Originally posted by Ars Technica Article

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With less than two months to go (barring any further delays) before the planned November launch of the PlayStation 3, Sony's online plans for the console are still largely up in the air. Thus it came as a bit of a surprise when in an interview for Japan's Famitsu magazine, the creator of the Gran Turismo series, Kazunori Yamauchi, gave a detailed look at how the latest GT game will make use of online features.

The latest installment in the Gran Turismo series will be called Gran Turismo: HD. Sony is really pushing the high resolution aspect of the PS3, so look for more titles to use the "HD" moniker. GT:HD will be released in two installments: the first will be "Classic" and will hit shelves in time for the PS3 launch. Coming later will be the "Premium" edition that will use more advanced graphics technology and be essentially a preview for the "proper" GT5, which is scheduled for release in 2008.

Besides the graphical improvements, the major news about GT:HD revolves around the online portion of the game. The game starts out with no cars or tracks loaded. Players can purchase cars for ¥50-100 (about $0.45 to $0.85) and courses for ¥200-500 ($1.70 to $4.30). Online race events are defined by the players themselves, and can be held at any time. Initially, over 750 cars and 50 tracks will be made available, with additional releases to come over time. There are also plans for "limited edition" car and track downloads, which will likely be priced higher.

GT:HD Premium will come with 30 cars and two courses built-in, with additional ones available for purchase online in the same fashion. Aside from the improved graphics, it will have additional features such as variable weather. The game itself will be more free-form than the Classic release, more of a driving simulator than a standard singleplayer game where you earn new content by completing various missions.

What will the public reaction be to a pay-as-you-go model for content? Some might argue that this has already been shown to be acceptable in the form of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), but monthly fees for those titles pay not only for new content but the vast array of servers required to support an online world with millions of users. Singleplayer games such as Oblivion have tried out this model in a limited fashion by offering extras (such as special horse armor) that are available only via purchased download. However, it remains to be seen whether gamers will embrace this idea when carried to the next level. A quick calculation shows that to purchase all 750 cars and 50 tracks would cost an astonishing $637, more than the price of the console itself!

So what's the reasoning behind the move to a pay-as-you go model? The same reason given for the ever-increasing inclusion of advertising in games: the runaway costs of game development. All those high-definition models and textures cost money to create, and companies are clearly looking for a way to increase revenue to match these costs. Will the future of gaming be pay-as-you-go? Depending on the success of GT:HD, it may well be.

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