Sony and Polyphony Digital will work with Federation Internationale de l'Automobile for the PlayStation 4 exclusive Gran Turismo Sport. The companies will organize an eSport for the said video game that will be recognized by the French motoring organization as a real-life driving competition.
Sony has publicized the next big exclusive for the PS4 platform, Gran Turismo Sport. This was unveiled at a live stage conference in France during the inauguration of the Paris Games Week event. Information was filtered through the PlayStation blog to give the gamers the latest happenings about the event.
Polyphony Digital together with SCE unveiled that the racing video game would be the series' latest offering for its gamers. The new series also has advanced gameplay, sounds, and driving physics that are attached to the trademark. Although Sony did not reveal much about the game information other than it will be released by springtime, the company made it known that this game would be the reawakening of the popular racing game series and that FIA is in collaboration to make things happen.
"In the over 15 year history of Gran Turismo, this has to be the biggest accolade we have ever received," Polyphony Digital President and Gran Turismo franchise Creator, Kazunori Yamauchi said. "I believe this will be a major step to forward our mission to connect our virtual and real racing worlds in a full circle, thereby expanding the population of car and motorsports enthusiasts in the world."
Both Polyphony Digital and FIA will set-up a real-life online championship that will feature two league players to advance through the sport. Regional tournaments will be organized by the French driving organization where players will compete to become the region's Gran Turismo champions. In addition, there will be a manufacturer's league wherein players can choose their favourite ride as well as the carmaker to represent them during the championship league.
Fascinating as it may seem, the real catch for this collaborative efforts between FIA and Gran Turismo is that these virtual games will be treated like real life competitions. The PlayStation blog reiterates this to be a historical gaming moment. The blog states that the champion will be awarded in the same manner like in Formula One races at the prize-giving ceremony that FIA will establish. This will be the first time a video game is recognized in real world sports and truly a historical moment for the video game industry.
