The classic and highly collectible Legend Cars of Gran Turismo 7 will feature a rather unique (and surprising) pricing model.
According to a new partnership announced between automotive enthusiast and insurance brand Hagerty and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment on the weekend, the in-game prices of Legend Cars will fluctuate based on the prices of their real-world counterparts.
Hence, a car which costs 150,000 credits to purchase in Gran Turismo 7 for example will cost more if the same car has become more expensive in the real world. That will also work vice versa with the in-game prices dipping if the real-world prices have taken a hit.
The dynamic pricing will be decided through the Hagerty Valuation Tool, which “includes more than 15 years of pricing for 40,000 enthusiast cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles from the post-war era to the present.” It has not been clarified if the prices will be changed in Gran Turismo 7 in real time but players have been said to expect the prices to “update throughout the year.”
Furthermore, the newfound partnership between Hagerty and Sony will provide an exclusive offer for all real-world members of the Hagerty Drivers Club. They will be able to redeem a free Legend Car in the game after confirming their membership credentials.
The dynamic pricing model could well be a source of frustration. The best course of action would be to grind as much credits as possible to collect all of the cars before their prices are raised. However, that will never be an option for players who have real-world commitments and cannot give that much to the game.
The news will likely not go down well with players who are still reeling from the controversial microtransactions of Gran Turismo 7. With more than 400 cars to collect in the game—more coming post-release, developer Polyphony Digital has given players the option to purchase credits from the PlayStation Store through real-world currency. $20 for example will net 2 million credits. Adding the fluctuating prices, and players are not too happy to see a system which is forcing them to take out their wallets.
Gran Turismo 7 is now available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
