I keep seeing, not only on vgcharts, but on other websites too, people bashing GT5:P (Gran Turismo 5: Prolouge) and its price.  It really seems silly for people to be criticizing a game in which most of them have only seen screenshots and promo videos.  I keep hearing things like, "I'm not paying 40 bucks for a demo."  This game is not a demo, if you want to play a demo of the game for free, make a Japanese PSN account where you can download the GT5:P demo, you get about 4 cars, 1 track, and 1 event.

Prolouge has 40 different cars ranging from Daihatsu to Ferrari, around 50 seperate events, many of which have different objectives so it doesn't get boring (normal racing, mission racing, time trails, etc.), 10 different tracks that are drop dead beautiful, GTTV - a program that gets updated with full 1080p racing news/shows, and supports online racing with up to 16 people.  I'm sorry, but there is more in the Prolouge of GT5 than there was in Motorstorm, and a lot of people had no problem paying $60 bucks for that game.  This game has a ton of replay value, which I think many of us consider a very valuable quality in the game and truly is "The New Standard" in racing games.  The physics of GT5:P blow Forza 2 out of the water.  Forza 2 is its own game and has its own strengths I realize, but in terms of realism in driving it doesn't compare.  Also, for people worried and po'd there is no damage, that is taken care of with the 5 second penalties if you bump into other cars, walls.  This game is very challenging, I have played it for hours already and have only achieved 1st in about 75% of the races so far, you cannot be bumping into cars, walls and expect to win the race, you have to learn how to really drive and pass other cars cleanily. 

 I know this isn't the same thing, but I know a ton of people who had no problem going out an plopping down $60 bucks on crackdown, with no intention to ever play crackdown, in order to play the Halo 3 beta.  This is really no different except for the fact that Halo 3 beta was only a limited amount of time, really didn't have as much content as GT5:P. and the fact that Halo 3 came out 4 months later.  You can probably bet that GT5 won't come out until Q1 09, if Polyphony Digital's record stays the same in delaying these games.  That means you will get a full year of playablity out of this game, before the actual game comes out, I really don't think asking $40 for that is excessive at all considering everthing you get.

Yeah, GT5 is going to dwarf this game, but GT5 is going to be HUGE (and probably have a ton of microtransactions), I'm just comparing this to other games out there.  The Prolouge of a huge game is practically the size of many normal games. I can truly say that I don't feel shortchanged at all with my money, and I spent $50 importing it from Japan.  GT5:P has exceeded my expectations in every way.
 Its your money, you can wait a full year for the full game to come out, but just remember a year can be a very long time, when anticpating a game.

I would both make fun of people who bought crackdown only to play Halo 3 beta and people who buy GT5 Prologue and then go on to buy the full game. Well not make fun of... but think they were exploited.

Both seem to be taken advantage of peoples desperation. Had they given you even a $10 discount off the main game... then i'd understand.

I'm sure plenty of Wii fanboys would pay 40 dollars right now to play SMB Brawl with the secret characters and stage builder excluded then bought the game. (Or would of 9 months ago.)

Now if that game was enough for you and you got a copy way cheaper once the full game came out. Then i'd say you were shrewd.

Really what ever isn't part of the cost of making the "preview version" should go back to the consumers in the form of a discount though. (A large part anyway)

It's why the government loves when people claim 0 on US taxes. They get that money temporarily to advance ahead of time. Any purchase of this preview version is vastly helping out the devleoper as they get to allocate those funds 9 months in advance.  Each 40 dollar purchase will likely be MORE valuable then each 60 dollar purchase 9 months later if they have a good finanical guys.

Its $39.99.. and its not a demo they will release a demo on the ps store in march or april.
Besides I havent seen much of that here on vgchartz, also I say its a good price $39.99 for prolauge and then pay $20 through the PSN to upgrade to GT5.

 I'd agree that would be good.  But it's my understanding that it's 39.99 for prologue and 59.99 to upgrde to GT5.

Even more if you live in Europe, which is the bigger racing market. 

Could you guys explain to me what this Prologue stuff is about? I haven't been following it at all, due to not caring about racing games, but the impression I've been getting is that it's an early version of the main game with slightly less content. A company releasing something like that, not to mention people buying it sounds really weird, so there's probably something I'm missing here.

Sorry, but if I was in to these games, I woudln't buy the prologue. I also think its rather lame that you buy 50% of the game for 40$ and then the other 50% for another 60$ even if its a year later.

However, there are lots of people who don't have the patience to wait, so if they want to pay the money, good for them. These are the same people who buy consoles from ebay at a markup because they can't wait.

I don't think I have any right to tell people what they should do =).

No that's about right. I actually think it's a lot less then half the game though.

Prologue should have 50 cars and I wanna say like 7 Tracks?

GT4 had like... 700 right?  and around 50 tracks.

I don't see GT5 having less cars.

>Could you guys explain to me what this Prologue stuff is about?

using the same GT5 engine, you get 50 so cars, 10 tracks. It's a mini-version of GT5 for fans who can't wait for them to finish the game.

Get it if you are a fan, bashing the price of a game on a console you don't even own, much less will buy, is just stupid

and yes, you know who you are. ;)

 I'm guessing not me since I both plan to get a PS3 and also thing GT5 is the only racing game worth considering getting this generation.  (Aside from Mario Kart, but kart games are different and i'd only play that for battle mode anyway.)

 Prologue, just like the name means, is the intro to GT5. Prologue will have:

- 60+ cars (GT5 will have 700)

- 5 tracks that you can play in 2 different directions (GT5 will have much more, maybe 50+)

- Multiplayer races/leaderboards

- GT TV where you can watch TV car shows/events

- Unbelievable graphics/physics, best ever in any racing game

So, I think $40 is  a pretty good deal. I rather pay $40 to play the "smaller" version now than have to wait another year to play GT5. I will buy both, of course ;)