Gran Turismo turns 25 and celebrates with a nostalgic video

Edited by: Giorgos Pallikaris

The Gran Turismo series of video games was first released in 1997, but the concept’s genesis began as early as 1992. It was then that Kazunori Yamauchi created the game’s original design. In 1994, he was at the helm of another game, Motor Toon Grand Prix, and three years later, the original Gran Turismo hit the market.

Today, 25 years later, the Gran Turismo series has sold over 90 million copies. As Kaz rightly points out in his public speech of thanks, there are few video game franchises in the world that have maintained their title and sales over such a long period of time.

Unsurprisingly, his huge thanks go directly to the many fans who made this game the resounding success it was. “Above all, I can never thank GT users and people in the GT community enough for playing our new titles, which were sometimes quite experimental,” he says.

Kaz also says that “the pursuit of beauty” is the driving force behind the creation of Gran Turismo. This motive is clearly visible in each title. While the features, sounds, and laws of physics are often criticized by the public, Gran Turismo’s visuals are rarely questioned.

Worldwide video game sales:

Gran Turismo: 10,850,000
Gran Turismo 2: 9,370,000
Gran Turismo 3: Spec A: 14,890,000
Gran Turismo Concept: 1,585,000
Gran Turismo 4: 11,760,000
Gran Turismo 5: Introduction: 5,350,000
Gran Turismo (PSP): 4,220,000
Gran Turismo 5: 11,950,000
Gran Turismo 6: 5,060,000
Gran Turismo Sport: 1,140,000