Conference Q & A with Kazunori Yamauchi

26.06.14
The head of games company Polyphony Digital explains how the FIA’s input has made Gran Turismo a more accurate racing experience

Q How did the collaboration with the FIA begin?
A I think it was around two years ago that we heard that the FIA was interested in doing something with us and I went to their headquarters in Paris and I heard there that Mr Jean Todt had a great interest in the project as well. From then on a lot of ideas came up and we’ve shared and traded information.
The people from the FIA came to Polyphony twice to compare their data with ours. We were surprised because they are incredibly detailed about the things they check. It was very comprehensive.
 
Q How important is it for Gran Turismo to have the FIA seal of approval through using fully homologated circuits?
A To Gran Turismo there are a number of objectives. Of course, one of them is to enjoy controlling really fast cars on the track. At the same time I race myself and I understand the importance of safety in motor sport. I totally understand the FIA’s point of view in placing a heavy emphasis on the safety of the tracks that are used in racing. Reflecting that concern is important for us.

Q When you examined the information about those tracks, was there more information available that helped build more realistic circuits?
A When we actually take data from the tracks we go into a severe amount of detail in recreating and surveying everything that exists at a track, photographing everything. However, we didn’t realise until we got the input of the FIA why things are structured the way they are, why circuits are laid out in a particular way, why corners are profiled a certain way and what influences the shape and layout of the kerbs. In that respect we learned a lot about the protocols that go into circuit design.

Q You mentioned that you race yourself?
A I raced the Nurburgring 24 Hours recently. I’ve done that several times [he has won his class twice) and I race in the VLN Endurance Championship.

Q There are four circuits homologated in GT6, so what does the future hold?
A Today is really just the beginning. I don’t think we can include every circuit, some of them won’t be possible because there are a lot of classic circuits in Grand Turismo that we simply can’t do.  

Q So it’s about making the current tracks as accurate as possible?
A We want each and every circuit exactly as it is in real life and the collaborating with the FIA is a big part of it.