Gran Turismo HD on the PlayStation 3 is no more. The game, which was due for release in Japan this month, has officially been cancelled, leaving developer Polyphony Digital to focus its energy on the completion of
Gran Turismo 5. All is not lost, however, as what was
Gran Turismo HD will now be offered through the PlayStation Store as
Gran Turismo HD Concept -- essentially a playable preview of
Gran Turismo 5.
GTHD Concept will be free to download and becomes available in Japan on December 24. There is currently no confirmation of a worldwide release date (what a nice holiday treat though!). This free business has us wondering what happened to that
dubious rumor about Gran Turismo's excessive microtransactioning?
It appears that there will be no online elements in
GTHD Concept (apart from the very act of downloading it), with SCEI's
new Mr. Big, Kaz Hirai, explaining in an
open letter released this morning: "For the genuine implementation of 'Online Car Life Simulation', please wait for
Gran Turismo 5."
That we will do.