Can Gran Turismo 5 outsell Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec?

Expectations for Polyphony's Gran Turismo 5 for the PlayStation 3 are steadily increasing. Sony is still claiming that the series is THE best racing simulator (that will be) on the market. Can Gran Turismo 5 sell more copies than the best-selling Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec did?



Let me give you some quick numbers:

The first Gran Turismo, released on the PlayStation One sold 10.85 million copies.
The next game in the franchise, Gran Turismo 2, did not quite match the debut game and ended up at 9.37 million sold, also on the PlayStation One.

Now we reach the top seller: Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec has sold a whopping 14.87 million copies! The game was released on the PlayStation 2.

After this, Gran Turismo 4 Prologue sold only 1.36 million copies, while the full version of Gran Turismo 4 sold 9.62 million copies

According to VG Chartz.com, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue has sold at least 2.8 million copies (unfortunately updated last on April 2008..).
The question remains if the step into HD with amazing graphics will be enough for Gran Turismo 5 to become the best selling game in the franchise yet. Already people are more or less demanding that Polyphony includes damage and damage-models into the game, as this is one key feature that is missing from making the game the most realistic racing simulator out there. Better/more extensive online options are also on the wishlist of many Gran Turismo fans.

Forza 2 did sell reasonably well on the Xbox 360, to be more exact 4.34 million copies. This game - or rather Forza 3 - brings competition to the Gran Turismo franchise, with it's great customization, endless online options and, yes, damage models.

Another factor is that there needs to be a lot more PlayStation 3 machines out there for Gran Turismo 5 to beat Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec.
Maybe Gran Turismo 5 will be one of those games that really sell a lot of consoles?

Leave your comments and thoughts!

-H