TGS07: GT5 Prologue is most expensive demo ever
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Sep 21st 2007 at 2:25PM }
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Hidden away in Sony's TGS catalog was a shocking revelation: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue's Japanese release date and price. Scheduled for December 13th, the game sample (demo, as we used to call) will retail for a whopping ¥4,980 ($43.10) on Blu-ray and ¥4,500 ($38.95) when downloaded through the PlayStation Store. Although the game will feature stunning graphics and many features of the final game, this seems as much too high for a game that has a limited track and vehicle selection. We hope that this kind of sticker shock doesn't come across the Pacific into other territories.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rasta4Eye @ Sep 21st 2007 2:37PM
Sampler?? are they trying to copy sega again and call demos samplers? Anyway they have to make they're money somehow since the ps3 has no games to sell.
Popfrogs @ Sep 21st 2007 2:42PM
Wow, Polyphony and Sony sure have some balls. Trying to charge us now for something they previously said was free. Gay.
Jeff @ Sep 21st 2007 2:47PM
WOW!!! I figured it would have a cost... But I was not expecting that much!!!
john @ Sep 21st 2007 2:47PM
We pay 40 for a demo and 60 for a game no thanks.
Jason @ Sep 21st 2007 2:48PM
Wow.
Sony, I know that the network is free(and we love you for that), I know it takes a ton of effort and dollars to make GT5 Prologue, but do not make the mistake of charging for it. The PS3 needs every good headline it can get and this would be a biggie. It would trump anything on the Xbox network by a mile, and be an unprecented gift to users. People sitting on the fence, not sure if they want to dive in because of bad publicity, would get a great reason to join the Sony camp.
Joe Collinson @ Sep 21st 2007 2:52PM
Oh come on, you can hardly say that it's going to cost that when it comes to US and EU. The currencies never convert directly over to our currencies like that - look at the Loco Roco game, EOJ booster backs .etc.
It'll probably cost £10/$20 at most.
Ruben @ Sep 21st 2007 3:12PM
Whoever is planing on buying it now, where probably planning on burning it. Damn, why not just release the game now? Im hoping its a mistake or some good reason like the dualshock 3 is actually coming out this year bundled with GT5 Prologue, now that would be a good reason but DAMN!!
upz @ Sep 21st 2007 2:55PM
Haven't the GT Prologues always cost money? What's new this time besides unrealistic expectations?
insane257 @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:54AM
Sony, why did you say it was gonna be free when you have to pay? the 360 fanboys are gonna love this... but then again, they have to PAY for their online service..
Anywho, i'm not gonna get this now, i'll just wait til GT5 and buy that.
JC @ Sep 21st 2007 3:00PM
How is a game with 40 cars, 5 tracks and online play a "demo". It's already more of a game than most racing games.
You do realize that GT4 prologue cost $29 when it came out for the PS2 right?
Popfrogs @ Sep 21st 2007 3:00PM
@6: Seriously? Locoroco is more expensive in North America than it is anywhere else in the world.
Solace @ Sep 21st 2007 3:01PM
@7
yup - the Prologues have always cost money in Japan. i remember reading that GT5Prologue wasn't going to be limited like the GTHD demo that came out last year and was going to have a bunch of cars and tracks. i can't remember what mag/site i saw it on, but it said something about it being "limited" compared to GT5 (full game), but not limited compared to other racing games. i'll try to find that quote if noone else knows how many cars/tracks there'll be in the final GT5Prologue...
Egster @ Sep 21st 2007 3:03PM
It's not a demo and prologues have never been free. It's a taste of what is to come late 2008, for the fans it's an opportunity to play a brilliant racing game. For the people who don't want to play, you don't have to buy it, you can just wait for the full game or play the free GTHD demo.
Btw. it was never said by any Sony or Polyphony rep that it would be free. I've heard the rumors but those were made up and also debunked by Sony.
ouj @ Sep 21st 2007 3:03PM
"Anyway they have to make they're money somehow since the ps3 has no games to sell."
Do you think that repeating something long enough eventually makes it true?
http://www.metacritic.com/games/ps3/scores/
Give me PS3 lineup *any day* over Wii's ridiculously pathetic lineup. At least PS3 has lots of really hot titles coming, unlike Wii (no, I couldn't care less about Mario and apart from Nintendo franchise there's nothing).
Brunno @ Sep 22nd 2007 6:38AM
Previous Prologues were also paid "demos". This Prologue features a lot more than others, so it's a reasonable price. Plus, you only get it if you want to... no one ever said that playing games was a cheap hobby! Lol
Zsoldier @ Sep 21st 2007 3:13PM
In the past prologues have cost money, but now the difference is that the PS3 has networking capabilities. If Sony plays their cards right, they could offer an upgrade to the full game via the playstation store for those who bought prologue. So let's say Prologue sells for $40 in the US. They could easily sell the upgrade for $20. It might be a pipe dream, but maybe if someone puts the idea to Sony it could happen.
John @ Sep 21st 2007 3:14PM
This is clearly an inflammatory and inaccurate title. Maybe this article should be on Joystiq. As already pointed out, the Prologues have never been free and Sony never said it would be and anyone who has played this series extensively knows that with 5 tracks and 40 cars there will be tons of gameplay here.
It's also pretty sad when the author can't even include this information in the article-- but then he would have to take out all those references to demo, wouldn't he? And then it wouldn't be inflammatory.
Not sure what the point of this article is. I'll be putting my money down on the Blu-Ray version, 1st day, with no problem.
Akamaru @ Sep 21st 2007 3:19PM
Oh god more FUD to spread around for the Xbots. It;s like people have selective memory this generation. Maybe the PS2 had so many games, it was hard to keep track but I remember prologue being like an expansion pack but you don't need to buy the game to play it. Its not a demo since a demo would be a sample of a product while prologue is a different product entirely.
I'm dissapointed in you Andrew, I'd expect this from Joystiq but not you.
Lav @ Sep 21st 2007 3:22PM
It's worth the money at lest two times over, we're already getting plenty of free stuff as it is.
They said at some presentation that it's taken an average 6(!) months to model each car. I'm suprised the prolouge is this cheap.
TheSh0wstopper @ Sep 21st 2007 3:29PM
Andrew Loon strikes again!!!
TheSh0wstopper
"I smell a microsoft viral spy"
kATANA @ Sep 21st 2007 3:33PM
plS, ill be spending the 60$ on the final game and just wait it out, 40$ for a demo is a little crazy.
Konchu @ Sep 21st 2007 3:33PM
You know I thought they said they were going to try a digital release of the whole game at one time maybe this will be it. Prologue as a starter and more to come in the future so that you can get the game now and the addons regularly eventually making it the full featured game or a every evolving game and maybe later on in its life they release a compilation a full version if you will.
jtedesco33 @ Sep 21st 2007 3:34PM
I'm dissapointed that it will retail for 40 bucks on bluray but in the scheme of things the price is relative to the amount you play it. For many people this game/demo paint it how ever you want will be well worth the money.
If you played it online 40 times or got 40 hours of enjoyment out of it, then I think it would be worth it for most people. GTHD had to be free because you could blaze through it with little need to replay after you unlocked everything. Once you through in online play the door is opened to charge more because of re-playability.
I kay have contradicted myself to some since I disagreed with the price, but I disagreed because I don't feel as though I would get that much use out of the product warranting it's price tag.
As stated above it is all relative to the amount of time (hours) and enjoyment you plan on getting out of the product. I see this title as doing rather well because the rabid GT fanbase out there will eat the online play up.
Ghaleon @ Sep 21st 2007 3:41PM
Even this is "tradition," it's still pretty silly. You'd really have to be a sucker to buy this AND the game when you might as well buy a full game now and wait for GT5.
Solace @ Sep 21st 2007 3:51PM
thanks for finding the info i was talking about re # of cars and tracks. still more than MotorStorm, and that game was fun AND more expensive.
here's to hoping the money / licenses you get in Prologue can be applied to GT5...
Solace @ Sep 21st 2007 3:53PM
thanks for the info re: cars / tracks.
i can hardly see calling 5 tracks, 40 cars a "demo" or to think of it as "less than a full game". heck, motorstorm had the same number of tracks and way fewer cars and that turned out to be fun.
i hope they let you keep the money / licenses you earn in here and apply them to GT5...
Compyadmin @ Sep 22nd 2007 4:38AM
It's an effective way to leech money off of anyone stupid enough to pay for an unfinished product.
A smart marketing move, too bad most people wont realize how much of a sucker they are for paying $40 for this crap now, and $60 for the full game when its released.
Murry @ Sep 21st 2007 4:04PM
I am still playing GTHD after having it for 8 months and will be planning on buying Prologue the first day. As stated before the Prologue games have never been free. They throw us rabid GT freaks a bone so we can play something.
TRUTH @ Sep 21st 2007 4:11PM
Can you say: RIP OFF
gooftroop @ Sep 21st 2007 4:52PM
Dunno what all you plebs are whining about, GT4 Prologue and the Gran Turismo Concept series all cost $40
The GT5 Prologue is hardly a demo, and if you think it is and dont want to pay for it then don't, just wait for GT5 to be relased.
L2 @ Sep 21st 2007 5:32PM
Sony's decision translated by Tony Soprano:
"Hey stuipid! Yea I'm talkin' to yaz...get ova here and buy this demo.....hey...shadap! I know demo's are supposed to be free!"
ben @ Sep 21st 2007 6:20PM
stop your whining, children. go mow the lawn, or something if you want the game. if you can't muster up the balls to recognize that they're providing premium content and not a "demo", then shut up and play your wii.
WRC86 @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:11PM
This is not the first time they do this, i don`t think is bad at all, is a full game after all. the other prologues have been great
railven @ Sep 21st 2007 7:48PM
Let me get this straight?
No one has a US confirmation of $40 dollars and all of a sudden thats the going rate? I remember when at LDC someone said 60 euros or some crap and everyone started quoting $60 USD.
So lets us a bit of rheteric, say this game/demo/whatever launches with a $20USD Retail and $10USD PSN, who would buy it? I know I would.
Aside that, when where the Concept/Prologues ever classified as "demos" and "free?"
This generation of gamers is truly a handful of whiners.
Cartman86 @ Sep 21st 2007 8:23PM
What works in Japan (charging for this) will not work in America. Charging $40 will be crazy considering i'm going to have to pay another $60 for the final version. At most I think most people would pay is $20. And even that is pushing it.
Tim @ Sep 21st 2007 9:09PM
2 Words. Fuck. That.
That is almost too much for it as a retail game no to mention a god dam demo! FUCK!
MetalKingSlime @ Sep 21st 2007 10:06PM
$40 for a demo of a gt5 prologue?! what a joke. sony never learns to lower their damned prices on things. not my problem though. i won't be getting a ps3 till next year some time.
hawkeye @ Sep 22nd 2007 12:27AM
dont need to argue about this super high price. let me just say i will be waiting for the real thing.
wont pay for DEMO @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:04AM
you guys must be retarded if you are gonna waste this much money on a glorified demo. it IS a demo, it is a VERY small portion of the real deal. some of you say 20 bucks but i dont think i would even pay that for it. 5-10 bucks tops and i'd still bitch about it because DEMO"S SHOULD BE FREE. and no i dont mow lawns for money, i have a job, a very good one at that, my job title is gynocologist, yep i look at vagina's all day, sorry for all you guys that have yet to see one. but hey soon you can say you have something i dont, a fucking demo that cost your 95 year old parents 40 bucks. MOVE OUT FROM THE BASEMENT.
busboy33 @ Sep 22nd 2007 2:11AM
To those defending this as "well its a prologue, not a demo" . . .
what is the difference between demo, prologue, and game?
To me, demo is a small portion of a game. In a racing game, that would be some cars, some tracks and some game modes. The idea is to let you try it, to see if you want the full thing. If you buy the full game, you get all the cars, track, game modes, plus bells and whistles.
If its not a demo, but not a full game, then . . . what? A micro game? So Sony could sell another version in 3 months with more cars and tracks, then charge $50? I suppose the could call it GT Table of Contents.
If this is a sop to the GT fans that want to start playing now, fine. Let them trade it in and apply the 40+ cash to the "full" version. That I would understand.
marklar @ Sep 22nd 2007 3:24AM
haha - you guys are paying for a demo/prologue?
you guys must really be die hard sony fanboys & sony's taking advantage of that fact...
next thing you know they'll make you pay for betas
Phil @ Sep 22nd 2007 4:16AM
Didn't you have to buy Crackdown to get a chance of playing Halo 3's initial beta?
-viper- @ Sep 22nd 2007 4:44AM
Should cost £15 maximum to be honest.
bus33boy @ Sep 22nd 2007 6:43AM
@phil (39):
"Didn't you have to buy Crackdown to get a chance of playing Halo 3's initial beta?"
If that's why you bought Crackdown, yes. But as you said, you bought Crackdown -- a full fledged game all on its own, so you got a game and a demo for the price of just a game.
If they bundled GT Prologue in with Lair, then you are actually getting something that sells for $60 for your $60 (even if you don't want it).
If I buy a new car because I want the hubcaps, I didn't pay $20,000 for the hubcaps (even though that may be all I wanted) but for the car (which cost $20,000 because that's what cars cost). If somebody tried to sell me just the hubcaps for $20,000 (or even $12,000, assuming the "only %60 cost of the full price" thing with GTP), I'd slap them.
railven @ Sep 22nd 2007 8:39AM
@37/43
You need to look back at the GT series and learn what the Concepts/Prologues where in Japan. The US was never given these products. Are they demos? The Concepts/Prologues were based on final code just missing the final contents. Those products in Japan actually featured content that was later removed from the final build.
So to you a demo is a sample of a game? What seperates a product from a demo? I imported the Prologue for GT4 and if that is a demo, then every other demo I've been lucky enough to play needs to aim to be like these.
Timed demos, demos where it is just one level, demos with only 2 (if you're lucky) selectable characters/car/etc, no demo that I've played last longer than 20 minutes (don't include replays) if you aren't just aimlessly exploring. Racer demos at that usually bring 1 course with either reverse or a different time setting and two cars.
So do me a favor, find me a "demo" that includes everything this Concepts/Prologues have?
And again, where is this $40 dollars coming from? I've yet to see Sony state a USD price tag.
And your analogy about the hub caps was terrible.
andy @ Sep 23rd 2007 12:34AM
@35 - you twat, the medical specialty is spelled gynecologist. since you blew that, and considering the rest of the language and tone of your message, I suggest you finish high school before trying to pass yourself off as someone you aren't. and don't worry - some day you might get to see AND touch one without having to pay for it or risk jail time.