GT5 Commentary: Gran Turismo Needs a Greater Overall Racing Presence... to an Extent

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Why I love the Gran Turismo series is because I'm able to race as hard as I can, but then come back down to go down to go tune cars and simply relax. Gran Turismo doesn't have any real deal in which you feel like you're in a proper racing-type environment. You know, it doesn't sometimes feel like you're part of a racing team or that you're actually involved in racing, though you are racing cars in the game. It's basically collect-and-race. What I'm envisioning for GT5 is that I FEEL more like I'm in a proper racing series in a game without being severely commited or obligated to race. Or that I have contract offers or something. Basically, something in the general realm of feeling like part of a race team going up against other teams in the game would suffice.

This blog entry mostly involves establishing a better motorsports presence. A future entry will include how to actually implement a racing-type atmosphere.



Liveries.
Something I'm reminded of as far as racing against other team cars is playing "ToCA Race Driver" games. Among the fictional championships, you actually see cars painted up for racing, even if it's a street car just painted up in a racing way. That is what I'd like to see. I want to see fictional (just to avoid having to pursue copyrights) teams. I want to see Polyphony Digital's creativity in utilizing some kind of livery editor or in trying to specially paint-up cars just to get the feeling that you're racing against team cars and other teams. When I look on the track, I don't see a bunch of other cars- I see other drivers and other teams after the same thing I'm after. The series has yet to capture this feeling to a great extent.

Character to Championships.
The Gran Turismo World Championship is a championship that's of great importance to me in Gran Turismo games. So I want it to have some extra character outside of just showing up with a super-fast car racing a bunch of events. I want to feel like I'm engaged. Immerse me in a pure racing environment to where I feel like other Gran Turismo racers look up to me and others as part of a championship. In other words, make us feel like we're on TV with the lights on bright. Make me feel like it's primetime, and I'm in the race of my life. So how do you acheive this? One such way is to basically come along with various championships featuring various cars and tracks. I think more championships should feature race-prepared vehicles so that it feels like proper racing championships. Qualifying isn't necessary, but at least bring it back to help.

In addition to adding some character to championships, perhaps make certain championships and races to where you need to be invited or something to compete in them. For example, some championship series can have "Knockout Qualifying" like in F1 where you narrow the field down to where the best cars try to maintain their status and avoid qualifying guaranteed last place. It may mean you're in championships for longer than you want, but at least you feel more engaged in a championship than more like "get me in, get me out."


The Other Drivers.
You make an effort to make your car the best on the track in addition to showing off the best of your skill. Why don't some of the other AI racers have this sort of soul in racing? I'm not saying make them look more like this is a reality TV series than a video game, but at least show some properly-painted and tuned up cars either at your level or at a level higher or lower than you. GT4's Difficulty deal for Arcade Mode races and Family Cup events gives you a sort of barometer to work with. Imagine going up against 15 other drivers with cars tuned at your level or somewhere above/below your level. Obviously, better driving skills by the others also help.


This "...to an Extent" Thing.
I mention that I'd like to see a better motorsports presence in GT5. However, I still want to still know I'm playing a GT game rather than a full-on, hardcore racing sim. I don't want this to be a game that controls my life when I play it. The key point I've mentioned is cool-down. I want to still be able to compete in whatever I like without having to feel seriously under contract or something to race in a certain series, thus banning me from competing in others.



The Gran Turismo Way of Life.
Here's what I'm thinking. Sixteen cars usually show up for race day. I put a lot of faith in the car I've bought and tuned up to compete in racing competition. This same feeling is the kind of feeling and heart I'd love to see in Gran Turismo 5. To an extent, I want to feel like I'm more involved for when I'm in racing competition. I'm not just racing against AI or human drivers, I'm up against teams. Again, make it LIKE I'm part of a race team in proper championships, without feeling like a GTR or ToCA Race Driver where I can't really enjoy my cooldown periods after races. Will GT5 have this? Will there be this level of immersion? We shall see.



Feel free to comment at will!

GT5 Commentary: More National and International Championship Series?

This blog entry contains some thoughts of mine in regards to the possibility of expanding GT5's motorsports hierarchy a bit more. You may have seen my videos about if other international locales will help expand Gran Turismo's worldwide view a touch more. I'm going to use insight to help offer views of what if a national and/or international championship would enhance the Gran Turismo a touch more.





--- Championship Racing: Perspective ---
The game for perspective as far as geographical region championships go is "ToCA World Touring Cars." I chose not to use the American name ("Jarrett and LaBonte Stock Car Racing"), simply because you're marketing touring cars to be like stock cars. That's not right. But because a NASCAR name is given, it increases its value in the US. Shame. Anyhow, on to the real point of this.

ToCA World Touring Cars allowed you the opportunity to race around the world with various cars around the world. In Career Mode, you have seven National-level championships, three International championships, and one World championship. Each of those championships had their own cars available for you to race within each championship. The National-level championships are as follows:

* North American Championship (United States and Canada)
* South and Central American Championship (Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina (mostly Latin America))
* British Championship (United Kingdom)
* German (Germany and Austria)
* Mediterranean Championship (Spain, France, and Italy)
* Japanese Championship (Japan)
* Australian (Australia)

You need to gain enough points to enter the International races. Those races include:

* Pan-American Championship (United States, Canada, and Latin America)
* European Championship (United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, and Italy)
* Asia-Pacific Championship (Japan and Australia)

And finally, you take on a worldwide schedule. This will likely include cars and tracks from the world over.



The Gran Turismo series has matured in a way that there is more an international presence in selectable cars and different tracks to race. Most people who are usually critical of the GT series has talked so much about how there's too much Japan and not enough of other countries represented in GT. It's mostly understandable to have a touch of bias in what kinds of courses are usually shown. Polyphony Digital is Japanese, so there's a bias towards Japanese more than American or European cars and tracks. Yet, I see very few complain of British bias in Codemasters. Some people, I swear, have some kind of "always hate Japan" mentality. I don't get it.





--- Can Proper Regional and National Championships be Possible in GT5? ---
To have proper regional championships, you need a variety of courses based in various locations. A rule I go by is that you need at least three tracks from one nation or international region to have a proper championship in a video game.



To use Gran Turismo 4, here are some international championships that are possible on tarmac circuits. And I will use hypothetical names:

--- GT4 Regionals ---
* American Championship
(Sears Point/Infineon Raceway, Laguna Seca, New York, Seattle, and El Capitan)

* European Championship
(Nürburgring Nordschleife, Opera Paris, George V. Paris, both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Cote d'Azur, Citta di Aria, and Costa di Amalfi)

* French Championship
(both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Opera Paris, Cote d'Azur, and George V. Paris)

* Continental European Championship
(Opera Paris, George V. Paris, Citta di Aria, Costa di Amalfi)



* Japanese Championship
(Tokyo R246, all Motegi configurations, all Suzuka configurations, all Fuji configurations, Tsukuba)

* Asia-Pacific
(Tokyo R246, all Motegi configurations, all Suzuka configurations, all Fuji configurations, Tsukuba, Hong Kong, and Seoul)



--- GT4 Internationals ---
I will use "Pan-America" to mean both North and South America, even though all the North American races in GT4 take place in America.

* Pan-America vs. Mediterranean
(Sears Point/Infineon Raceway, Laguna Seca, New York, Seattle, El Capitan, both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Opera Paris, George V. Paris, Cote d'Azur, Citta di Aria, and Costa di Amalfi)

* Mediterranean vs. Asia-Pacific
(both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Opera Paris, George V. Paris, Cote d'Azur, Citta di Aria, Costa di Amalfi, Tokyo R246, all Motegi configurations, all Suzuka configurations, all Fuji configurations, and Tsukuba)

* Asia-Pacific vs. Pan-America
(Tokyo R246, all Motegi configurations, all Suzuka configurations, all Fuji configurations, Tsukuba, Hong Kong, Seoul, Sears Point/Infineon Raceway, Laguna Seca, New York, Seattle, El Capitan, both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Opera Paris, George V. Paris, Opera Paris, Citta di Aria, and Costa di Amalfi)





What if you could combine all real-world courses and locales from past GT games including some from Tourist Trophy and GT5: Prologue? This would be your end result:

--- GT Regionals ---
* American Championship
(Sears Point/Infineon Raceway, Laguna Seca, New York, both Seattle versions, El Capitan, and both Daytona configurations)

* European Championship
(Nürburgring Nordschleife, Opera Paris, George V. Paris, both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Cote d'Azur, Citta di Aria, Costa di Amalfi, Grindelwald, both Rome Circuit configurations, Rome-Night, both London configurations, and Eiger Nordwand)

* French Championship
(both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Opera Paris, Cote d'Azur, and George V. Paris)

* Italian Championship
(both Rome Circuit configurations, Rome-Night, Citta di Aria, and Costa di Amalfi)

* Mediterranean Championship (including Tourist Trophy)
(Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo (Valencia), Opera Paris, George V. Paris, Citta di Aria, Costa di Amalfi, Grindelwald, Eiger Nordwand, both Rome Circuit configurations, Rome-Night, Citta di Aria, and Costa di Amalfi)

* Japanese Championship
(Tokyo R246, all Motegi configurations, all Suzuka configurations, all Fuji configurations, Tsukuba)

* Asia-Pacific
(Tokyo R246, all Motegi configurations, all Suzuka configurations, all Fuji configurations, Tsukuba, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tahiti Road)



--- GT Internationals ---
I will use "Pan-America" to mean both North and South America, even though all the North American races in GT4 take place in America. Mediterrenean mostly pertains to mostly all European courses, though I have had ideas of European and African courses in GT5. Asia-Pacific mostly pertains to Asia (including Japan), though I seriously wish to see events in Australasia (mostly Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand). Asia-Pacific may also mean if any other venues on Pacific islands are possible.

* Pan-America vs. Mediterranean
(Sears Point/Infineon Raceway, Laguna Seca, New York, both Seattle versions, El Capitan, both Daytona configurations, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Opera Paris, George V. Paris, both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Cote d'Azur, Citta di Aria, Costa di Amalfi, Grindelwald, both Rome Circuit configurations, Rome-Night, both London configurations, and Eiger Nordwand)

* Mediterranean vs. Asia-Pacific
(Nürburgring Nordschleife, Opera Paris, George V. Paris, both versions of Circuit de la Sarthe, Cote d'Azur, Citta di Aria, Costa di Amalfi, Grindelwald, both Rome Circuit configurations, Rome-Night, both London configurations, Eiger Nordwand, Tokyo R246, all Motegi configurations, all Suzuka configurations, all Fuji configurations, and Tsukuba)

* Asia-Pacific vs. Pan-America
(Tokyo R246, all Motegi configurations, all Suzuka configurations, all Fuji configurations, Tsukuba, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tahiti Road, Sears Point/Infineon Raceway, Laguna Seca, New York, both Seattle versions, El Capitan, and both Daytona configurations)



As a little note, various cars can be entered into such championships. So for the Asia-Pacific vs. Pan-American championship, you may not be able to bring your BMW Z4 to compete unless there are specifications prohibiting certain nationalities of car from entering. But for the most part, I have this all in the basis of any nationality of car being acceptable to race. Then again, one could make the case that it wouldn't be very fair to enter a Japanese car into a Pan-American vs. Mediterranean championship. Your call.





--- Solidifying an International Championship Base for GT5 ---
Polyphony Digital will need to come up with more new courses for GT5. The key areas are in some places that have never been featured in a GT game (and may make good locations for events): Canada, Latin America, Scandinavia, Africa, Middle East, South and Southeast Asia (excluding Hong Kong), China, Australasia, and (maybe) Polynesia. A cheap way to get more racing out of such locales would be to find a track that can have multiple configurations. The Motegi tracks and Suzuka configurations are prime examples.



--- Do Nationalities of Car Represented in GT Need Suitable Venues in Their Native Lands? ---
I think to enhance the international appeal, you need to have venues for that specific nation. Every nationality of car needs at least one track from that nation for a proper "home field advantage." Look at GT4. America's completely represented, Japan has LOTS of tracks, France has a good deal of GT courses, Germany has a venue (by the way, if they are going to have the Nürburgring Nordschleife, at least include the Nürburgring F1 circuit just so that you aren't forced to race the super-long Nordschleife all the time), Italy is represented fairly, and even South Korea has representation. GT4's car nationalities without a track in each nation includes the United Kingdom, Denmark (Spyker), Spain (SEAT), Belgium (Gillet), Sweden (Volvo), and Australia.

For the unrepresentated nations, an effort to find various courses would be a great idea. The United Kingdom, Spain, and Australia have lots of courses. As for places like Belgium and Sweden, you have two options: put them into seperate championships, or incorporate both countries and try to find some suitable racing locales. So you might use Belgium for some German racing action like at Spa-Francorchamps or Zolder. You may include Sweden for some Swedish venues (like Mantorp Park or Anderstorp), or you may include some Finnish or Norwegian tracks for a Scandinavian Championship. Australia is a special case. You may have racing in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. The best thing to do here is to look for Australian venues while also looking for a New Zealand venue or two.

So indeed PD will need some more venues to sweeten an already tasty pot.





I may edit this post to include more information. But for right now, that concludes my commentary on proper regional racing both in national and international region settings.

GT5 Speculation: Other International Locales?

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There are a variety of places that don't have any representation in the Gran Turismo series. But first, this video of mine compliments this blog entry:



There are a variety of locations where the PD team can go out and examine to make more international locales to better cover the world of Gran Turismo than ever before. This is a massive blog entry as it highlights as many international regions as I can as well as countless possibilities to have some Gran Turismo racing worldride. Got time on your side? You'll need it!





OVERVIEW:
* North America
* Central America
* Latin America

* British Isles
* Europe...
...Western and Southwestern Europe
...Central Europe
...Southern Europe
...Russia

* Northern and Central Africa
* Southern Africa and Madagascar

* Middle East...
* ...Turkey
* ...Arabian Peninsula

* Asia (excluding Middle East)...
* ...South Asia
* ...Southeast Asia and the Philippines
* ...China and the Korea Republic
* ...Japan

* Australasia...
* ...Australia and Tasmania
* ...New Zealand

* Pacific Islands and Other Places

--- North and South America ---

A number of people who I sometimes read comments from really talk down on Polyphony Digital like they are terrible fails at finding American venues. Some probably wish there were more muscle cars and more American venues than mostly Japanese tracks and venues. Well here, this is a chance to make your case known. I explain a variety of courses and cities that would enhance Gran Turismo 5 to a great degree.

Other American Venues and Cities.

I'd be interested in seeing a variety of racing venues in America. Unlike most other people I'm not going to lash out on or be picky about American locales in the game. Maybe there's a little Enthusia in me, but I'd love to see a San Francisco street course. I love San Francisco. Maybe include Long Beach. Sebring and Road Atlanta would be great to include and would really enhance the American racing scene in Gran Turismo. Other venues I'd be interested in seeing:

* Barber Motorsports Park (Leeds, Alabama, USA)
* Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, Utah, USA)
* Road America (Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA)
* Motor Sport Ranch Houston (Angleton, Texas, USA)
* Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Indiana, USA)
* Portland International Raceway (Portland, Oregon, USA)
* Lime Rock Park (Lakeville, Connecticut, USA)

Fantasy street courses in the following American cities would add some extra appeal (feel free to add your own!):
* Houston, Texas, USA
* San Antonio, Texas, USA
* St. Louis, Missouri, USA
* Detroit, Michigan, USA
* San Francisco, California, USA (like Pacific Gateway in Enthusia Professional Racing)
* Los Angeles, California, USA
* Denver, Colorado, USA
* Miami, Florida, USA
* Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (other than the drag strip)
* Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
* Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Canada.

Polyphony Digital can have a variety of newer locales. The favorites for me would be the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and the beautiful Mont-Tremblant course. If offered, races around Mosport, Vancouver, Toronto, and Trois-Rivieres would be nice bonuses.

I've even found out about a location in Canada called Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada. That's a very beautiful place from what I've seen in pictures. It, too, would make a great Photo Mode location.

Mexico and Central America.

I'd like to see some Latin American venues. The big one for me would be the Mexico City (Autodromo de los Hermanos Rodriguez). MAYBE Funidora Park (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico) as well. Street courses would be interesting for cities like the following:
* San Luis Potosi, Mexico
* Tijuana, Mexico
* Cancun, Mexico
* Tela, Honduras
* San Salvador, El Salvador
* Panama City, Panama

South America.

You HAVE to include Brazil. There's just no other way. Interlagos and Brasilia would be nice venues. I also wanted to mention the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, but I think that track is now-defunct. The Buenos Aires race course (Autódromo Juan y Óscar Gálvez) would be great to include as far as non-Brazilian venues go. You could plan fantasy street courses for the following cities:
* Rio de Janerio, Brazil (like Forza Motorsport attempted)
* Sao Paulo, Brazil
* Machu Picchu, Peru
* Caracas, Venezuela
* Buenos Aires, Argentina
* Rosario, Argentina
* Santiago, Chile

--- Europe ---

The modern automobile was born in Europe, so why not give some European love? GT4 did the European scene a great favor by including the Circuit de la Sarthe and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. There are many more courses and locales to look into for GT5.

British Isles and Ireland.

Doesn't it feel good to finally have British representation in Gran Turismo with the London street course and the Top Gear Test Track? To say that England loves their motorsport is a severe understatement. They mostly live and breathe motorsport. There are a garden variety of racing series for various styles of cars and motorcycles. Silverstone has been one of my favorite British courses. Donnington Park has always been a challenging course to me. There's always Brands Hatch as far as great motor racing circuits in the British Isles go. Not going to say it's can't-miss, but it's one of the most popular courses there for sure. Snetterton seems simple, but can be very tricky if you get it wrong. Cadwell Park is a beautiful facility with a competitive race track. Oulton Park is challenging. It's rather narrow as well as tricky. Finally, you can REALLY do justice by including the Goodwood Festival of Speed and/or the Goodwood Revival. There are countless options to choose from.

I am not as educated about Irish tracks except for the tricky Mondello Park. The absolute extreme would be an automotive version of the Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man.

Fantasy street courses could help. There's already London. How about a few more?
* Manchester, England
* Sheffield, England
* Cardiff, Wales
* Swansea, Wales
* Edinboro, Scotland
* Dublin, Ireland
* Belfast, Northern Ireland

Continental Europe: Western and Southwestern Europe.

I'll be going on what the CIA World Factbook (and Wikipedia) label as Western Europe. I've already mentioned the British Isles, so I'll move into continental Europe. Those countries to be mentioned in this section include the following: Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Monaco. I'll also mention Southwestern Europe; but mostly Portugal and Spain. Now it's being said that a fantasy street course around Madrid, Spain is in the works. So I won't mention Madrid in this section. Belgium is a small-size country, but it features one of the world's best race tracks- Spa-Francorchamps. So that's something to definitely be excited about if you're hoping for more European representation in GT. You can't do any more wrong with Circuit de la Sarthe. You COULD look to add the Bugatti circuit apart from the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe course. Magny-Cours is a great course. One of the most unique courses is Circuit Paul Ricard with its unusual and colorful runoff areas. And about the only other French course I know is Dijon-Prenois. Only track I know in the Netherlands is Assen. That course is tough. There's also Zandvoort, which is pretty tough as well. Spain has a great deal of racing history. Catalunya is perhaps the best circuit in Spain. PD MAY be inclined to port Valencia from Tourist Trophy to GT5. Other good Spanish courses include Jerez and Jarama. What would be interesting is if they got in the Ascari Race Resort. Either way, Spain is one of those can't-miss countries for motorsport. All I know about Portugal racing is the Estoril circuit and the all-new Portimao circuit. Get your engine revved up for racing in Western Europe in GT!

Fantasy street courses from the aforementioned countries (if they can't get real courses) would be great for the following locations:
* Marseilles, France
* Nice, France (a Sister City of my hometown of Houston, TX, USA)
* Amsterdam, Netherlands
* Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands
* Barcelona, Spain
* Seville (Sevilla), Spain
* Toledo, Spain
* Salamanca, Spain
* Lisbon (Lisboa), Portugal

Continental Europe: Central Europe.

The nations to be included in this section include Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Germany is a true heaven of racing circuits as well as some outstanding cars. I'm not usually a fanatic of racing the Nürburgring Nordschleife, but I think if this course is going to be included, try getting the Nürburgring F1 course for when you don't want to do all 12+ miles of the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It may even open up the opportunity to run the full 24 Hour Nürburgring course. Hockenheim was a great course, until this dumbed-down version came along. I know the safety aspect, but I've missed the old Hockenheim. Still do. Other German courses can include the Norisring raced by DTM, Eurospeedway Lausitz (that I've always known as the Lausitzring), Oschersleben, and the Sachsenring. If I think Austria, I usually think of the A1 Ring (which I didn't know is also called the Österreichring. Austria is a beautiful country. Brno is the only track I really know in the Czech Republic. That track can be super-slow as every corner is either a 2nd or 3rd Gear corner. Only other course I've heard of was Most. I only know the Hungaroring and Euro-Ring as far as Hungarian circuits go. You be the judge on returning the Swiss Alps. Many people would want to see Grindelwald return. Then again, we do get Eiger Nordwand. This covers all or most of the known circuits.

Fictional street courses in Central European locales would include the following:
* Frankfurt, Germany
* Cologne (Köln), Germany
* Munich, Germany
* Vienna (Wien), Austria
* Budapest, Hungary
* Bern, Switzerland
* Lucerne (Luzern) Switzerland (now a Photo Mode location for GT5!)
* Geneva, Switzerland
* Zurich, Switzerland
* Bratislava, Slovakia

Continental Europe: Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

In this section, I will mention mostly the Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland). There are no proper race tracks I know in Denmark. In Sweden, I know of Anderstorp after playing the very first GTR game. There's also Mantorp Park, where you can enjoy some drag racing down the backstretch since it's so long. Sweden is also your hookup for rally racing as you can enjoy rally racing on natural snow. That would be a great consideration for GT5. Finland would be a great rally zone. You can also hark back to the Helsinki street course in the mid-late 1990s. Really, there's not many major places I can think of. If you're crazy enough to think of a Greenlandic course, it would most likely have to be a rally course, or just a romp through a village or town. I've known someone online from Sisimiut, Greenland; which is a coastal city in west southwestern Greenland. I mention Greenland because it's a Denmark dependency.

Fantasy street courses for this international region would include the following:
* Copenhagen, Denmark
* Stockholm, Sweden
* Gothenburg, Sweden
* Helsinki, Finland (even including the real street course raced by a few series)
* Reykjavik, Iceland
* Tallinn, Estonia

Continental Europe: Southern Europe and the Mediterranean.

I'm going to define Southern Europe as the following locations that I will mention in this section: Italy, Croatia, Greece, San Marino, and Vatican City. The acquistion of Ferrari means that Polyphony Digital can come up with any number of venues to enjoy racing. Most notably, they COULD use Fiorano, which is Ferrari's test track. They can really do justice by getting the three "M" courses in Italy- Mugello, Misano, and especially Monza. I love racing Monza in games. Mugello can be quite fast, especially on the front straight. Misano is a little more technical, yet still fast. Vallelunga's road course (because Vallelunga does have an oval, but not a traditional American-type oval) is pretty tricky. Mugello is a high-speed playground, but its sudden corners will befuddle speed freaks. Misano is about the same, but you can only go so fast around that course. A return to Rome Circuit days would be a welcome return for the GT series. I'd surely love to see the Rome Night course return so it can be raced MUCH more often than the almost total neglect it had in GT2 (not that I don't mind the Rome Circuit). Enna Pergusa was a course from GTR, and it's a fun course. Adria is a very competitive circuit. The draw for this track to me is that the course is actually much shorter than its configuration suggests. Its full configuration is nowhere near two miles in length (it's about 1.679 miles in length). DO NOT pass up Italy! San Marino is known for only one course- Imola. I've never been a real fan of Imola, but it would be nice to see this track featured. The sad fact about this course is that this is where the great Ayrton Senna was killed at in 1993. There are two Greek courses, Megara and Serres. I know nothing of them. Best that can be done would be a fantasy street course event in Athens or make your own Acropolis Rally.

Rome has been featured in a GT game, so a return there would be great for GT5. Other fictional street course locations in the following cities would be real interesting:
* Vatican City
* Milan, Italy
* Modena, Italy
* Maranello, Italy
* Florence, Italy
* Tuscany, Italy
* Zagreb, Croatia
* Athens, Greece
* Meteora, Greece
* Mykonos, Greece
* Santorini, Greece
* Valletta, Malta
* Msida, Malta

Continental Europe: Eastern Europe and Russia.

Nothing to really note as far as interesting tracks. I know I've heard of a potential Russian Formula 1 course, but nothing to really interesting of note to include here. Possible fantasy street courses would include the following:

* Moscow, Russia
* St. Petersburg, Russia
* Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

(more speculative Eastern Europe venues to be included in the future)

--- Africa ---

Africa is known for two major kinds of racing- rally racing and road racing.

Northern and Central Africa.

I mostly think of the Dakar Rally here. You can have desert-style racing across the Sahara Desert. However, you may still hold a stage using Dakar, Senegal; where the traditional Dakar Rally ends. There was a proposed race track called Ghazala Bay, but last I've heard, those plans have since been cancelled. Nairobi wouldn't be bad for a street course race. Then again, don't forget having your own Safari Rally experience!

Fictional street courses would include venues in the following places:
* Cairo, Egypt
* Aswan, Egypt
* Casablanca, Morocco
* Dakar, Senegal
* Nairobi, Kenya
* (a rally-type course in Nigeria, perhaps the Nigerian capital, Lagos)

Southern Africa and Madagascar.

Only real thing to take away from here is the experience of racing at two of Africa's finest race courses, both in the same country- South Africa. Kyalami is a technical race course, not to mention a fun one. It used to host the South African Grand Prix. The Phakisa Freeway hosts a variety of racing events. The facility in Welkom, South Africa has a 2.5 kilometer oval (about maybe 1.25 or 1.5 miles - top of my head) and a road course. I know it better for the road course configuration there. Like so few oval courses, the Phakisa Freeway's road course does not technically use the oval. As for Madagascar, there are no racing venues to speak of. You COULD do a tarmac rally around Antananarivo (Madagascar's capital).

Fictional street courses would include the following:
* Pretoria, South Africa
* Johannesburg, South Africa
* Cape Town, South Africa

--- Middle East (Excluding Egypt) ---

There actually is racing within the Middle East. The first kind of Middle Eastern racing I've heard of is Middle Eastern rally racing. Motorsports in the Middle East has really emerged. Really, this would come down to four primary countries, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey.

Turkey has the fantastic Istanbul Park circuit. It is a track with a great rhythm just about all the way around. A truly exciting course. A fantasy street course around Istanbul would be interesting, especially if you could maybe have the beautiful Hagia Sophia in the distance.

Arabian Peninsula.

This will include Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain has that very exciting F1 course It's a jewel in the desert that offers a competitive track that's also lovely. Qatar features the Losail circuit. MotoGP fans were treated to see this track lit up under lots of flood lights for MotoGP's first-ever night race last year. A similar experience would be fun for Gran Turismo 5. The United Arab Emirates has one really great track and potential second and third candidates. The Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is a very futuristic and ultra-modern racing facility. It has the combination of a competitive racing facility with a little Monte Carlo flair with the marina.

Fictional street courses would be a bit of a gamble for the Middle East, and there isn't too much you can do here except:
* Istanbul, Turkey
* Dubai, United Arab Emirates
* Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

--- Asia ---

The world's largest size continent is Asia. Lots of racing for you to enjoy if you're into racing. Let's speculate on venue ideas for GT5 in Asia!

South Asia.

South Asia will mostly be defined as Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and especially India. Only Hindu racer I've heard of is Narain Karthikeyan. There are two known Indian circuits- Kari Memorial Speedway (Coimbatore) and Irungattukottai. There's the potential for Formula One to have a first-ever Indian Grand Prix at a new track called the Jaypee Group Circuit, set to be situated about 40 miles away from Delhi. The real likelihood would probably be some fantasy street courses if you're talking Indian courses. They include:
* Mumbai, India
* Jodhpur, India
* Agra, India (where the Taj Mahal is located)
* New Dehli, India
* Calcutta (Kolkata), India
* Lucknow, India
* Kandy, Sri Lanka

Asia: Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

There are some major cities as well as some other various points that would serve as great venues for a rally race or two. Have a look:

I'd first like to start with Thailand. There are two circuits I know little about- Bira International Raceway and Thailand Circuit. Thailand Circuit has an interesting-looking configuration. Really, there's a great deal of racing in Thailand. Very involved. Actual Thai courses aren't likely in GT5, but if anything, Bangkok and Pattaya could have some fantasy road (as in country or rural roads) or street courses. Vietnam doesn't have any motor racing venues I'm aware of. Venues will have to come down to rally-type courses or street races. This would be grounds for some good rally action or maybe some street course ideas. The big-name cities to think of would be Hanoi (Ha Noi) and especially Ho Chi Minh (Saigon/Sai Gon). Some nice small cities and towns that would be good for some racing would include Vinh Long, Da Nang, and Haiphong. Surely Malaysia has some racing involvement. The Sepang is one of the finest courses in Asia. Maybe the best mainland Asia track. Very exciting course. There are some other Malaysian courses, but Sepang is the finest. A fantasy course or Photo Mode visit to Kuala Lumpur would be great. The Petronas Towers must be visible. Singapore's F1 may or may not be possible, but it's still quite fun and unique. It's an amazing experience. Even more so if included in GT5. Indonesia has the Sentul Circuit and some sort of street course around Jakarta (capital of Indonesia). How about some love for the world's largest archipelago, PD? Finally, and speaking of island nations, we conclude with the Philippines. There are two known circuits- Batangas and Subic Bay. Batangas is a tangled mess of roads, kind of like a Filipino version of Brasilia. The extended version is even more a tangled mess. Still, it's quite competitive. So is Subic Bay, which is a much more simpler course. A fantasy street course deal would include Manila or Cebu City.

Fantasy street courses in this international region would include:
* Chittagong, Bangladesh
* Bangkok, Thailand
* Pattaya, Thailand
* Hanoi (Ha Noi), Vietnam (Viet Nam)
* Saigon (Sai Gon)/Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (Viet Nam)
* Vinh Long, Vietnam
* Da Nang, Vietnam
* Haiphong, Vietnam
* Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
* Jakarta, Indonesia
* Manila, Philippines
* Cebu City, Philippines
* Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea Republic.

Hong Kong would be a nice return to GT5. But really, I'd prefer the race be held deeper into the night rather than the twilight setting. And just to make it fun, why not have a laser light show from the tops of the buildings across the water? It would make things a bit more fun. Either this, or have a more interesting race through Hong Kong. Macau is a street course nightmare. However, it's widely respected. Only RACE WTCC has featured Macau (for all I know), so why not another game to feature this place? Within China, Goldenport is popular... or at least the rFactor version. It's a very interesting course, though I've never been able to play it in rFactor. There was an A1GP event around the streets of Beijing, but it really looked like a course thrown together at the last moment and not too successful. This Jingkai course would be a no-no. Maybe look to make some more interesting city street courses using other parts of Beijing. There's also Zhuhai, which has seen some international action before. The ultimate would be the Shanghai Circuit. Taiwanese influence would include a fantasy street course in Taipei. I know nothing of North Korean racing. South Korea is pleased to be able to host a Formula One grand prix motor race in a few years. The streets of Seoul were supplied in GT4, though many felt Seoul could have been a much longer track. Changwon had a popular F3 racing venue on its city streets. Everland Speedway looks pretty fun.

The speculative fantasy street courses would include the following:
* Beijing, China
* Chongqing, China
* Wuhan, China
* Shanghai, China
* Suzhou, China
* Taipei, Taiwan
* Changwon, South Korea
* Deagu, South Korea

Japan.

Most people just think that all Polyphony Digital cares about more than any other place is their native Japan. Even so, there are a variety of challenging courses in Japan. If PD were to include more tracks from its native country, they have a variety of choices. Some are good courses that haven't made it into the GT series. With a focus on drifting, Ebisu is pretty can't-miss. One of Japan's best race courses is one that missed out on hosting an F1 race- Autopolis. The course is very challenging and really tests you on a variety of levels. Super GT (formerly the JGTC) started racing at Autopolis starting back in the 2003 or 2004 season. It's an incredible challenge. Not sure what tracks are still standing, but here are a garden variety of good Japanese courses: Nakayama, Okayama, Sugo, and Tokachi. Funny enough, I don't think there's been a proper temporary street course (the D1GP drifting action in Tokyo's Odaiba doesn't count). So let's look to fantasy street courses for some added Japanese flair:
* Yokohama, Japan
* Osaka, Japan
* Toyota, Japan
* Fukuoka, Japan
* Hiroshima, Japan
* Nagasaki, Japan
* Hakodate, Japan
* Sapporo, Japan
* Chiba, Japan

--- Australasia ---

Some think that Australia is just too far away from most other countries to really have a presence in motorsport. Australia surely has its own identity in motorsports. This is a golden opportunity for PD to look for Australian venues. They NEED Australian venues if they ever want to have a true Australian presence in GT5.

Australia and Tasmania.

Bathurst. Bathurst will make countless Australian racing fans happy. It has the history and the character to be one of the finest racing tracks to race on in ANY game. A quality look at Bathurst would be great for GT5. If not that, then there's Surfer's Paradise- one of my personal favorite street courses. You can basically follow the Australian V8 Supercar Series or maybe the Australian GT championship for great venues. Good real circuits would include Eastern Creek and Sandown. Hidden Valley and Winton would make for great racing too. Finally, how about a proper farewell to Oran Park, one of the most unique courses anywhere in the world? Maybe PD could get to Oran Park and be able to model it as this track is soon to be demolished. Phillip Island isn't bad to consider. The view of the ocean is quite unique there as you race.

There are a variety of real temporary courses like Adelaide and Melbourne's Albert Park. Fantasy street courses would be interesting in this city, especially looking to these cities:
* Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
* Canberra, Australia (just not that terrible street course from the early 2000s)
* Perth, Western Australia, Australia
* Uluru, Australia
* Brisbane, Australia
* Hobart, Tasmania
* Launceston, Tasmania

New Zealand.

Other than Pukekohe, I don't know much else about motorsport in New Zealand. I only know New Zealand for one of the most kick-ass families in racing- the Millens (Rod, Steve, Rhys, etc.). New Zealand is home to the world's southernmost race track, Teretonga Park. Taupo Motorsport Park played host to the A1 Grand Prix in the past. Teretonga Park and Taupo Motorsport Park are two lovely facilities. Only three major cities come to mind for any fictional street courses. And here are three good ideas:

* Auckland, New Zealand
* Wellington, New Zealand
* Christchurch, New Zealand





--- Various Island Nations and Other Venues ---
This just concerns any other points of the world that haven't been mentioned. I can't think of many other places. I would want to see a return to Tahiti for the GT series. Maybe look for some action in other points of the world like these:

* Noumea, New Caledonia
* Christmas Island
* Reunion Island
* Maldives
* Tuvalu
* American Samoa
* Guam
* Kingston, Jamaica
* Canary Islands
* Ibiza Town, Ibiza

--- Overall... ---

Please note that all of the many locales I mentioned will NOT be in GT5. Instead, there are ideas of mine as far as where Polyphony Digital can look to for any international locales whether in road racing, rally racing, photo mode, or any combination of the three. Gran Turismo 5 needs more Canadian, Latin American (especially Brazil), and Australian influence. A longshot would be to get some African influence as well as digging deeper into Europe. I also believe that Gran Turismo 5 should include at least one track from each of the nationalities of cars in the game. GT4 is an example of some places that have a nationality of car, only not with a "home" track. Think of Seat (Spanish), Spyker (Denmark), Gillet (Belgium), Volvo (Sweden), and all the Australian makes (Holden, Ford Australia, and FPV). They need some sort of representation for home tracks! This was a long read, but it's just the various ideas and locations that PD can look to for inspiration to travel the world looking for the next best venues to feature in the Gran Turismo series.





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