Gran Turismo fans are some of the most passionate fans I can imagine a sports or racing game series having. That’s no slight, either – people get incredibly excited every time a new GT finally becomes available, and a large part of the that has to do with the passion and life’s work of series creator Kazunori Yamauchi. Sony recognizes this, and to prove it they’ll be releasing a documentary about the man, titled KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide.
Now, I’m all for celebrating brilliant gaming minds, but isn’t it a little bit of a stretch to compare Kaz to Ferdinand Magellan, of all people? Apparently the trailer doesn’t think so. It got it’s point across — that Kaz is a driven visionary — but why not compare him to Miyamoto, or Sid Meier? Even an iconic film director would have made sense. But a guy who literally circumnavigated the earth? It seems like an odd line to draw. But I digress.
Either way, Kaz is definitely an interesting guy, and Sony used the PlayStation Blog to shed some light of what the film will explore come release time.
This film is about drive. It’s about the passion and creative drive of Kazunori Yamauchi, the architect behind Gran Turismo’s birth and breath-taking fifteen-year evolution. This film will trace his relentless willingness to challenge himself, to hold none of his past achievements sacred, and push beyond the virtual divide in his pursuit of perfection. Through the support of PlayStation, Kaz’s journey has forever changed the gaming and automotive landscape and in doing so, has redefined how we perceive the relationship between art, entertainment and culture.
Sounds great! The trailer is well done, so assuming the film picks up where that leaves off, then KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide could be a pretty engrossing watch. I swear though, if they try and pitch him as the next Vasco Da Gama, I might have to turn it off. You don’t mess with Portuguese explorers.
