Gran Turismo 6 has yet to be released, but developer Polyphony Digital is already preparing for Gran Turismo 7, which could appear sooner than many gamers have assumed. In an interview with Famitsu, translated by Polygon, while discussing the PlayStation 4's CPU, producer Kazunori Yamauchi casually mentioned that Gran Turismo 7 will be coming in a few years:
"The PlayStation 4's large memory size is a unique trait ... but in terms of CPU performance, the PS3's Cell chip, while difficult to handle, is really capable. They both have different advantages. Besides, I think the online community aspect, one of the most fun parts of GT, doesn't have anything to do with the platform. The PlayStation 4 game which we'll likely call GT7 will be done in about a year or two, I think, and I think the community aspect's going to be vital there as well."
This is huge news, as Gran Turismo 6 will launch on Dec. 6 for the PlayStation 3. And while Polyphony Digital is notorious for waiting years to release new entries in its franchises, the developer now looks to be preparing for the next-gen gap between entries by developing Gran Turismo 7 for the PlayStation 4 fairly early in the console's life cycle.
Yamauchi also revealed that Polyphony Digital is still working hard on Gran Turismo 6, and the team is focusing on tightening up the game and helping it become a more mainstream franchise:
"We're devoting ourselves to two forces in GT6. One is honing the internal mechanics of the game, the physics engine and user interface and so on. Another is pushing the title's external energies, trying to help it break out of the shell of the video-game industry. I'm hoping that everyone is looking forward to seeing what efforts we're making on both fronts."
One point that will help the Gran Turismo franchise reach new heights is the Gran Turismo movie that Sony is working on. The movie was announced during Gamescom 2013, and will feature the real-life story of Lucas Ordóñez, a Gran Turismo fan who took his love of the games and turned into into a real-life career as a professional race car driver.
Look out for more Gran Turismo 6 and 7 news right here as Polyphony Digital works on both games and the December release date for Gran Turismo 6 draws closer.