Since launch, Gran Turismo 7 has been criticized for its aggressive monetization, with many new cars costing an exorbitant amount of credits, and the process of earning them in-game being too grindy. Following a harsh backlash that saw GT7’s user score drop to a 2.0 on Metacritic, Polyphony Digital’s Kazunori Yamauchi promised changes to the game’s economy…

　　Thank you for your continued support and feedback on Gran Turismo 7, your voices have not gone unheard. I would like to apologize for the frustration and confusion caused last week with our patch updates which resulted in, not only a server outage but also adjustments to the in-game economy which were made without a clear explanation to our community.

　　Payouts were increased somewhat, but have things really changed that much? Gran Turismo 7 is attracting new heat following its recent 1.15 update, as a large number of the game’s Legend cards have gone up in price. These are mostly cars included in the Hagerty collection, which are dynamically priced by the insurance company based on real-world valuations, which may sound like an interesting realistic touch, until you realize it means the prices of these cars will pretty much constantly go up (classic cars rarely devalue in price). According to a list aggregated by GTPlanet forum poster Eggstor, the most recent GT7 update saw nearly 30 cars increase in price, with only two (modest) decreases. Some vehicles, like the Ferrari F40, have nearly doubled in price, going from 1.35 million credits to 2.6 million credits.

　　Now, again, the idea of virtual cars increasing in value according to real-world inflation may not be the worst thing in the world in a “realistic” car sim, if earning money wasn’t such a grind. But, despite some tweaks, it still largely is. The inability to sell cars, continued low payouts for most races, a lack of events and time-limited challenges, and other issues continue to limit players' earning potential. It seems, despite promises to the contrary, Sony and Polyphony remain focused on pushing MTX with GT7.

　　Gran Turismo 7 is available now on PS4 and PS5.