In a post on the Red Bull blog, Rhys Millen advises gamers on how to handle the Pikes Peak rally course in Gran Turismo 5. Only trouble is, Pikes Peak hasn't been in a GT game since Gran Turismo 2.
Could it be a mistake, or is RB teasing a Pikes Peak add-on to GT5, which arrived for Playstation 3 just in time for the holiday season. Here's the quote from Millen from the Red Bull site that raised more than a few eyebrows.
Millen recommends that gamers study the surroundings to help serve as memory markers to what's coming up. A tree here or a boulder can help offer handy reference points for specific corners to help gamers prepare for what's coming, something that's been known to help a driver or two in actual race cars, he adds.
"As for picture painting, running most video-based course layouts will aid a driver in course recognition prior to laying sight on the course. This will also help in corner exit speed as to placing the car in the correct position on track."
While Gran Turismo 5 gives an accurate reflection of the actual Pikes Peak circuit, there are some things that the video game simply can't do. And, even though Millen sees the quality of the gaming experience increasing, he still thinks there's nothing like the real thing.
Users on the GTPlanet forums noticed that comments questioning the article's accuracy were deleted early this morning, yet the article itself remains unchanged. Yet, confused commenters remain confused.
Big mistake or brilliant viral marketing? We'll find out soon enough.
[UPDATE: A Sony rep responded to our query on this. Any news about Pike's Peak for GT5, he says, is all rumor and speculation.]