Polyphony Digital

Polyphony Digital
Subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment
Industry Computer and video games
Interactive entertainment
Founded 1998
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Fukuoka, Japan
Key people
 Kazunori Yamauchi (President)
Products Gran Turismo series
Owner Sony
Number of employees
 ~140+
Parent SIE Worldwide Studios
Website Official website

Polyphony Digital is an internal video game development studio of Sony Interactive Entertainment, part of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios. Originally a development group within Sony Computer Entertainment known as Polys Entertainment,[1][2] after the success of Gran Turismo in Japan, they were granted greater autonomy and their name changed to Polyphony Digital.

Company overview

The studio is best known for its Gran Turismo racing game series. Led by Kazunori Yamauchi, Gran Turismo became the most successful racing series for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. The Gran Turismo series is designed to be a realistic driving simulator, offering realistic driving physics. In 2006, Polyphony released Tourist Trophy, in an attempt to bring the realism of Gran Turismo to motorcycle racing.

Games developed

as Polys Entertainment

Game Title Release Date Platform
Motor Toon Grand PrixDecember 16, 1994PlayStation
Motor Toon Grand Prix 2May 24, 1996PlayStation
Gran TurismoDecember 23, 1997PlayStation

as Polyphony Digital

Game Title Release Date Platform
Omega BoostApril 22, 1999PlayStation
Gran Turismo 2December 11, 1999PlayStation
Gran Turismo 3: A-SpecApril 28, 2001PlayStation 2
Gran Turismo Concept 2001 Tokyo2001PlayStation 2
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Seoul2002PlayStation 2
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-GenevaJanuary 1, 2002PlayStation 2
Gran Turismo 4 PrologueDecember 4, 2003PlayStation 2
Gran Turismo 4December 28, 2004PlayStation 2
Gran Turismo 4 Toyota MTRC VersionPlayStation 2
Gran Turismo 4 Toyota Prius EditionPlayStation 2
Gran Turismo 4 Nissan 350Z Limited EditionPlayStation 2
Tourist TrophyFebruary 2, 2006PlayStation 2
Gran Turismo HDDecember 24, 2006PlayStation 3
Gran Turismo 5 PrologueDecember 13, 2007PlayStation 3
Gran Turismo (PSP)October 1, 2009PlayStation Portable
Gran Turismo 5November 24, 2010PlayStation 3
Gran Turismo 6December 6, 2013PlayStation 3
Gran Turismo Sport2017PlayStation 4

Other projects

Polyphony Digital has also been involved in real life automotive projects. They have developed special versions of their Gran Turismo games for many car manufacturers as demonstrators for their cars. Nissan also commissioned them to design a special bodykit for their 350Z coupe, which first appeared in 'GT Concept: 2002 Tokyo - Geneva' as the "Nissan 350Z Gran Turismo Aero", later becoming the "Fairlady Z NISMO S-Tune Concept by GRAN TURISMO" in GT4. There was also a faster 'Z-Tune' version with minor styling revisions and 400PS. The S-Tune was later sold in real life by NISMO (NISsan MOtorsport) as a tuning package for existing owners.

More recently, they were contracted to design the multifunction display on the new Nissan GT-R,[3] which displays performance information such as G-forces, acceleration opening, brake pedal pressure, steering angle, an "optimal gearshift map," to emphasize economical vehicle operation.

When Nissan was looking for a company to develop the GT-R's user-friendly 'multi-function meter', the car maker says Polyphony was the obvious choice because of the simple menu systems applied to video games such as Gran Turismo. "If you think about the GT-R's multi-function meter with the g-force information and everything else, we wanted it to be very easy to read, very easy to use," says Nissan's global vice president of communications, Simon Sproule. "It's really about the logic of how video games work and their menu systems - which anyone can use - and then applying it to the car."[4]

Ikiuo Seiichi from Polyphony Digital encoded and decoded the cutscenes of The Legend of Dragoon.[5]

Recognition

In 2012, IGN placed Polyphony Digital at number 24 on their list of the 50 greatest developers of all time.[6] In the March 2015 issue of GamesTM magazine, the company was number 34 on their list of the "50 Best Developers In The World".[7]

In 2014, Polyphony Digital will make a long-term partnership with Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for plan to launch an official FIA Online Championship in 2015. Of all tracks of the latest installment, Gran Turismo 6, only 4 tracks are accurately certified by Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

References

  1. ↑ "Corporate Profile". polyphony.co.jp. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Polyphony Digital Inc.". MobyGames. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  3. ↑ Edmunds Inside Line: A Day in Germany With the GT-R Engineers
  4. ↑ Drive.com.au - Gran Turismo creators develop GT-R play station
  5. ↑ "The Legend of Dragoon - Credits". Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  6. ↑ http://uk.ign.com/top/video-game-makers/24
  7. ↑ GamesTM magazine issue 157, Imagine Publishing, March 2015
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