Gran Turismo franchise tops 80 million sold

In its 20 years on the road, the Gran Turismo series has logged a lot of miles. Sony Interactive Entertainment today announced that the Polyphony Digital-developed racing sim series has racked up more than 80.4 million copies sold since its debut in December of 1997.

"It's hard to imagine that 80.4 million copies of Gran Turismo have been played during the 20-year history of the franchise," Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi said. "It makes me really happy to think of the immense amount of time that has been poured into playing our games! I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for the community, as well as our close friends and supporters within the automotive industry. We would like to continue our efforts in achieving the best possible expression and creation of cars and scenery, as well as bringing the highest level of excitement and fun through racing in the years to come."

As with most vehicles, the series has spent more time in the shop as it has gotten older. The first decade saw four mainline entries and three smaller spin-off or "Prologue" titles, collectively accounting for 50 million sales. Gran Turismo's second decade has produced just three mainline releases and a PSP installment, but those have been combined for roughly 30 million sales.