How Sony’s Gran Turismo is fuelling a new age of racing drivers
At one stage GT was a means of becoming a real racer - now, it's all about esports
Gran Turismo has long sought to bridge the virtual divide.
Series creator Kazunori 'Kaz' Yamauchi's obsession for realism was evident in the original 1997 masterpiece on PS1.
Sony's modestly powered hardware was pushed to the limit, delivering some of the most realistic-looking cars and handling seen in a videogame.
But this was just the beginning.
A few years later, the GT Academy launched - offering those who had mastered the game a chance of becoming a real-life race-driver.
Darlington-born Jann Mardenborough is perhaps the biggest success story, catapulted from his bedroom to racing for Nissan in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Sim racing, on the other hand, is open to all - essentially an even playing field for the best players to stand out of the crowd for all the right reasons.
"That's exactly what we are looking to do," said Kaz. "You know things like street basketball is important, as not everyone can become an NBA player."
To help build credibility, the GT team partnered with the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) to allow gamers to acquire a digital race licence - making them eligible to compete in some races, just like in the real racing events.
"Six years ago when we started development with the FIA the objective was to really find the next 100 years of motorsports together," said Kaz.
"At the time the thought was it would probably be best to do this together with the group that has the experience of organising motorsports for the last 100 years. That in itself was a success it did help us make things better."
As Brazilian Igor Fraga lifted the Nations Cup, it became clear that Gran Turismo is now no longer just a game, but a sport. And everyone's invited.