Throughout the ups and downs the PlayStation’s history there has been one franchise that has remained at its side like a big old trusty Alsatian. I’m of course talking about the Gran Turismo series, a heavyweight inside and outside its genre that has been present, with tail wagging, on all of Sony’s consoles. SCEE has announced the fruits of that loyalty in the way of 50 million units shipped worldwide. Golly!

Ten years and four months after the original game launched in December 1997, its formula for beautiful, realistic and mature gameplay over a typically bravado, testosterone injected competition has proved to be a winning strategy.

“Initially, Gran Turismo was an “alternative” racing game, kind of an outsider in the genre.” said Kazunori Yamauchi, Producer of Gran Turismo. “And we made it thinking that it would be okay as long as it reached out to “the select few who would agree with us”.

The next installment in the series, Gran Turismo 5 is expected in early 2009.