Polyphony Digital
{{short description|Japanese video game developer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Polyphony Digital Inc.
| logo = Polyphony Digital Inc.svg
| logo_size =
| caption =
| type = Subsidiary
| predecessor = Polys Entertainment
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1998|04|02}}
| location = Tokyo, Japan
| founder = Kazunori Yamauchi
| key_people = Kazunori Yamauchi (president)
| industry = Video games
| products = Gran Turismo series
| num_employees_year = February 2022
| parent = Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (1998–2005)
PlayStation Studios (2005–present)
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.polyphony.co.jp/}}
}}
Polyphony Digital Inc. is an internal Japanese first-party video game development studio for PlayStation Studios. Originally a development group within Sony Computer Entertainment's Japan Studio known as Polys Entertainment,{{cite web|url=http://www.polyphony.co.jp/english/index.html|title=Corporate Profile|work=polyphony.co.jp|access-date=15 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227035536/http://www.polyphony.co.jp//english/index.html|archive-date=27 February 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/company/polyphony-digital-inc|title=Polyphony Digital Inc.|work=MobyGames|access-date=16 July 2013}} after the success of Gran Turismo in Japan, they were granted greater autonomy, reestablished as an individual company and renamed themselves Polyphony Digital. It currently has four studios: two studios in Japan, one studio in the Netherlands, and another one in the United States.
Company overview
The studio is best known for the 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 =
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Game | Release date | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Toon Grand Prix | December 16, 1994 | rowspan="3"| PlayStation |
| Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 | May 24, 1996 | |
| Gran Turismo | December 23, 1997 |
= As Polyphony Digital =
=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 body kit 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.
In 2007, they were contracted to design the multifunction display on the new Nissan GT-R,[http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=123066 Edmunds Inside Line: A Day in Germany With the GT-R Engineers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018104650/http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=123066 |date=2007-10-18 }} 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 carmaker 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."{{cite web|url=https://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=46084&IsPgd=0|title=MAZDA 121|last=Amy|date=3 October 2016|website=Drive|access-date=September 22, 2018|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124063954/https://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=46084&IsPgd=0|url-status=dead}}
Seiichi Ikiuo from Polyphony Digital encoded and decoded the movies for various SCEI games, such as The Legend of Dragoon, Everybody's Golf 2 and the Japanese versions of Roll Away and the original Crash Bandicoot games for the PS1.{{cite web |title=Seiichi Ikiuo Video Game Credits and Biography |url=https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,38298/ |website=MobyGames |access-date=13 April 2019}}
Recognition
In 2012, IGN placed Polyphony Digital at number 24 on their list of the 50 greatest developers of all time.{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/top/video-game-makers/24|title=Polyphony Digital – #24 Top Video Game Makers – IGN|website=IGN}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In the March 2015 issue of GamesTM magazine, the company was number 34 on their list of the "50 Best Developers In The World".GamesTM magazine issue 157, Imagine Publishing, March 2015
In 2014, Polyphony Digital made a long-term partnership with Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for a plan to launch an official FIA Online Championship in 2015.[https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/news/00_1153498.html "Polyphony Digital Inc. (PDI) and FIA to Form Long-term Partnership"], Polyphony Digital Inc., 2014-06-24
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.polyphony.co.jp/}}
{{PlayStation Studios}}
{{Gran Turismo Series}}
Category:Companies based in Fukuoka Prefecture
Category:Software companies based in Tokyo
Category:Video game companies established in 1998
Category:Japanese companies established in 1998
Category:First-party video game developers
Category:Gran Turismo (series)
Category:Video game companies of Japan