Thanks to Flasawoo for linking this article. The headline about sums it up: "Sony Drops Gran Turismo HD". So it looks like the micropayment (the pricing was never "micro" to me) scheme is gone, at least for now. That and we may see an earlier release of GT5. I wonder if the public outpouring of disgust had anything to do with this decision? Having developed and run this website for 5+ years, contributing to the community and asking nothing in return, I hope it did... just a little.
This is how a demo is supposed to be priced - FREE.
They say that online is going to be in GT5... good good. Does anyone want to take a stab at the GT5 release date? I'd say don't expect it before 2008.

I hope Sony is listening to us. Sony has been depressing me (us) with their lying arse release dates since GT popped up. GT2 was a year late. GT3 was 2 years late, and GT4 was like 3 years late. Lying corparate hogs. Oh well maybe Kaz DOES have a heart/brain.

thats a good thing they quit the microtransaction bs, if they didnt they'd lose me as a customer

Im taking a guess at ...December 2007 or early 2008..i hope very very very very very very very sooooon!!!!

I personaly wouldn't mind waiting a while for GT5, GT3 was the only reason I bought a PS2 and GT5 will be the reason for me to buy a PS3. So if we have to wait a year for it maybe the price of the PS3 will be a little lower, I mean 499 Euro's is just a bit to steep for a console IMO.

Greetz Zeratul.

A year probably won't be long enough to wait, but then the PS3 is a bit different.

If I remember correctly, it took 19 months for the US PS2's price to get its first price cut.
With the problems getting this PS3 out the gate and its technology, it may take longer.

Good point indeed, but the Xbox 360 is 100 euros cheaper at this moment (while the PS3 isn't even availibe in Europe yet) and as I understand M$ has made a big rediction in probuctioncosts. So they could probably reduce their price when the PS3 comes out.

I just can't see the PS3 selling big time if it is much more expensive than it's major competitor.

And then there is the question of what it's going to be for future movie releases: HDDVD or blueray. And what is the nintendo Wii going to do? I think we will just have to wait and see how it's all going to play out.

Greetz Zeratul.

Nintendo is a non-issue if you ask me as well. They've had a small yet rabid fanbase for years that I don't expect to change much. I am the type who purchases almost every console that comes out, and the last Nintendo I purchased was the N64. I doubt I'll be getting a Wii. My brother is a Nintendo fan though and I'm sure he'll be getting a Wii soon. I am interested to try to the new controller out.

I feel Sony will be on the losing end for as long as their console is priced out of the range of what consumers feel is reasonable. Out of the people I personally speak with, the general consensus is that $300 US is about all they're willing to tolerate... they don't really care that X360 "only" has a DVD player instead of the shiny new Blu-Ray. Sony's way out of that price league, and they're still losing money on each and every console sale.

As far as HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray for movies - it sucks but we're simply in a quandary right now. My gut tells me that either HD-DVD will prevail, or that HD-DVD/Blu-Ray combo players will become the norm within a few years. Either of those is fine with me as it once again mitigates Sony's attempt to dominate an entire market with their product.

I will buy a PS3 when one of the following happens.... GT5 comes out...Socom 4 comes out... I win the lottery...I get it for a present ...umm..yeah...thats all. Until then I refuse to sell my kidney to buy one. Way to expensive!

The page/link seems faulty at the moment but I was about the post up the same information:

Details of the Gran Turismo HD Concept demo have emerged from the latest issue of Famitsu.

Free for Japanese PS3 owners to download from the PlayStation Store on 24th December, the game will feature ten suitably flashy cars, and the all-new Eiger Nordwand course.

Famitsu, in an article partly translated by IGN, offers a tantalising account of mostly Japanese-manufactured cars that appear in the demo:

* Suzuki Cappuccino '95
* Mazda Eunos Roadster '89
* Honda Integra Type R'04
* Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV GSR'96
* Infinity G35 Coupe
* Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR'05
* Lotus Elise 111R'04
* Nissan Sky Liner GT-R V Spec II '94
* Toyota Celica GT-FOUR Rally Car '95
* Ferrari 599'06

The free download won't feature online play, series producer Kazunori Yamauchi told Famitsu, but it will offer network rankings based on times achieved in different cars. He also revealed that the demo will include Polyphony's next-gen driving-simulation engine, which aims to fix areas like drift control and drift angle.

Earlier this month, Sony and Polyphony announced they were scrapping plans for a full version of GTHD and focusing on GT5 instead. The result of which is this 'concept' demo, one of many downloads that will be released before GT5's 2008 release.

Yamauchi has also promised an official announcement for Gran Turismo 5 before the next Tokyo Motor Show, which takes place in October 2007.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=71274

Demo can NOW be downloaded in NA althou i have heard the PS3 network has been flattened by the huge demand, i cant get it anyway cos i live in Europe