Sony and its developers at Polyphony Digital set the gold standard for console racing simulations with the Gran Turismo series, which revolutionized players' expectations for console racing sims. Now, it's looking to do the same for the lesser-known sport of motorcycle racing. Tourist Trophy is Polyphony Digital's attempt at re-creating the motoracing with the same precision that made Gran Turismo famous. If Gran Turismo was "the real driving simulator," then it wants Tourist Trophy to be "the real riding simulator."

What inspired this? We all know that Polyphony Digital prides itself on creating beautiful-looking simulations (which may be reason enough), but according to Taku Imasaki, the game's American producer, it also wanted to tap a new core of fans. According to him, Gran Turismo and its sequels inspired real-life racing enthusiasts to buy PlayStations, even those who'd previously had no interesting in video games. Polyphony is looking to foster the same phenomenon with Tourist Trophy, only this time among motorcycle enthusiasts.

Every Little Rivet

That Gran Turismo-like attention to detail is immediately apparent upon seeing the game. The 80+ licensed, real-life motorcycles are drawn from multiple decades, and sport phenomenal attention to detail. Every little piece of the engines and wires and bodies are meticulously re-created, to the point that they use more polygons than the cars of Gran Turismo 4. (The downside to this massive detail is that only four bikes can race at one time.) As with the Gran Turismo games, Polyphony achieved this level of detail by actually renting each bike from the manufacturers and extensively photographing them and recording their engine noises. That may seem more than a bit obsessive, but it's clear by now that Polyphony Digital takes its simulations very seriously.


On the tech side, Tourist Trophy will use a heavily modified version of Gran Turismo 4's graphic engine, delivering 60 frame-per-second fluidity with support for both 16:9 widescreen and 1080i. The physics have been extensively reworked to service the rather different needs of motorcycle simulation. Most of the over 35 racetracks will also be drawn from that game as well, as both sports tend to use the same courses. This being Polyphony Digital, however, the developers have made sure to incorporate any changes that have occurred at each raceway since Gran Turismo 4 was developed.

The Art of Braking

This being a simulation, there's a huge emphasis on proper braking, which is the key component of efficient cornering. Luckily for new racers, a helpful "brake!" sign appears when it's prudent to lay off the gas, helping soften the learning curve. The only other assist is traction control. Automatic braking probably won't make the cut, as, well, it doesn't exist in real life. Neither do flashing brake signs, of course -- it seems the team just dislikes the concept of assisted braking. They're hardcore like that.