Yamauchi the man behind the hugely successful car racing virtual reality world of Sony PlayStation®3 jetted into the Spanish capital to finally unveil the long awaited instalment of his masterpiece Gran Turismo 5, a product six years in the making.

Gaming fans queued for hours in low temperatures to catch a glimpse of the man widely regarded as a legend in the video games industry, a few lucky gamers getting a chance to meet their hero, take pictures with him, and obtain a signed copy of the new GT5™ product.

Arriving appropriatly in a brand new Mercedes-Benz SLS Yamauchi, president of Polyphony Digital the company behind the design of the product said, "It's the reaction of users when they play Gran Turismo®5 that gives him the most satisfaction he wants them to be amazed." Madrid didn't disappoint fans of all ages and genders and plenty over thirty years of age, ran screaming from the late night store having met the man and purchased the product.

Finally here after six years in developement Gran Turismo 5 features over a 1,000 licenced cars from the world's top manufacturers, with a unique mixture of new and old and everyday road cars, pure racers and supercars also including a unique GT/Red Bull collaboration model designed exclusively for the game by Red Bull Racing's formula one's aerodynamics expert Adrian Newey.

There will be over 20 tracks with more than 70 variations. These include world famous circuits such as the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife and city courses such as Madrid and Rome, plus many more challenging environments, including the much-loved BBC Top Gear Dunsfold test track.

Players can race online with up to 16 competitors through PlayStation Network® (PSN). Adding to the online experience will be Gran Turismo TV - the online channel packed with news and content from the world of motoring and motorsport.

For the first time in the illustrious history of Gran Turismo, cars will feature real-time visual damage with accurate car deformation based on point of impact and speed. Additional graphic touchups that add to the realism include smoke from tyres, sparks that fly from vehicle rollovers, dirt accumulation and changing weather conditions.

The era of 3D has arrived and adds to the excitement and sensations of Gran Turismo 5. Using 3D-compatible televisions with 3D glasses, you can experience an ultra-realistic impression never seen before.

GT5 has been developed exclusively for PlayStation®3 (PS3™) by Polyphony Digital Inc. (PDI), the development powerhouse behind the award-winning Gran Turismo franchise that has shipped more than 56 million copies worldwide.

About the Gran Turismo® Franchise

With more than 56 million units shipped worldwide, the award-winning Gran Turismo® franchise for the PlayStation® , PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®3 and PSP (PlayStation® Portable) is regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulator ever created due to its true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and design. Since the inception of the Gran Turismo franchise, famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital Inc. in Japan have revolutionized the racing category as we know it today. His offerings provide the most realistic driving simulation in the industry and a unique medium for automotive manufacturers to showcase their products. GT5 will be available from all the normal retail outlets across Europe, at the Recommended Retail price/s of: Signature Edition €179.99, Collector's Edition €79.99, Standard Edition €69.99.To find out more about Gran Turismo 5 visit http://www.gran-turismo.com.

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®3, PlayStation®2, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®Network software and hardware in 99 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Since the launch of PlayStation 3 in November 2006, over 38 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level. Maintaining its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history, PlayStation 2 has sold over 146.1 million systems worldwide. Since its launch at the end of 2004, over 62.7 million PSPs have been sold globally, highlighting the importance of the portable entertainment market. With the huge increase in interest and accessibility of network applications and network gaming, over 54 million accounts have registered to PlayStation Network, the free-to-access interactive environment, and over 1.1 billion items have been downloaded.

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