Audi 2008 Annual Report Download - page 20

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
KAZUNORI YAMAUCHI
The Senior Vice President of Sony Computer
Entertainment is the creator of the Gran
Turismo series.
The graphics of “GT5
Prologue” are incredibly
realistic. What can be
done to make this game
even better?
Kazunori Yamauchi: GT5
will offer a wider selec-
tion of vehicles and tracks.
And we will provide more
features for online com-
munities. We are also
working at full speed to create lifelike graphics
that depict rain and the night.
How do you recreate the cars so realistically
in the game?
We need the actual models in order to recreate
the cars graphically so that they are identical to
the originals in every way. With the Audi R8, it
was particularly difficult to reproduce the first-
class materials of the interior. It was also not
easy to express the standard, the unbelievable
precision of the body.
It’s not just the cars, but also every single tree
along the Nürburgring is startlingly similar to
its counterpart in reality. Do such details influ-
ence the way the game is played?
We have tremendous respect for the intrinsic
power not just of the cars but also of nature.
Which is why we carefully consider every
detail – even if it’s just a bush at the edge of
the race track. Our passion and our dedication
are not always immediately apparent, but they
have a subconscious effect on every player.
What new twists can GT fans expect soon?
We are currently working on simulating chang-
ing weather conditions that can affect the race.
And we will soon also be able to simulate dam-
age to the race cars.
Let’s take a look into the future. What will
Gran Turismo 9 have to offer?
I find it difficult to predict developments so far
in the future. Gran Turismo grows with the
automobile industry. When considering the
future of GT, we always have to consider the
future of the automobile industry as well.
Vorsprung Devotion
AUDI R8 MEETS GRAN TURISMO 5
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Showdown in reality: And they’re
off into the real “Green Hell.”
as no surprise given the creators’ devotion and slavish
attention to detail in fine-tuning their products.
Of course, virtual reality profits enormously from the
electronic development and design work of automobile
designers: What the Audi engineers develop serves as a
blueprint for the game designers’ models. Artificial intelli-
gence and driving physics have therefore made quantum
leaps in recent years in computer games just like in other
fields. When the decision was taken to give the R8 a virtual
counterpart, 20 technicians and designers arrived in Ingol-
stadt and took nearly 800 photographs of the vehicle. To
make sure the light pattern of the digital R8 matched that
of the real one, a set of original headlamps was even sent
to Japan. Nor were any compromises made when it came to
sound: To ensure that the virtual sportscar sounds exactly
like the real one, the R8 was placed on an acoustic roller
dynamometer and the engine sound was recorded at all
engine speeds. The result: When you downshift in the vir-
tual Audi and accelerate, a shiver runs up your spine. Just
like in the real car itself.
“And it’s going to be even more realistic in the future.”
So says Sascha Appel, who is back from his lap of the
Nordschleife in the R8. He puts his helmet on the table
and smoothes his racing overalls. Takes a deep breath.
And? There really is quite a difference, isn’t there? “You can
say that again,” says Appel. Especially because the “Go
back to start” option is missing. “You can slowly get your
bearings on the console and if you do slam into the guard-
rail, you just keep going. But one mistake in a real R8 out
there – and the race is over. It’s an entirely different adren-
aline rush.” To be perfectly honest: Driving in a simulation
is more pleasant,” says video gamer Appel. “And that’s ex-
actly why professional drivers are professionals!” That, of
course, was Martin Tomczyk, who is coming in from the
PlayStation with a grin on his face after his latest lap on
GT5. “7:42. Now it’s your turn, Sascha!”
Photo: Polyphony Digital Inc.