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Gran Turismo 4 Demo Quietly Released In U.S.

Posted by simoniker on from the well-i-never dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Sony has seen fit to release Gran Turismo 4: Prologue in both Europe and Japan, but the U.S. arm of the company chose not to ship it in the States. The result? Only importers and select members of the media have been able to play the game. Thankfully a limited U.S. demo has turned up from a very non-gaming source, according to GamePro.com, who explain how to navigate through the Toyota web site and request a Toyota Prius-specific two track demo of Gran Turismo 4, completely free of charge. The demo is playable on a standard U.S. PlayStation 2 console. I wonder if Toyota made enough copies of the demo to satisfy every PS2 owner in America?" We previously reported on the Japanese version of this disc, released last September.

57 comments

  1. Aieee!!! by TJ_Phazerhacki · · Score: 2, Funny

    America is handed the shaft again! When will those companies realize that as a culture, americans are much more prone to throw money at something? Give away a million copies of the demo, you'll sell 2 million copies of the game. Thank God for Bit-Torrent and PS2 hacks.... Anyway, the game still looks Awesome, and I hope to have a copy of it opening day - Set up a temt outside the EB in the mall, make a campfire, sing some songs till a guard tries to run me off... Good times, good times.

    --
    Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!
    1. Re:Aieee!!! by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 2, Interesting
      "When will those companies realize that as a culture, americans are much more prone to throw money at something?"
      Funny, I didn't know this had been established. In your in-depth cultural studies of various countries/regions around the world, what culture did you find was second most likely to "throw money at something?" [By the way, your assertion is foolish, at best - judgemental, xenophobic, and prejudiced at worst.]

      With that being said, I ordered the G4 demo disc from the Toyota site and while it confirmed that the DVD was on its way, the Prius accessory pack was already listed as out of stock. So if you're interested in G4, don't delay long.

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
    2. Re:Aieee!!! by StenD · · Score: 1

      They may be providing the G4 demo with every request, because I selected two vehicles, and it listed the G4 DVD twice, with the second occurrence supressed as a duplicate.

    3. Re:Aieee!!! by tolan-b · · Score: 1

      "looks awesome"

      Yeah I'm pretty amazed by the screens I've seen. It's the first game I've seen with depth of field effects, very impressive.

  2. Aw... by Syuveil · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Doesn't appear Canadians can get it :(

    1. Re:Aw... by TrickFred · · Score: 1

      Here's a link to the Canadian brochure-ordering page, but there's no indication that you'll get the disc with it. I signed up though, just in case they do have some.

      https://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WWW.woa/8 /wo/Home.ContactUs.BrochureOrder-4cYgzZxPZUjrkmUhb HryYM/7.5?f120000e%2ehtml

  3. Success! by lambent · · Score: 4, Informative

    Your request was submitted successfully. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you.

    ITEMS ORDERED STATUS
    2004 Prius Brochure - Valid to Fulfill
    2004 Matrix Brochure - Valid to Fulfill
    Gran Tourismo 4 DVD - Valid to Fulfill
    2004 Prius Accessory Brochure - Out of Stock
    Gran Tourismo 4 DVD - Suppressed Duplicate Rule
    2004 Matrix Accessory Brochure - Valid to Fulfill
    College Graduate Rebate Flyer - Valid to Fulfill

    Looks like you get the Gran Tourismo demo with the Matrix, too. Unfortunately, they appear too clever to send me two copies.

    I find it humourous that they have more copies of the game than of certain parts of the literature brochure (which i'm actually interested in ... however, it shouldn't surprise me as the local toyota dealership told me that there's at least a 4 month waiting list for the prius in this area)

    1. Re:Success! by xenocide2 · · Score: 1

      Strange that the ordering length is so long on a prius, its been like that for a while now. You'd think they'd catch on to demand and schedule more production time for it. Its in their benefit, after all.

      --
      I Browse at +4 Flamebait

      Open Source Sysadmin

    2. Re:Success! by startled · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Aye, another success here-- just hit up for Matrix, and it automatically sent Gran Tourismo DVD. Cool.

    3. Re:Success! by TJ_Phazerhacki · · Score: 1

      ITEMS ORDERED STATUS 2004 MR2 Spyder Brochure Out of Stock 2004 Prius Brochure Valid to Fulfill Gran Tourismo 4 DVD Valid to Fulfill College Graduate Rebate Flyer Valid to Fulfill Gran Tourismo 4 DVD Suppressed Duplicate Rule 2004 Prius Accessory Brochure Out of Stock Dammit - the only other Interesting Toyota, the MR2, and Its out of stock? Who else thinks they were /.'ed?

      --
      Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!
    4. Re:Success! by Buttnose · · Score: 1

      ITEMS ORDERED STATUS

      2004 Prius Brochure Out of Stock
      Gran Tourismo 4 DVD Valid to Fulfill
      2004 Prius Accessory Brochure Out of Stock

      I'm extremely amused. I figured I'd be getting some Toyota propaganda with my game, and as it turns out, I'm ONLY getting what I wanted... Happy day!

      --
      move sig, move sig... for great justice.
  4. How long to get it? by quecojones · · Score: 1

    I just hit the submit button and now I'm wondering how soon I can expect to get it (assuming supplies last)... any chance I'll get it before the game is released (I'm on the east coast)?

    --
    "PROFANITY is the inevitable literary crutch of the inarticulate MOTHER FUCKER." -- some PC user
    1. Re:How long to get it? by icannotpickone · · Score: 5, Informative

      Since I've been considering purchasing a Prius, I ordered it (the demo, not the car)about 2 or 3 weeks ago, and it arrived today. People really aren't missing much by not having this demo. There are 2 cars (one of which is the Prius, the other is the "Motor Triathlon Race Car") and 2 tracks. The second track can only be played with the Race Car. The worst part? The demo is limited to 2 minutes of drive time, then the race ends.

    2. Re:How long to get it? by Andy_R · · Score: 1

      The demo is limited to 2 minutes of drive time, then the race ends.

      so they simulated the electric battery life too then?

      --
      A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
    3. Re:How long to get it? by mmaddox · · Score: 1

      Don't know much about the Prius, do you?

      Yes, I own one.

      --

      What'dya mean there's no BLINK tag!?

    4. Re:How long to get it? by mmaddox · · Score: 1

      I'm kinda bummed that a Prius video game exists and I don't have a PS2 to play it. Oh well. Good luck getting a Prius--waiting lists are at a year in some places, and dealers have figured out that they can charge premium prices...going up as far as US$12,000 higher than MSRP in some cases. I've had my new Prius for about two months, and I absolutely love it. It's the perfect geek car and it's a video game itself--you'll drive it with an eye on the consumption screen, trying to squeeze every bit of mileage out you can--a LOT more fun than it sounds. Check out Priuschat.com if you want real information about the car.

      --

      What'dya mean there's no BLINK tag!?

    5. Re:How long to get it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      buy american, scumbag.

    6. Re:How long to get it? by Andy_R · · Score: 1

      You don't know much about humour, do you?

      --
      A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
    7. Re:How long to get it? by damiam · · Score: 1

      Evidently more than you. That wasn't funny, it was just incorrect and stupid. Now, if the Prius actually *did* have a battery life limit, then it might have been funny.

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
    8. Re:How long to get it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't know much about jokes, do you?

      Yes, he made one.

    9. Re:How long to get it? by gamgee5273 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Lad, humor doesn't workj if there isn't a basis in reality. That's what makes it funny. If the Prius has a poor battery life, then it would be funny... but considering the Prius is a hybrid and will switch between battery and gas, depending on driving conditions, then, no, it isn't funny and it isn't humor.

    10. Re:How long to get it? by Andy_R · · Score: 1

      So jokes are only amusing if they are factually correct? I think I missed that meeting.

      Well if you insist... given that recent Gran Turismo games can be set to simulate tyre degradation from new to unusable in around 50 miles, simulating the complete discharge of the battery power systems and therefore making Prius to unable to race competitively because only 1 of it's 2 power systems are able to run after 2 minutes is in fact an internally consistent scenario and a valid comparison. You may laugh now.

      --
      A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
    11. Re:How long to get it? by damiam · · Score: 1
      Jokes aren't amusing if they're stupid. They don't have to be true, but there has to be a basis in fact, or at least people's perceptions. For example:

      How was copper wire invented?
      Many years ago, two Jews found the same penny.

      is funny (even though it's not true), because it plays off of the perception of Jews as streotypically stingy. If you told the same joke about, say, philanthropists, it wouldn't be funny at all.

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
    12. Re:How long to get it? by mmaddox · · Score: 1

      Grow some balls, coward.

      I'll buy American when "American" means something that isn't designed by a blind man with attention deficit issues and that doesn't have the biggest, stinkingest coal-burning fart-can engine that can be shoe-horned into its wood-screws-in-sheet-metal body after the big tires and gun rack go in. Hope you like chrome packages and woodgrain stickers.

      I'M an American. American cars are built for people like you, and that AIN'T American in my book.

      --

      What'dya mean there's no BLINK tag!?

    13. Re:How long to get it? by Aractor · · Score: 1

      Well I thought it was funny...

      --
      That is aboslutely idiotic. You totally missed the point. Don't breed....please.
  5. Done. by gchan · · Score: 0

    I just ordered it. I bet they're not going to last long. Gamers should order it ASAP. w00t

  6. Wonder if Dealers Have the Discs Too by Neon+Spiral+Injector · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I know in Japan they were giving the discs away with Prius test drives (that may have been mentioned in the previous /. article). I'll have to ask my brother who's a salesman at a local dealer. Maybe he can snag me a copy or two if they have them there.

  7. Parking Break by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Got my order in, but not before a couple .NET "server too busy" errors. I wonder if Toyota's site is gonna crash?

  8. You don't want it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is just an overpriced demo. If you're a GT fan (I'm not) then save your money for the real deal when it is released in 2009. I can't believe Sony is even trying to pull shit like this.

    1. Re:You don't want it by pio!pio! · · Score: 0

      Yes..free is overpriced....

    2. Re:You don't want it by notsoclever · · Score: 1

      Overpriced? It costs $0, including shipping and handling, and you don't even have to provide real personal information.

      --
      There are 10 kinds of people: ones who understand ternary, ones who don't, and ones who think this joke is about binary
    3. Re:You don't want it by fr0dicus · · Score: 1

      He refers to GT4:Prologue, which is 25 RRP in the UK.

    4. Re:You don't want it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      25 for a demo. Those Sony accountants have done it again...and enough simpletons will cough up 25 and guarantee that the accountants will squeeze ever harder in the future.

    5. Re:You don't want it by fr0dicus · · Score: 1

      It's halfway between a demo and a full game, 64 cars, and a few choice tracks. It's probably as much game as some of the poorer titles offer, but it's pretty ridiculous to charge GBP 25. The PS2's launch schedule has severly flagged in 2004 IMO, so maybe they think that releasing this will prop it up a bit until Christmas.

  9. Shame this isn't on the main page... by MMaestro · · Score: 1

    We should try and /. Toyota's website.

  10. well we managed to /. the accesory flyer by cyrax777 · · Score: 1

    2004 Prius Accessory Brochure Out of Stock

  11. If it really bothers you, buy a JPN PS2 by gorim · · Score: 1

    Thats what I did. I bought GT:Prologue months ago. I also have GT:Concept Tokyo and many other cool games months before the US gets them ;)

    1. Re:If it really bothers you, buy a JPN PS2 by Drathos · · Score: 1

      What do you mean "before the US gets them"? The US is never going to get them as official releases.

      --
      End of line..
    2. Re:If it really bothers you, buy a JPN PS2 by gorim · · Score: 1

      The "months before the US gets them" is attached to the "other cool games" portion of the sentence, not the "GT" portion of the sentence. Excuse my ambiguous grammer ;)

    3. Re:If it really bothers you, buy a JPN PS2 by Drathos · · Score: 1

      I did mean the other GT games in my statement, bit it applies to a large part of the "other cool games" as well.. There are lots of cool games that are only released in Japan. There's even some that are only released in Europe. Off the top of my head, I don't know of any US-only PS2 games.

      --
      End of line..
  12. Not missing too much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    I got this on Friday, when it came out in the UK. I can understand why US gamers are upset at the lack of a release, although I'm not too sympathetic, as it's more normal for us Euros to get shafted.

    However, you're not missing too much with this. GT4 Prologue has 5 tracks (plus two short-version tracks and an oval test-track) and about 60 cars. There is no car customisation, and the cars are overwhelmingly Japanese and not really the most inspiring bunch. You can only race against AI opponents on 3 of those tracks. Most damningly of all, there is no multiplayer mode, which sets this appart from the other less value-ful versions of Gran Turismo, such as Tokyo-Geneva. The bulk of the demo is composed of about 25 "lessons", which are basically the same as the license tests from the other GT games, albeit with more of an emphasis on teaching and less demanding time-limits.

    The engine feels great and looks even better. It's still not quite photo-realism, but by god it's close. However, with no multiplayer, the lifespan of this game isn't going to be more than a couple of hours. Just wait for the full game. From what I've seen, it's going to rock.

    1. Re:Not missing too much by icannotpickone · · Score: 1

      This is not the demo that is being given out by Toyota on their website. The one being given out is a much less robust version.

  13. Steering wheel woes by jahalme · · Score: 1
    I'm a bit miffed about the fact that GT4P doesn't support the Logitech Momo Force (the red one) steering wheel like GT3 did. Sure, it's originally a PC wheel and it just happened to work nicely with several PS2 games but the lack of support on GT4P is still a bit disappointing.

    Oh well, the new Driving Force Pro looks very tasty with it's 900 degree turn radius and rack&pinion mechanism so I'll probably have to get one of those to play GT4(P) and use the Momo for the rest..

  14. While I'd like to get my hands on the demo by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 1

    I hardly think that a vehicle like the Prius is a good way to showcase a game like GT4.

    Unless the racing has been replaced by "fuel economy."

    Now give me a demo with just the new Subaru WRX variant, and we have something...

    --
    "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    1. Re:While I'd like to get my hands on the demo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Alas, this is a bit of a problem with the larger demo, GT4 Prologue. With a couple of exceptions, most of the cars in this are recent Japanese road cars. Although statistics aren't available in-game, it wouldn't surprise me if at least a 3rd of the 60 or so cars in the game had less than 100bhp and I'd be very surprised if over 25% had more than 200bhp. Fortunately, if the final game has over 500 cars, it should hopefully be a bit more balanced.

    2. Re:While I'd like to get my hands on the demo by Mortanius · · Score: 1

      If only GT had you deal with fuel consumption as well as tire wear. Sail past the competition in endurance races when they stop for fuel and you've still got half a tank :D

    3. Re:While I'd like to get my hands on the demo by op51n · · Score: 1

      It is true that with the European version, having 5 tracks and 60 some cars, I spend most of my time racing Cita de Italia (that mountainside town) in the Subaru WRX '99 edition. It just flows so beautifully, and frankly the other cars, except for the Skylines, get me in the mood to go out on a normal track.

      Nurburgring in the full game though...

    4. Re:While I'd like to get my hands on the demo by Zed2K · · Score: 1

      GT games have always been more of a driving game and not really a racing game. If it were a racing game they would put in vehicle damage and put emphasis on racing instead of everything looking shiny new.

  15. NYC Auto Show by astrokid · · Score: 0

    These were also being handed out at the 2004 NYC Auto Show. The girl was cute :) , the actual demo however sucks.

    --

    Chewie does not get a medal. Come on, George. Can a Wookie get a medal?
    1. Re:NYC Auto Show by Kevin+Stevens · · Score: 1

      I also got a copy at the NY auto show, and I also agree it sucks.

      There are two tracks, one called the fuji speedway that I at first thought they had just changed the name of grand valley national speedway, and the other is the much hyped grand canyon course, which looked nothing like what I had seen in screenshots. There is eye candy to be found, but only in the replays. When actually driving, dont expect to be wowed by awesome scenery.

      It also only contains two cars: the prius and a prototype that I believe runs on a hydrogen fuel cell, if I remember the display at the auto show correctly. The prius is no fun to drive whatsoever. One of the main new features is that each car has its own dashboard display. Watching your MPG in the prius on a racetrack just doesnt do it for me. The hydrogen car is more fun to drive, and has some really interesting gauges on it, but the grand canyon course is pretty much a rally course, and the car handles fairly poorly on it (again not much fun).

      In addition, the game has a 2 minute time limit (IIRC) that doesnt allow you to finish the 2 lap course around the fuji speedway.

      I am a HUGE GT3 fan, and nearly jizzed in my pants when I got the demo, but its only fun for about 5 minutes. If anything, it made me really skeptical about how good GT4 is going to be. The graphics are about the same, with the only noticeable improvements being animated spectators. The driving experience felt about the same too, with the same notable lack of damage.

      Point being, dont be too upset about the GT4 demo being out of stock. In fact, contact me and I will even send mine out to someone. its 5 minutes of entertainment have long passed.

  16. Link to order form by EastCoaster · · Score: 1

    I did not see it posted so here is the link to the order form:
    https://gotoyota.programhq.com/activity/aspx/tybrp /toyota.aspx

    All you need to do is request a Prius brochure and they will send you a brochure and the GT4 DVD.

  17. demo yes, brochure no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So I followed the instructions, and it told me that both the 2004 Prius brochure AND the 2004 Prius Accesories brochure were out of stock. It seems they're trying to foist something called a Gran Turismo 4 DVD on me. The nerve! I really wanted a Prius too...

    Raj

  18. Car list by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

    Does anyone have a car list for GT4 final? I could really care less about the demo right now.

  19. Out of stock already! :( by A_Wandering_Nomad · · Score: 1

    ITEMS ORDERED STATUS
    2004 Prius Brochure Out of Stock
    2004 Tundra Brochure Valid to Fulfill
    Gran Tourismo 4 DVD Out of Stock
    2004 Prius Accessory Brochure Out of Stock
    2004 Tundra Accessory Brochure Valid to Fulfill

  20. Sorry to put a damper on things... by oberondarksoul · · Score: 1

    ...but officially, the Gran Turismo 4: Prologue demo is not to be released over here in Europe; at least, not here in the UK. So, looks like you guys arent alone in missing out...

    --
    And tomorrow the stock exchange will be the human race
    1. Re:Sorry to put a damper on things... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about stop talking bogus, and actually get out of home ? GT4 Prologue is available in UK *everywhere*.