On the eve of Gran Turismo 5, hype for the game has never been greater. While a sixth installment is supposedly in the works, the series creator wouldn’t mind to take a break from the franchise.
Kazunori Yamauchi has been the “driving” force behind the Gran Turismo series since it’s first release on the PSOne in 1997. After many incarnations of the franchise, as well as a few spin-offs, he seems to be done with the racing sim. Since his first games, Motor Toon Grand Prix, the only non-GT game that Yamauchi has worked on is Omega Boost. While he may never be done with racing, his time as a racing designer may be done. In an interview with NowGamer, Yamauchi loves looking at how games outside of his particular genre have evolved.
“There are certainly a lot of great games being made out there, like LittleBigPlanet or Killzone 2. Games that I can just tell from one look [I think] ‘Oh, wow, so this is what they’re doing with games these days.’ They’re really making some great stuff. I certainly have ideas for new games all the time. Every day. I really, really would love to try making some other type of game.
While Gran Turismo has always been heralded as nothing short of incredible, after working so long on one project things can pass you by.
“Gran Turismo might just have become my life. Making Gran Turismo is a lot of fun, really, though maybe I’ve missed out on a lot of things by working so hard on Gran Turismo.”
Even Hideo Kojima has worked on a handful of projects other than Metal Gear. Few auteurs that work in any medium stick with only one particular vision. They grow and change, challenge themselves, and have original ideas. I think the man deserves a rest. He’s earned it. What do you think?
[Via]
