In Gran Turismo, the line between fantasy and reality is a fuzzy one. From the cars to the courses they drive down, the developers at Polyphony Digital strive to create a perfect racing sim. That dedication has led to a documentary on the racing series, as well as the man driving it, Kazunori Yamauchi. The documentary is called KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide, and it debuts on Hulu on January 22nd.
It’s a bit odd that KAZ isn’t airing through Sony’s own movie service first, but Hulu is certainly an outlet more likely to put the documentary in front of gamers and non-gamers alike. We learned last year that the Gran Turismo feature was in the works and, thanks to a recent post on the PlayStation Blog, we now know that it’ll be available for our viewing pleasure in just a few days.
According to the post, KAZ was developed over the course of a single year and was filmed in a dozen locations across the globe. As the name implies, the movie focuses on Gran Turismo director Kazunori Yamauchi, better known as Kaz, and his dedication to creating authentic driving experiences over the past 15 years. The first Gran Turismo arrived on the original PlayStation back I the mid-90’s and, late this past year, the sixth installment finally bolted from the start line.
“The film reveals historical footage and never-been-told stories shared by some of the most influential people in the automotive and gaming industries,” reads the post. “For those deep into the automotive culture scene, KAZ is directed by Tamir Moscovici and captured by cinematographer Anthony Arendt, the same team that created Urban Outlaw.”
I, for one, have been intrigued by the Gran Turismo series since its inception, but only just got into the games with the fifth installment. Put simply, the depth of the simulation in the games always made me shy away as I am, at heart, an arcade racer. I typically prefer nitro boosts, insane jumps, slamming into opponents and dodging traffic. Gran Turismo abandons such explosive bells and whistles in order to deliver a true-to-life experience, giving players the chance to see what it feels like to drive and race in some of history’s most legendary machines.
It takes some getting used to but, for those willing to buckle down and learn the ins and outs, it can be a very rewarding experience. And now that KAZ is due out on Hulu next week, we can all find out what it is about this type of driving that’s pushed the series forward for nearly two decades.
