#DriveClub PS4 (Evolution Studios)

[dave heats]

I read the Yoshida statement earlier on the DC facebook page, and I just found it overwhelmingly embarrassing. It feels like bringing your Dad to school to chat to your teacher, explaining why you haven't done your homework properly. Absolutely pathetic.

[VR46]

Not every online game fails this badly though.

Did read a post somewhere ten days ago that the demo with never arrive, thought it was bull but more and more it seems could be true. Something to do with the amount of code the game sends to the server it was.

The servers can't cope with 600,000 retail/PSN sales, imagine over two million PS+ downloads added to that.

[Digfox]

That's shocking. I thought that was just another studio update or joke at first. Does he really think that will be enough. Or is this just in addition to doing refunds on the quiet (seems to be the situation in the US).

I like the honesty but even though it would cost them millions they need to look at the bigger picture and compensate customers that have bought the game. Ideally allow unequivocal refunds or in addition even just write the game off and re-release it as a free to all on PS+ when it's stable. Generate some goodwill from the situation at least.

What a mess.

[dave heats]

To be honest, I personally think if they were even considering compensation in any form, they would have announced it, or at least hinted at something by now. I'd say the period immediately after release is when they most needed to keep customers sweet. The longer this goes on, the more chance they have of simply brushing it under the carpet, particularly when Novembers bombardment of releases all hit.

My guess is they reckon pathetic updates via facebook are enough, which just isn't on.

EDIT: Having said all that however, are there any previous examples of hefty compensation offered to early buyers?

[Digfox]

Absolutely I'm sure they will hide it under the carpet and not do anything.

I can't think of any examples where 'hefty' compensation is offered to early buyers for a failed game launch but can think of scenarios where free items are offered for failure in an online service (i.e. the 2 free Sony games after the 2011 PSN security breach and the free Xbox Live game; 'Undertow', when Live went to pot one Xmas). But I can think of loads of examples of games that were pulled from being sold becuase they didn't work and then re-released later on (i.e. WarZ, FF14 etc.).

I just can't think of a first-party console game that has been this badly managed and they obviously don't care about the risk or impact it might have on the PS4's or Sony's reputation. Crazy.

[capcom_suicide]

Vita 3.35 seems good with this over Remote Play. Still doesn't stop me being rubbish though...

[JU!]

A new message on the Facebook from non other than Shuhei Yoshida himself:

https://www.facebook.com/driveclubofficial?hc_location=timeline

Basically now saying they acknowledge its bust, but don't know when it will be fixed so forget about the PS+ edition.

Things sound very bleak no wonder it never launched in Novemeber! PS+ vers may not even release! Feel sorry for the people that cannot play properly I have heard the 'Club', part of the game does not even work correctly. For anyone that does have #DC what part of online does work in it? Still want to know why the original Director left I'm sure I heard he did wonder is this was due to vision differences of what the final game would be like or something? As it seems it does not know if it wants to be Arcade or Sim, I still want to play it but gutted it seems a bit of a mess.

If Shuhei Yoshida has had to come and say something it must be proper broken. As the Giant Bomb guys said in a podcast for a game that depends so much online functionality it seems embarrassing it is so messed up. Still waiting for weather patches.

[MoFo2]

Japan is coming. And the Atlantic Road (Norway) will be DLC.

[Darwock]

EDIT: Having said all that however, are there any previous examples of hefty compensation offered to early buyers?

Not exactly compensation, but FFXIV's abortive first launch let a lot of people play for free.

[dave heats]

Japan is coming. And the Atlantic Road (Norway) will be DLC.

I genuinely found it quite strange watching this video. I completely forgot about the additional content that was due to be delivered post launch, and unfortunately i imagine quite a few others have lost interest by now too. Rain effects look really nice though.

[Lebowski]

It might not even be the devs fault, it seems PSN cant handle new releases or even the odd patch, look at what happend when the 2.0 firmware went live, you could forget playing online as nothing was working.

[ne0star]

I take it the weather and photo mode are still going to be a free update? I'm definitely not putting anymore money their way until the game itself works as advertised.

I got COD advanced warfare yesterday so i'm going to put this away for a while and hope they have ironed out some of the issues when I return to it.

[capcom_suicide]

Is this supposed to be fixed now? I still can't connect every time I start the game. Anyone know the status?

[Digfox]

It might not even be the devs fault, it seems PSN cant handle new releases or even the odd patch, look at what happend when the 2.0 firmware went live, you could forget playing online as nothing was working.

Not sure, I think there's enough to suggest this was a poorly managed launch and the developer is in some way accountable through poor decisions, whether it's a mixture of lack of servers and errors in the game code as the French head of PSN stated. Also if the developer is managing to hit previous schedules for DLC/Add-on content then they sure haven't pooled all their resources into making sure that the online is working correctly. I do appreciate they need to balance fixing the game and protecting future revenue from DLC.

This is easily the worst launch of a first-party console game that I can think of. Other games managed to launch fine on PSN; Destiny was relatively flawless for it's PS debut.

[Lebowski]

yeah i suppose your right destiny had a massive amount of players at launch and that worked fine.

I think sony are worried about psn though i got a survery through from them the other day and there where loads of loaded questions asking me to compare my impresions of xbox live to psn.

i wonder if they have dug themselves into a hole though as providing 6 new games a month over 3 formats and trying to run an xbox live style rock solid service cant be cheap.