Gran Turismo 7's new microtransactions are pretty grim
Grand theft auto.
After some eight years since the last numbered instalment, Polyphony Digital's flagship PlayStation series returns today with Gran Turismo 7 - and going live alongside it on the PlayStation Store are some microtransactions which represent a slightly tweaked approach to the one we saw in Gran Turismo Sport.
The microtransactions in Gran Turismo Sport - released in a post-launch update - had players buying individual cars at a set price, with only those of a value up to 2 million in-game credits available for purchase. Gran Turismo 7, however, does away with that restriction and simply offers in-game currency for sale, starting at £1.99 for 100,000 credits all the way to £15.99 for 2,000,000 credits.
It's a particularly grim addition given that once you've rolled credits in Gran Turismo 7 the onus is on grinding out credits in races and events in order to purchase some of the more desirable cars. TUnlike past Gran Turismo games it's impossible to sell off cars in your own collection, and a new Legend Cars area on the World MAp plays host to a rotating selection of the game's most expensive cars.
So far the priciest we've come across costs just north of 3 million credits - though in Sony's State of Play earlier this year a 1929 Mercedes-Benz S Barker Tourer carried a price tag of 20 million credits could be spotted, which would cost you just shy of £160 if you went down the microtransaction route. It's not quite Star Citizen levels of money, but is nevertheless not particularly welcome in a game that retails at £69.99 on PlayStation 5.
It's a significant blot on an otherwise excellent game, with Polyphony Digital celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series with perhaps the most focussed and finessed Gran Turismo yet.
We've asked Sony for comment and clarification on its new approach to microtransactions in Gran Turismo 7.