A Look At Gran Turismo Anywhere

Anyone that knows me, knows that while I’ve tried to get into the whole Facebook social gaming thing, I’d just play it for a few days, get a bit of the hook, then snap out of it and go cold for a few days. I still think it’s a great platform that can get a game a lot of exposure to a good game, given that you can get a good push behind it early when starting out, but until its games start maybe using browser-based game engines like Unity (used in EA Sports’ browser-based Tiger Woods Online – while not a Facebook game, support can be integrated with wall posts, bonuses for friend referrals and so on), console gamers will probably not take it seriously, laugh and move swiftly onwards. Now console gamers can get their fix of social gaming on a more serious game – Gran Turismo 5.

Gran Turismo 5 will have an online mode called Gran Turismo Anywhere. Now, I’m not sure of any possible integration into existing social networks like Facebook and Twitter, but by setting your PS3 on Remote Play mode, and logging in via Gran-Turismo.com using your PlayStation Network login details, you can log in to GT message boards and chat rooms, view your garage online, as well as manage your AI-controlled drivers in remote races, loan your AI driver to people on your friends list for team racing, send each other gifts in the shape of performance parts and possibly cars themselves (unconfirmed), and share photos and replays.

All this combined looks like a hefty full-on GT experience, whether on or away from your your computer. The game is released in only a few weeks time, on November 2nd in the Americas, and November 3rd in Europe. The Gran Turismo Anywhere portal will be available around the end of November.

Pictures via Gran-Turismo.com.