In 2006, two online test versions of Gran Turismo 4, titled Gran Turismo 4 Online (グランツーリスモ 4 オンライン実験バージョン, guran tsūrisumo 4 onlain jīken bāshyon), were released to small audiences in Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
These versions were not intended to precede a Gran Turismo 4 Online full scale release, but to gather player feedback and networking statistics while developing features and structures for future online-enabled titles on PlayStation 3 and beyond.
Japan & South Korea[]
The East Asian release, called Online Test Version (disc code PAPX-90523), was distributed to 4,700 selected gran-turismo.com members from Japan and 300 from South Korea, for a total of 5,000 test players.
Selecting the extra "Online" mode leads to the "Online Home" that features additional game modes, "Quick Race", "Tuned Car Race", "Private Race" (that requires a password) and "Time Attack". The "News" communicated to players the availability of online courses or special events, usually with a limited date and time.
The test period was just over 90 days (1 June - 1 September) and included features such as 6-player Competition, Time Trial, and an early chat center, where players could send text or voice messages to one another. An Internet ranking chart was available on the game's website. There were also some special events held involving real-life Super GT drivers.
Although released later than international versions of the game, the build is based on the original Japanese release; as such, several cars added to the international releases of the car are missing in this version, likely to maintain parity with the released version.
North America[]
In June 2006, a smaller release was distributed to 3,000 selected PlayStation Gamer Advisory Panel (GAP) members. This was an invitation-only, now-defunct group created by Sony Computer Entertainment America that received access to member-only forums and online beta tests, among others. This release was labeled Online Public Beta (disc code SCUS-97436), and is based on the NTSC-U version of Gran Turismo 4. There were also some bug fixes that were not included in the previous retail versions. The North American release likely coincided with its Japanese/Korean counterpart.[1][2]
Information on the North American online beta test is scarce, as testers were subject to a non-disclosure agreement.[3]
Trivia[]
.png){kind=link}
The N-class system appearing in Japanese test program's Tuned Car Race
- The online test program marked the debut of the N-class system later used in Gran Turismo Sport. The difference is that the GT4 Online also uses this for racing cars, with R prefix instead for them.
- Menu graphics for the Audi R8 (Audi PlayStation Team ORECA) '05 can be found in both builds, suggesting that the car was meant to appear in the online test program.
- A screenshot of the car running in GT4 was posted as a promotion for an official time trial event for Japanese gran-turismo.com members (using retail version) at the time, where the closest equivalent (Audi R8 Race Car '01) was used.[4]
- Unlike the original GT4, which shipped on a dual-layer disc, the online-enabled versions are shipped on a single-layer DVD. Some filler content, such as intro FMV, were removed in order to fit the game into a single-layer disc. Several changes were also made:
- New saved games start with all cars present in the garage and Cr. 110,000,000 in the bank.
- Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (and for the Japanese Online Test Version, Gran Turismo 4 Prologue) data cannot be imported for license head start.
- The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR TOMMI MAKINEN EDITION '00 (and it's RS counterpart) had their taillight garnishes removed, which in real-life was only present in the "stripe" model that did not return from GT3. This taillight garnish change was first made for the unreleased Mainland Chinese edition of the game (which was compiled first),[5] and would be later widely seen starting in GTPSP and GT5.
- A new "f1" tyre compound was added specifically for the Formula Gran Turismo. It offers the highest grip of any tyre compound in the game, with the same wear rate as racing softs. The Formula Gran Turismo's stock downforce was also lowered to compensate.
- On the East Asian Online Test Version specifically, some cars had their grip levels increased, including the BMW M3 GTR and Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nur (R34). These changes would not carry over to the Western Online Public Beta.
- The Arcade Mode car switching glitch, used to obtain access to special color variants of certain cars, can no longer be performed.
- Photo saved to USB drive are now stored in
DCIM\100PDIGTfolder (similar to in Tourist Trophy where photos are stored atDCIM\100PDITT), instead of theGT4folder in the drive's root directory. - For the North American Online Public Beta, Suzuka Circuit West now has a description text, which was absent in the retail version in that region.
- Accounting for both Japanese/Korean and North American test programs, there are likely up to 8,000 online testers combined.
Notes[]
- ↑ GT4 online beta test - GTPlanet (thread from 2006)
- ↑ Gran Turismo 4 Online Beta Test - Apply NOW! - NeoGAF (thread from 2006)
- ↑ KryptonZod's post on the NeoGAF thread, with snippets of the beta program FAQ
- ↑ SCEJ、「グランツーリスモ4」公式タイムアタック大会を開催、第1回はル・マン24時間耐久レース参戦記念大会 (Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. (Japan) to hold the first official Gran Turismo 4 time attack commemorating participation in the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race) - Game Watch (Japanese)
- ↑ Gran Turismo 4 Model Fixes in 2005
| ||||||||||||||||||||