments Yamauchi in the interview. "Since we're already developing the GT4's system on the PS2 hardware, we're planning to port that directly to the PSP."

I only just noticed that, so thank you for highlighting that quote. He says it'll be a port of GT4's system, which doesn't necessarily mean a straight port. He could be just be talking about the game engine and physics system.

 

[tenchir]

I only just noticed that, so thank you for highlighting that quote. He says it'll be a port of GT4's system, which doesn't necessarily mean a straight port. He could be just be talking about the game engine and physics system.

Then I should have posted the paragraph before that.

"TOKYO--Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for the PSP will essentially be a port of the PlayStation 2 Gran Turismo 4, said series producer Kazunori Yamauchi in an interview featured on Sony's official Japanese PlayStation Web site. In the interview, Yamauchi states that he plans to keep the same amount of content on the PSP version, but the developers at Polyphony Digital are determining what needs to be done to the PS2 version to make it playable on the handheld."

What more in the article above do you need? Someone from PolyPony to say "IT'S A PORT! PORT! PORT! PORT! PORT!"

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Then I should have posted the paragraph before that.

"TOKYO--Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for the PSP will essentially be a port of the PlayStation 2 Gran Turismo 4, said series producer Kazunori Yamauchi in an interview featured on Sony's official Japanese PlayStation Web site. In the interview, Yamauchi states that he plans to keep the same amount of content on the PSP version, but the developers at Polyphony Digital are determining what needs to be done to the PS2 version to make it playable on the handheld."

That's nice but that is the editor's interpretation. The actual Yamauchi quotes are ambigious as to what posting the 'system' means.

 

[tenchir]

That's nice but that is the editor's interpretation. The actual Yamauchi quotes are ambigious as to what posting the 'system' means.

OMFG!!!! Let me break it down for you.

"TOKYO--Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for the PSP will essentially be a port of the PlayStation 2 Gran Turismo 4, said series producer Kazunori Yamauchi in an interview featured on Sony's official Japanese PlayStation Web site.

In the interview, Yamauchi states that he plans to keep the same amount of content on the PSP version,

but the developers at Polyphony Digital are determining what needs to be done to the PS2 version to make it playable on the handheld."

It's planned to be a port. Even if the final product is slightly different, it doesn't change the fact that if he could have kept everything in, he would do it.

 

[Wario64]

Here's what IGN's article says

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/536/536495p1.html

A recent interview with Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi hosted by Sony Computer Entertainment's PS World Japanese website reveals a few new bits of information regarding Gran Turismo 4 and Gran Turismo 4 Mobile.

First up, the state of GT4. When asked about the development status of GT4, Yamauchi responds that the basic essentials of the game are finished, and from now the team has to work on the "makeup" for the areas that your eyes will see.

When asked about the state of the game's courses and cars, Yamauchi responds that Polyphony plans on continuing to unveil new courses for the game, finishing up work on the courses as they announce them. The same holds true for the game's cars. The team plans to include as many cards as possible given their scheduling limitations. Yamauchi makes mention of the quality of the cars and rival AI as areas that players shouldn't worry too much about.

When asked to give a direct percentage for the game's completion level, Yamauchi states, after a bit of explanation about how difficult it is to give a completion percentage, that 75% is a good number. "As a driving simulator, [the game] is already done," Yamauchi states. "Now, we are doing work on how to make it into a game... entertainment." Yamauchi states that the release will take place this year.

Moving onto the PSP entry in the series, Yamauchi states with a smile, "There are still some things that can't be spoken about." He continues (perhaps without a smile), "Currently, we're at a test point where we're seeing what we can do with the PSP, and what is best added or removed to achieve GT4 on the PSP. Because of this, I cannot yet speak concretely." He does offer some areas of assurance for PSP owners, though. "As far as volume is concerned, because we're using the GT4 name, we're of course envisioning the same level of volume as the PS2 GT4."

Going on to suggest that the PSP and PS2 versions of the game may end up being very close to one another, Yamauchi states, "The PSP is a portable game machine, so many think that it can be used to play simple games. Say whatever you will, it's a new generation of portable hardware, with performance that lines up with the PS2. Therefore, software development takes quite a bit of work. If you don't give it your all when making games, producing something good is difficult. Because of that, given that we're already making the GT4 systems on the PS2 hardware, we'll likely end up [making GT4 Moblie] by porting those systems to the PSP."

We hope to get a chance to see more of GT4 and GT4 Mobile at the coming Tokyo Game Show, set to kick off at the end of September in Japan

 

[Deg]

He does offer some areas of assurance for PSP owners, though.

what owners?

 

[TTP]

I don't get it. What's the problem with having two versions of the same game available on the market? No one forces you to buy both and it's not like *all* PSP game are gonna be ports.

You may want your next Puyo Puyo on a handheld rather than on PS2 and you got it. You may want your next GT on your PS2 rather than on PSP and you got it.

Also consider that PSP is targeted towards adults which probably don't have much time to play on the sofa as opposed to the free time they got during work breaks or travels or whatever. A friend of mine actually bought a PS2 some time ago and now he got (and plays only) a GBA cos he is out of his house for most of the day. "I've yet to finish Silent Hill 2", he says. I think this is the kind of ppl Sony is also (most of all?) aiming at.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

OMFG!!!! Let me break it down for you.

"TOKYO--Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for the PSP will essentially be a port of the PlayStation 2 Gran Turismo 4, said series producer Kazunori Yamauchi in an interview featured on Sony's official Japanese PlayStation Web site.

In the interview, Yamauchi states that he plans to keep the same amount of content on the PSP version,

but the developers at Polyphony Digital are determining what needs to be done to the PS2 version to make it playable on the handheld."

It's planned to be a port. Even if the final product is slightly different, it doesn't change the fact that if he could have kept everything in, he would do it.

Okay can I freak out as well.

OMFG!!!!! You really are living up to your tag. Where does he say he'd do a straight port if he could? No where. What he says is that GT4Mobile won't be cut down and simplified like you would expect of a portable game, that it'll have the same amount of content, but that doesn't mean it will necessarily be identical content.

I'm I saying that GT4Mobile could not be a straight port? No. What I am admitting is that this article does not say one way or the other. You on the other hand seem determined to hold your interpretation as fact, even though it realies on specific interpretations of ambigious phrases.

 

[Phoenix]

lol

So fanboyism is the answer? I have just never understood this deep hatred of ports. So you have one version that's stationary and another one that is portable. Same for when games are brought from console to console - who cares, and why?

 

[tenchir]

Okay can I freak out as well.

OMFG!!!!! You really are living up to your tag. Where does he say he'd do a straight port if he could? No where. What he says is that GT4Mobile won't be cut down and simplified like you would expect of a portable game, that it'll have the same amount of content, but that doesn't mean it will necessarily be identical content.

I'm I saying that GT4Mobile could not be a straight port? No. What I am admitting is that this article does not say one way or the other. You on the other hand seem determined to hold your interpretation as fact, even though it realies on specific interpretations of ambigious phrases.

You are really giving me a headache, you are the one who kept saying it's the editor "interpretations" when they are refering to the interview with Yamauchi. The first paragraph alone about the interview is enough to say it's a port. You are the one who keeps saying otherwise.

Yamauchi states that he plans to keep the same amount of content on the PSP version, but the developers at Polyphony Digital are determining what needs to be done to the PS2 version to make it playable on the handheld.

Doesn't this sentence more than implied that the content are pretty much identical?

 

[Scoobert]

So fanboyism is the answer? I have just never understood this deep hatred of ports. So you have one version that's stationary and another one that is portable. Same for when games are brought from console to console - who cares, and why?

PSP and PS2 are marketed towards the same crowd. Why pick up 2 version of the same game?

How about this scenario: GT4 for PS2 costs $50, but PSP version is $30....highly unlikely, but lets just say it's $30 for now. Honestly, which version would you be more inclined to buy? I think most people would still choose the PS2 version.

And sure you could get both, but why would you buy the same exact game twice? Maybe I just don't understand portable gaming.