Speaking to PlayStation Inside, Yoshida reminisced about what he considers to be one of his great career moments. One of these moments was a conversation he had with game designer Kazunori Yamauchi while the first Gran Turismo was still in development for the original PlayStation. In this conversation, as well as after playing an early prototype, Yoshida found the game to lean too hard on its gameplay realism.

“And to talk about a ‘success’ in my career that hasn’t been mentioned enough, if at all, I’ll give you an anecdote that I’ve never told in public before,” said Yoshida. “It was the early days of the first PlayStation, and Kazunori Yamauchi was working on the very first Gran Turismo. You’ll remember that on the cover it said that the game was the ‘real driving simulator’. And you know, I’m not a game designer, I’m a producer first and foremost.”

“During development, Kazunori Yamauchi showed me a prototype of Gran Turismo, and I was among the first to play it. And to tell you the truth, he was really serious when he talked about simulation!”

Yoshida remembered the prototype being “extremely advanced”. However, Yamauchi apparently hadn’t taken the feedback into account at the time, and ultimately got more feedback from consumers to play test the game. According to Yoshida, all of the playtesters ended up crashing their cars on the first turn in the game.

“It was extremely advanced, perhaps too much so,” he said. “But at first Kazunori Yamauchi didn’t take my feedback at face value, so he gathered around thirty consumers to test the game. And just as I expected, they all crashed without exception at the first turn, because the gameplay was so difficult.

“I was at the back of the room with Kazunori Yamauchi, at which point he turned to me and told me I was right, and that’s when he rounded things off and toned down the pure simulation aspect a little to put out the Gran Turismo you know today on PS1.”

“In a way, I like to think that I partly saved Gran Turismo’s fate, and that I played a small part in its success!”

Later in the interview, Yoshida also spoke about some of the most important colleagues he got to work alongside during his time with PlayStation. Bringing up two in particular, he shouted out Ken Kutaragi, who is widely considered to be the father of the PlayStation, along with Sony Interactive Entertainment co-founder and head of first-party game development, Akira Sato.

“If I may, I’d like to mention two people,” said Yoshida. “The first is of course Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation. Everything has been said about him. He was there when I arrived at Sony, and it was his vision that really led the company to become the video game behemoth it is today.”

“The second person is Akira Sato. I could also mention other people such as Andrew House and Kaz Hirai, with whom I have worked extensively.”

Yoshida had worked with PlayStation since all the way back in 1993 when the PlayStation team was still in its initial stages. After having worked with the company for more than 31 years, his departure was announced back in November 2024. Since then, he has been quite prolific in talking about his time at the company.

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider was one of the earliest 3D action games on the PS1, and Lara Croft’s debut was an unforgettable adventure back in the day. Everything from the labyrinthian levels to white-knuckle platforming challenges and thrilling combat made for an experience that wasn’t too different from a blockbuster movie, and those elements laid the foundation for one of the most revered adventure games to this date. While the movement and combat haven’t aged all that well, but for its time, it was the next big thing in the action-adventure genre.

Gran Turismo

Polyphony Digital knocked it out of the park with its 1997 release Gran Turismo, a game that would later morph into one of the biggest household names in PlayStation’s first-party roster of IPs. Gran Turismo’s rudimentary graphics might look dated by modern standards, but it was a towering visual achievement for its time and the granular attention to detail in how the car models looked and how the tracks were laid out was almost unheard of at that time. Add to that a really strong simulation core that governs the feel and drift of every vehicle in the gargantuan roster, and Gran Turismo became an instant hit for motorheads.

Resident Evil 3

The fifth console generation revolutionized the horror genre and Resident Evil 3 played a big role in bringing about that change. Jill Valentine’s chronicles against the ferocious Nemesis are chock full of memorable encounters and close calls from undead creatures, and that combined with the brutal survival mechanics is what makes it an endearing survival horror experience through and through. It was one of the first games in the genre to feature an intimidating stalker resulting in exhilarating moments that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

WWF Smackdown! 2 – Know Your Role

Making its debut within a year of the release of the first WWF Smackdown game, WWF Smackdown! 2- Know Your Role didn’t disappoint wrestling fans in any way whatsoever. It made plenty of new and significant changes over what came before while retaining what made it great in the first place. In addition to the new game modes like Hell in a Cell, Ladder Matches or Iron Man, what makes WWF Smackdown 2 one of the most memorable wrestling games of all time is the excellent moment-to-moment gameplay that perfectly mimics the action that we love to see on the television screen.

Colin Mcrae Rally 2.0

The second game in the Colin McRae series which would later go on to be known as Dirt Rally, Colin McRae Rally 2.0 lets you race through a bunch of different courses while giving you a wide selection range of more than a dozen rally cars. Colin McRae Rally 2.0 features some of the most meticulous car handling mechanics that aim to provide the best rally racing experience, which is what made it such a big hit for fans of the sport. For instance, navigating your car through the gravel-infested tracks of Greece will be extremely different from the experience of gliding along an icy track of Sweden. While the game has its own shortcomings, Colin McRae Rally 2.0 has more than enough merits to cover its flaws and stand out as one of the best racing games on the platform.

Spider-Man

The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has enjoyed a long and rich history with video games, and there are plenty of great games that feature this very superhero – including but not limited to Spider-Man on the PS1. Spidey’s quest to stop Dr. Octavius and his evil schemes is punctuated by varied missions and memorable combat encounters, and despite some obvious technical limitations – Spider-Man was able to largely fulfill the fantasy of shooting webs and beating down baddies in a convincing manner.

Metal Gear Solid

It’s safe to say that Metal Gear Solid largely laid the blueprint for the modern stealth game, and it also represents how games can be at the bleeding edge of cinema and interactivity. Hideo Kojima’s genius shines through in every aspect of the game ranging from the carefully laid out espionage plot to the timeless gameplay mechanics and even the boss fights, making Metal Gear Solid a game that’s worthy of its masterpiece status. The game effortlessly switches between shades of stealth to full-blown action and vice versa, and its contributions to the action-adventure genre like the SONAR radar continue to be staples in the modern gaming landscape.

Knockout Kings 2001

Boxing has always been a tough sport to replicate in the form of a video game, but it’s safe to say Knockout Kings does a good job of translating the thrill and depth of the combat sport in an effective manner. The boxing felt more responsive and fluid than contemporaries, and the ability to attack from different angles and perform dirty moves gives the action an additional layer of depth to the gameplay. Add some pretty detailed visuals and the occasionally hilarious commentary into the mix, and Knockout Kings becomes a game that’s tough to pass on for boxing fans.

Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix

Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix thrusts players into a Bladerunner Esque environment with cel-shaded character designs and a pseudo-3D environment as you experience the same storyline from different perspectives. Retro Helix offers plenty of tough puzzles for players to crack in addition to light combat sequences, and that combined with the multilateral perspective makes for a consistently engaging experience.

Bushido Blade

Bushido Blade is a fighting video game that allows players to fulfill their fantasy of taking part in a sword fight in an authentic fashion. You see, sword duels in reality are not defined by slick-looking combos, best of 3 rounds, or a visible health bar – and Bushido Blade tries its best to mimic that experience with its gameplay. Attacking the opponent’s hands or legs might lead to the loss of a limb which would obviously have tangible consequences in the course of the battle just as a direct blow to the chest will lead to instant death. In addition to the extremely realistic gameplay, Bushido Blade boasts some of the most detailed graphics of its time and that combined with its rhythmic soundtrack makes Bushido Blade one of the best games on the platform.

Medal of Honor (1999)

Developed with stunning visual effects and high production values for its time, Medal of Honor was one of the first games to really translate the intense action of war in a first-person perspective. It was a revolutionary game in more ways than one, right from the realistic depiction of war to pioneering linear-level design and much more. It was a bold first step that would give birth to one of the biggest gaming trends of the 2000s.

Colony Wars

Colony Wars is a space-action shooter game that tells the story of a pilot working for a rebellious organization fighting against the evil Imperial Navy. Set against the backdrop of a sci-fi universe, Colony Wars shows the true potential of the console by providing you with a distinct sense of immersion as you participate in thrilling dogfights against a wide variety of enemy ships. Right from the immersive gameplay to the memorable sequences and a story that changes according to your actions, Colony Wars is probably one of the best space games on the PS1.

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit

Taking a sharp turn from the simulation gameplay of Gran Turismo, EA’s Need for Speed provided an adrenaline-pumping, rubber-scratching arcade take on car racing. Suffice it to say, fans lapped it all up and Need For Speed quickly became a household franchise in the racing space. EA released NFS 3: Hot Pursuit back in 1998 to some great reviews, and it added new elements like thrilling cop car chases into the mix – making for some absolutely slick action sequences.

NBA Live 2001

NBA Live 2001 might just be the best way to play basketball on the PS1, and a lot of that praise boils down to the excellent gameplay underpinning every moment of the experience and a vast roster of licensed players and teams from all across the globe. EA corrected almost all criticisms of the predecessors and implemented plenty of new features, making this franchise swansong on the PS1 a memorable one.

FIFA 2001 Major League Soccer

And if basketball isn’t really your thing, you cannot really go wrong with FIFA 2001 Major League Soccer on the PS1. The game featured some extremely polished gameplay mechanics and solid visuals for its time which made for a consistently enjoyable experience as you duke it out against your friends for hours and hours upon end.

Featuring many jabs at gamers and how missing a line means resetting in-game while it could be fatal in real life, the trailer sees Jann working his way up. The intense training is only the beginning since he also has to endure hostility from other competitors. Fortunately, he seems to have the secret ingredient for success – racing on the same track a thousand times in-game.

Gran Turismo is out on August 11th in theaters. It’s directed by Neill Blomkamp and includes actors like David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Geri Halliwell Horner (yes, the former Spice Girl), and Djimon Hounsou. With the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it should be interesting to see how Gran Turismo fares.

Gran Turismo is directed by Neill Blomkamp of District 9 fame. It features Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe and David Harbour, with the story focused on Jann Mardenborough, an actual driver. He starts as a player in the GT Academy and works his way up to becoming a professional driver.

He never competed in motorsport until entering the GT Academy. Upon beating 90,000 entrants in 2011, he competed in the Dubai 24 Hour for Nissan and came third. He’s since competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2, British GT Championship, Toyota Racing Series and much more.

Overall, it should be interesting to see the movie dramatize his rise. Stay tuned for more details when the trailer drops tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/granturismo/status/1653021454987055104

That’s as per Polyphony Digital boss and Gran Turismo producer Kazunori Yamauchi. When asked in a recent interview with Japanese outlet Game Watch if there was anything in specific that he wanted to do for Gran Turismo in the future that the series hasn’t accomplished yet, Yamauchi suggested that Polyphony Digital has started working on the next Gran Turismo game- though, unsurprisingly, he refused to go into too much detail.

He said (via Google Translate)”I’m starting to run towards the next one, but I can’t tell you yet. It’s a pity that I can’t talk much.”

Of course, Polyphony Digital is still at work on post-launch support for Gran Turismo 7, which also includes full VR support for the game to align with the PS VR2’s launch later this month. The developer has previously also said that though it has considered a PC port, one is not currently in the works.

Series fans also have a Gran Turismo film to look forward to.

Directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) and starring Archie Madekwe, Orlando Bloom, and David Harbour, the Gran Turismo film is based on the real-life story of Jann Mardenborough, a decorated professional race car driver whose career started at the GT Academy.

The trailer offers brief details on the movie while also showcasing various shots of the racing action in particular- which, series fans will be happy to know, replicate a lot of the same camera angles that are seen in the games. Check it out below.

The Gran Turismo movie will release on August 11. Sony recently also announced a PlayStation VR2 version of Gran Turismo 7. Meanwhile, while the company is also “considering” a PC port for the racing sim, one isn’t currently in the works.

Unsurprisingly, it’s also a series that continues to sell- and has, in fact, recently hit another major sales milestone. In a PlayStation Blog post celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original Gran Turismo’s initial launch in Japan, Sony and Polyphony Digital have announced that the Gran Turismo series has now collectively sold over 90 million units worldwide. That, of course, means that it continues to be the best-selling first party PlayStation franchise to date- though it’ll be interesting to see how long that remains the case.

Gran Turismo 7 launched earlier this year for PS5 and PS4, and that will undoubtedly have provided a significant boost to the series’ sales- though specific sales figures for GT7 remain unknown.

Recently, Polyphony Digital boss Kazunori Yamauchi said that the developer and Sony were considering bringing the game to PC- read more on that through here.

During the company’s recent investors call, PlayStation Productions chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra revealed that God of War, Horizon, and Gran Turismo are all being adapted for television shows a and films. Amazon Prime has nabbed the rights for a God of War series and Netflix has got its hands on a Horizon show, but there’s no word on who is attached to the Gran Turismo film.

Other details on the three shows are unknown for now, such as whether or not any of the games’ developers from SIE Santa Monica Studio, Guerrilla Games, and Polyphony Digital will be involved in their respective adaptations in any capacity.

A God of War Amazon Prime series was rumoured to be in production earlier this year, courtesy of Deadline, who claimed that The Expanse creators/executive producers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby and The Wheel of Time executive producer/showrunner Rafe Judkin would be leading the production.

As mentioned earlier, Sony has been taking active steps to increase the value of its IPs by expanding them beyond video games. The Uncharted movie released earlier this year, while TV shows based on The Last of Us, Sly Cooper, and Twisted Metal are also in the works. Films based on Ghost of Tsushima and Jak and Daxter have also been greenlit.

FIFA 22 rose to second place even with sales dropping 32 percent week-on-week. Pokemon Legends: Arceus also had a decent jump to third place despite a 20 percent sales drop. Last week saw a number of PS5 titles in the top 10 thanks to more PS5 stock but they’ve now suffered significant drops. Horizon Forbidden West has gone from third to seventh place as sales fell by 65 percent.

Gran Turismo 7 sales dropped by 75 percent, dropping it from second all the way to 11th place. The only new debut this week was MotoGP 22 but it came in at 39th place with 37 percent sales on PS5. Check out the full Gfk top ten in the UK for the week ending April 23rd below.

#9. GRAN TURISMO (PSP)

Gran Turismo’s portable debut (and to date, its only portable outing) didn’t arrive easily, and though those many years of development and delays didn’t result in the stellar quality that this series is generally known for, Gran Turismo for the PSP was by no means a slouch. Offering surprisingly realistic visuals (for its time, and for the hardware, if nothing else), tight simulation and driving mechanics, and a healthy roster of vehicles to choose from, the portable racing sim made a strong impression on most who played it. There were clear issues, of course, with the lack of upgrades and a traditional career mode being chief among them, but even so, it was a solid taste of Polyphony Digital’s series on the go.

#8. GRAN TURISMO 6

Gran Turismo 6 arrived smack dab in the middle of the biggest lull the series has experienced to date- and it showed. It did, of course, excel in all the ways that a GT game is expected to- it had a sizeable roster of vehicles, was brimming with its love for detail, authenticity, and attention to detail, and as always, its driving mechanics were second to none. Some questionable decisions, however, dragged the experience down in unfortunate ways, from its iffy microtransactions to its unnecessary focus on multiplayer gameplay.

#7. GRAN TURISMO 5

Gran Turismo 5 was where the series’ downward trajectory began (and lasted until not that long ago). Arriving after a long and protracted development cycle, GT5 was far, far from a bad game, and like pretty much every other game on this list, it’s still probably one of the best racing sims we’ve ever played, at least where its driving and sim mechanics are concerned, while its incredibly vast offerings in terms of features, tracks, and vehicles were mighty impressive. But with a half-assed damage system, frustrating progression in its career mode, and surprisingly little improvements being made over its direct predecessor, Gran Turismo 5, for all of its excellence, didn’t quite live up to expectations.

#6. GRAN TURISMO SPORT

Gran Turismo Sport remains one of the most controversial and divisive games in Polyphony Digital’s series- and looking back at the state it was in at launch, it’s not surprising to see why. There was no shortage of core issues with the game, its overriding emphasis on online multiplayer being chief among them, especially since it came at the cost of a traditional single player experience. The fact that the game launched with a disappointingly small selections of tracks and vehicles didn’t much help matters either. Sure, Polyphony Digital’s post-launch support did eventually turn GT Sport into a far better game than it was when it launched, but it was still far from the game series fans wanted it to be.

#5. GRAN TURISMO 2

Gran Turismo 2 is, in essence, the prime example of a perfect iterative sequel. Following up on its revolutionary predecessor was by no means an easy task, but Polyphony Digital chose to do it in the best way possible- by expanding on all the biggest strengths of the first game. More cars, more tracks, a better physics engine. There’s an argument to be made that perhaps its unambitious nature as a sequel held it back from being as memorable as the first game was, but if all you’re talking about is execution of ideas, there’s little to dislike here.

#4. GRAN TURISMO

The one that started it all. In pretty much every way, the original Gran Turismo has been thoroughly outdone by its many successors, but given the game’s significance, you can’t help but respect it. For its time, it was an absolutely revelation. It looked amazing, it controlled like a dream, it was brimming with an impressive roster of modes, cars, and tracks, and above all else, it established ideas and mechanics that have by now become staples not only of the series, but an entire genre.

#3. GRAN TURISMO 4

Now that we’re in the top 3, there’s very, very little separating the three games that are left, and there’s a strong case to be made for each of these three being the definitive Gran Turismo experience. Gran Turismo 4 is, for many people, still one of the best racing games out there. It’s the quintessential GT game, with excellent driving and physics, best-in-class visuals, and oodles of content to keep players busy for dozens upon dozens of hours. Not everything in the game was equally fleshed out, but there was more than enough here to impress even the most cynical players.

#2. GRAN TURISMO 7

Gran Turismo had been in a bit of a slump of form since the launch of GT5, with the multiplayer-centric GT Sport being something of a nadir for the series, so there was a great deal riding on Gran Turismo 7. It pretty much had to be a return to form- and boy did it succeed in doing that. For fans of the series, the genre, and car culture in general, this game is a dream come true. Its single player component is densely packed and ingeniously structured, the game looks absolutely gorgeous, and the level of authenticity and realism displayed here just blows you away. It’s also probably the most approachable game in the series in a long, long time, so it may very well bring in a massive audience- even by Gran Turismo standards.

#1. GRAN TURISMO 3: A-SPEC

It’s hard to top Gran Turismo 3. It is, in every sense of the word, an unabashed masterpiece. It may not have been overflowing with content the way something like Gran Turismo 2 was, or Gran Turismo 7 now is, but the game’s biggest strength lay elsewhere- in how focused and tightly designed it was. Its roster of vehicles was full of cars that felt amazing to control, it had some of the best-designed tracks this series has ever had, and for its time, it looked unbelievably amazing. It’s not just the best Gran Turismo game, it may very well even be the best racing game ever made, period.