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[Slashlen]

It's possible that Evolution would have been kept on if Driveclub had been a roaring success, but with Sony's recent inclination of trimming the fat I believe they stand no chance after Driveclub's DLC schedule concludes. Expect the firings to commence any day now, as they won't need all the staff for the DLC. Alternatively, it's possible they'll be moved to work on a smaller downloadable title in the interim, but I think the writing is on the wall long term.

It's possible, I just agree with complaints about the calls for it to shut down because it should really be up to Sony whether they leave Evolution alone, restructure/clean house, or just close it altogether. Demanding closures/firings in general seems petty and vindictive to me. We should be more concerned with things like the quality of their products, or how they treat us. If they manage to get Evolution to get it's act together without firing anyone, why should I care?

Of course, I don't see issues with speculation regarding a studio's future. This is just about advocating for firings/closures.

 

[NullPointer]

If you look in Sony's T&C's they state they can withdraw or change offerings as they see fit, so it isn't a promise whatsoever and should always factor this in.

Sure, and they can just discontinue the PS4's ability to play games, or to allow multiplayer, or anything they want really (look at their arguments after removing Linux support from the PS3). That they can technically do so because they promise so very, very little in the fine print legalese (as do all the platform holders) that really doesn't have anything to do with anything.

DriveClub PS+ edition is not free, its part of the value proposition of the PS+ paid service. It was originally there to soften the blow of losing free - as in actually free, free - multiplayer.

I want this fixed as much as anybody, and I want Evo to have the chance to not only do so, but the chance to succeed once people get time with the game itself, but there's no need to muddy the waters by using vague or manipulative language - leave that to the companies justifying their own multiplayer paywalls.

Honestly, I see no reason for Sony to keep Evolution after this. They already have Gran Turismo to fill the sim racer genre, and you can bet the next instalment of GT will have just as many social features.

Its not a sim, nor is it trying to replicate the experience of classic circuit racing motorsport. Its got its own way of doing things.

 

[Tagg9]

It's possible, I just agree with complaints about the calls for it to shut down because it should really be up to Sony whether they leave Evolution alone, restructure/clean house, or just close it altogether. Demanding closures/firings in general seems petty and vindictive to me. We should be more concerned with things like the quality of their products, or how they treat us. If they manage to get Evolution to get it's act together without firing anyone, why should I care?

Of course, I don't see issues with speculation regarding a studio's future. This is just about advocating for firings/closures.

Of, of course. I hope I'm wrong about the whole thing and that nobody loses their job, but i fear that won't be the case.

Its not a sim, nor is it trying to replicate the experience of classic circuit racing motorsport. Its got its own way of doing things.

I realize that, but I believe there is an overlapping audience that enjoys purely sim racers and more open arcade-based efforts like Driveclub. The number of people who would buy a type of racing game like Driveclub and not buy a racing game like GT is extremely small.

 

[dano1]

People are acting like "spoiled little kids" because they expect a product they spent their hard earned money for to work?

Holy fuck, comments like this are infuriating.

I bought the game on day 1. Have dealt with servers going on and off for almost 3 weeks. But I know unforeseen problems can happen. Every week the online has improved and will probably be fixed in the next week or two.

The only reason anyone would have the right to be upset is if Sony pulled the free version forever.
And that's not going to happen.

 

[Agent X]

The only reason anyone would have the right to be upset is if Sony pulled the free version forever.
And that's not going to happen.

Although that's unlikely, the fact is that Sony and Evolution have handled this situation extremely poorly. They've been silent with regard to when gamers can expect to receive the PS+ edition. It sure would be nice if they provided status updates instead of keeping people completely in the dark.

 

[Fnord]

The biggest issue I see in all of this is that PS+ is required to play online on PS4 yet if you want to play this game, servers are iffy yet still paying for the service.

Im not upset the PS+ Demo is not available, Im more upset Sony doesnt have the infrastructure in place to avoid this shit now with all the PS+ revenue. Even if this is per game basis, its not something to have happen to any one title especially one that's been hyped alot and delayed once already.

I seriously doubt this is strictly about infrastructure. If that were the case, ALL Sony online games would be affected. Given that the PS+ version of the game has yet to be released, the userbase for Driveclub must be relatively small. This is about code, imho. Code that should have been tested better before release, but code none the less. If it were simply a matter of throwing more servers at the issue, it would be fixed by now.

 

[Fnord]

Although that's unlikely, the fact is that Sony and Evolution have handled this situation extremely poorly. They've been silent with regard to when gamers can expect to receive the PS+ edition. It sure would be nice if they provided status updates instead of keeping people completely in the dark.

I think Evolution has handled things about as well as could be expected, given the circumstances they put themselves in. Sony, on the other hand... I've said it before and I'll say it again, the developer should not be the ones communicating to the users. Sony's PR staff should be handling the communications. And they should be communicating on a regular basis. Thus far, I believe Sony proper has had all of one communication, via the blog. And that was hours after the Evolution communication on the Driveclub Facebook page.

 

[nobodyshero]

Sony won't shut down Evolution because the game doesn't work, they'll shut them down if it sells like shit.

 

[EatinOlives]

Sony won't shut down Evolution because the game doesn't work, they'll shut them down if it sells like shit.

It might sell like shit because the game doesn't work. It's happened to plenty of devs with games that botched their launch.

Not saying that I wish for it to happen or that it will happen with any kind of certainty, but if the game sells like shit I wouldn't be surprised. Historically, botched launches mean poor lifetime sales, since the vast majority of word of mouth and sales happen during the launch period.

 

[jellies_two]

Some people have the right to be a _bit_ upset.
Here is my experience since launch. Every day it is the same, this video shows it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5duwqgqIKJQ

Rushy has a link to the video, and it would be awesome if they worked out what was going on .. but honestly I'm not expecting it ever to work at this point. That way I won't be disappointed when I don't hear anything back.

 

[Laughing Banana]

"If you are not sure you will like the game, why not just throw 60 bucks at it to try it for yourself?"

It's so nice that we have so many rich people in GAF that can throw money around like its disposable tissues or something.

 

[modsbox]

The only reason anyone would have the right to be upset is if Sony pulled the free version forever.
And that's not going to happen.

Why are you so sure pulling the free version isn't a possibility?

So far:

- Game got delayed in October 2013 from PS4 launch to 'early 2014'
- Then it got delayed again to October 7th.
- Then Oct 7 came and went; no free PS+ edition
- Almost 20 days later, no ETA

Based on that track record I'd say it's entirely possible we never see it on +.

 

[DidntKnowJack]

"If you are not sure you will like the game, why not just throw 60 bucks at it to try it for yourself?"

It's so nice that we have so many rich people in GAF that can throw money around like its disposable tissues or something.

Hey. HEY!

It's $50.

 

[Tigress]

I seriously doubt this is strictly about infrastructure. If that were the case, ALL Sony online games would be affected. Given that the PS+ version of the game has yet to be released, the userbase for Driveclub must be relatively small. This is about code, imho. Code that should have been tested better before release, but code none the less. If it were simply a matter of throwing more servers at the issue, it would be fixed by now.

This makes more sense to me. I mean every game that has had server issues at the start, and I mean big enough there was news articles about it, has gotten the issues smoothed out in a week.

This is really odd if they still have server issues. Seems like either they still weren't ready for release or above poster is right and they are hiding behind server issues and some other reason the game was not ready. Either way it seems like the game was not ready to be released.

I do feel bad for the developer even though it seems they made their own bed. Only reason why I feel bad for them is that I do appreciate that they have been quick to address concerns when they made huge mis steps (ps+ upgrade only good if you have ps+ being fixed so you actually get the game if you buy the upgrade, MT's removed >- big one since most racing games have them these days so I really appreciated that one). But at the same time, I think they really messed themselves up with this whole launch. People are going to remember the many problems associated with the game. Not sure they can come back from this. I am guessing Drive Club will be remembered mostly for the delays and controversies more than anything.

And I agree it would be nice if they said something or told us when we would actually get the game. Just another way PS+ has disappointed me this year.

 

[Shaneus]

I realize that, but I believe there is an overlapping audience that enjoys purely sim racers and more open arcade-based efforts like Driveclub. The number of people who would buy a type of racing game like Driveclub and not buy a racing game like GT is extremely small.

I wouldn't. I bought GT6 and barely played it, meanwhile I was still playing the hell out of PGR4 until Driveclub came out. For all they are in that they're both driving games, one's a hell of a lot more accessible than the other.

 

[Daffy Duck]

I feel bad for everyone that bought the game and that have broken online features. It's a shitty situation and it sucks that they are coming up on 3 weeks of this.

I do not feel bad for all those people demanding the promised "free" version of the game and acting like Evolution/Sony have committed some sort of horrific crime on them. The sense of entitlement for free stuff is mind blowing.

Until they are 100% sure they have any server/online issues licked, it would be sheer stupidity to release the PS+ version.

Of course, what do I know... I don't own it anyway.

Sense of entitlement?

Lol, we were told this free version of the game would be part of October PS+, so far Sony have failed to deliver on this, so yes I'm very disappointed to not have heard anything more from Sony about if it's going to make this month, and if it doesn't what's going to happen.

 

[Steiner84]

so, what about the the oktober dlc?
is its release also affected by the problems? anyone knows?

 

[Daffy Duck]

so, what about the the oktober dlc?
is its release also affected by the problems? anyone knows?

Would be very bad form to go:

"Yeah, our game is still broken/not working correctly, but here is the DLC to buy".

 

[Steiner84]

Would be very bad form to go:

"Yeah, our game is still broken/not working correctly, but here is the DLC to buy".

but I allready bought it and want more events...

 

[rObit]

Would be very bad form to go:

"Yeah, our game is still broken/not working correctly, but here is the DLC to buy".

but I allready bought it and want more events...

If I'm reading their DLC wheel thingy right, the October DLC was always meant to be free anyway, so they can probably get away with delaying it (or releasing it, depending on your side of the argument) without taking too much heat.

 

[Konosuke]

nvm

 

[kyser73]

so, what about the the oktober dlc?
is its release also affected by the problems? anyone knows?

The Merc is the free car and you should already have got it, I know I have.

 

[Septic360]

This is seriously taking the mick. Its almost 3 weeks now. There isn't even any news about the Plus edition.

What title in recent memory has flopped as hard as this and for so long? Battlefield 4 came under so much slack and even lawsuits. Surely DC should attract the same (minus the lawsuit ofc cause that's a bit OTT).

Anyway, I think DC and its crippling problems have made an already an average at best game, a flop. Hence why I made this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVDgPV9HzGk

 

[Steiner84]

This is seriously taking the mick. Its almost 3 weeks now. There isn't even any news about the Plus edition.

What title in recent memory has flopped as hard as this and for so long? Battlefield 4 came under so much slack and even lawsuits. Surely DC should attract the same (minus the lawsuit ofc cause that's a bit OTT).

Anyway, I think DC and its crippling problems have made an already an average at best game, a flop. Hence why I made this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVDgPV9HzGk

an average game?
its one of the best arcade racers in fucking years.

 

[AbandonedTrolley]

an average game?
its one of the best arcade racers in fucking years.

Yep, game is awesome. It's a shame it's had such a troubled launch because if it had been smooth then this would have probably been one of the best games of the year for me. The sheer sense of speed as you move up the classes is insane.

 

[dano1]

Yep, game is awesome. It's a shame it's had such a troubled launch because if it had been smooth then this would have probably been one of the best games of the year for me. The sheer sense of speed as you move up the classes is insane.

Right behind Battlefield for my favorite game since launch. And Battlefields launch was just as bad as this.
The online racing is so much fun. Best of any racing game. Not sure how they did it but feels like your racing a single player match when your online!

 

[mclem]

The only reason anyone would have the right to be upset is if Sony pulled the free version forever.
And that's not going to happen.

What about - hypothetically - if they had a PS+ sub expiring at the end of October and weren't planning on renewing it for a while?

I'm just curious if Sony will do the right thing for those subscribers.

That's the thing about service-based subscriptions: Unless you operate on the assumption that a user will just renew the service continually (which, to be fair, many do), delays implicitly lead to a loss of value as the time the game is available to play is reduced.

 

[.J.]

Hey. HEY!

It's $50.

$50 here, $60 there... It adds up.

And for a lot or working class people, that $50 is the equivalent of five or more hours of labor going toward a game that may not function or be enjoyable. All purchases are a gamble, but this is a big one.

Don't make it seem like it's not a big deal to plop down $50 on something. For some people, throwing away money is an unattractive proposition.

Unless you were being sarcastic, in which case... So was I?

 

[AbandonedTrolley]

What about - hypothetically - if they had a PS+ sub expiring at the end of October and weren't planning on renewing it for a while?

I'm just curious if Sony will do the right thing for those subscribers.

That's the thing about service-based subscriptions: Unless you operate on the assumption that a user will just renew the service continually (which, to be fair, many do), delays implicitly lead to a loss of value as the time the game is available to play is reduced.

Quite a fair point you bring up but a hard one to prove from those that claim it.

 

[simplythebest]

Regular free updates keep evolving that game around you

Spoiler

into something finally decent and playable.

 

[……forgetit]

Quite a fair point you bring up but a hard one to prove from those that claim it.

My sub ends in November sense I bought it at launch and sinse I'm in school I don't have the money to spare anymore. I'd say I'm in this camp.

 

[Nyx]

Anyway, I think DC and its crippling problems have made an already an average at best game, a flop. Hence why I made this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVDgPV9HzGk

If you find it an average game you don't enjoy racing games I guess.

 

[m@cross]

My sub ends in November sense I bought it at launch and sinse I'm in school I don't have the money to spare anymore. I'd say I'm in this camp.

I remember what it was like being in school and not having money, so I can relate. Back when I was in school though, if my PS2 (yup I am old as shit) had an option like plus that gave me 2 free games a month, I'd make sure I saved to get it.

Odds are at least one of those 24 free games you will get will be a game you like, and $40 (will be on sale for this price next month pretty much guaranteed) is cheaper than one $60 game.

 

[mclem]

Quite a fair point you bring up but a hard one to prove from those that claim it.

It's not really a question of proving it, as such; I'm just trying to highlight - by means of showcasing the most extreme example - how something being postponed from a limited-time subscription *does* reduce the value of that subscription in ways that are somewhat masked by statements of a "you will get it eventually" nature.

But then, as I alluded to, that doesn't necessarily have to be a problem if Sony are smart about how they give out the game afterwards. I'm very curious about this from that standpoint.

I think the way I'd do it would be to offer PS+ sub time that matches the duration of the delay; effectively refunding the part of the subscription they used during the postponement. It's not ideal - that's a bit more generous than is strictly equitable - but I think it's reasonably fair for both sides without needing too much extra bespoke infrastructure (the concept of a PS+ subscription that only allows you Driveclub!)

PS+ can and should wait while they get the retail version sorted, but that wait ought to be acknowledged and reimbursed in some form.

 

[AbandonedTrolley]

It's not really a question of proving it, as such; I'm just trying to highlight - by means of showcasing the most extreme example - how something being postponed from a limited-time subscription *does* reduce the value of that subscription in ways that are somewhat masked by statements of a "you will get it eventually" nature.

But then, as I alluded to, that doesn't necessarily have to be a problem if Sony are smart about how they give out the game afterwards. I'm very curious about this from that standpoint.

I think the way I'd do it would be to offer PS+ sub time that matches the duration of the delay; effectively refunding the part of the subscription they used during the postponement. It's not ideal - that's a bit more generous than is strictly equitable - but I think it's reasonably fair for both sides without needing too much extra bespoke infrastructure (the concept of a PS+ subscription that only allows you Driveclub!)

PS+ can and should wait while they get the retail version sorted, but that wait ought to be acknowledged and reimbursed in some form.

My sub ends in November sense I bought it at launch and sinse I'm in school I don't have the money to spare anymore. I'd say I'm in this camp.

I agree they should certainly acknowledge it somehow.

Regarding those with the PS+ version, Sony could equally argue that if you have been using your PS+ sub to play online multi-player then in fact you've lost nothing as you needed to have that to play online. But that would be a pretty shitty thing to do.

 

[rambis]

What about - hypothetically - if they had a PS+ sub expiring at the end of October and weren't planning on renewing it for a while?

I'm just curious if Sony will do the right thing for those subscribers.

That's the thing about service-based subscriptions: Unless you operate on the assumption that a user will just renew the service continually (which, to be fair, many do), delays implicitly lead to a loss of value as the time the game is available to play is reduced.

Isnt it just like every over PS+ giveaway game where its only usuable while subscribed?

If there really is a group of gamers who got cheated out of their free month of Driveclub Plus, im pretty sure a complimentary month of PS+ before they never renew their subscribition again is well enough payment, no? Doesnt seem like too big an issue honestly.

 

[GeordieMark]

I see a lot of posts criticising those saying thy want folks at Evo to lose their jobs over this but I never see the same level of sympathy aimed at an exec who screws up. When it's a dev, people seem happy to give them the benefit of the doubt for some reason.

Ultimately somebody totally fucked up and has ended up costing their company loss of reputation, some really shitty PR and possibly financially too. It has also screwed up Sony's marketing plan as the release date has shifted.

Whether people like it or not, it wouldn't be totally unreasonable that someone will end up looking for a new job because of this, and as far as I am concerned, they shouldn't be too shocked if or when the axe falls.

Being a dev is a job just like any other, and all jobs carry some sort of consequence for failure. Many, many people have lost their normal 9 -5 jobs for much less of a fuck up than has occurred here.

I'm not saying that I want it to happen, but if it does, that's just the way it goes.

 

[mclem]

Regarding those with the PS+ version, Sony could equally argue that if you have been using your PS+ sub to play online multi-player then in fact you've lost nothing as you needed to have that to play online. But that would be a pretty shitty thing to do.

That raises an interesting question: What is a PS+ sub *for*? That is, if this was to come up in a court of law (and I'm in no way suggesting that this is a significant enough transgression that it ought to!), what would be regarded as the primary role of the PS+ subscription, and what would be regarded as freebie perks that come with that subscription?

As you allude in your post, it could be argued that PS+ is purchased primarily to play online, with the IGC titles being a perk on top of that, but I think there's one major factor standing in the way of that perception: the fact that online play was not a component of PS+ until comparatively recently - but then again, neither was the PS4.

PS+ has evolved in quite a few ways. It's a very different product to what it was at launch, and I think the identity of the service has perhaps got a bit lost. Which makes it an interesting question: If a subscription service which offers multiple independent components has one - and only one - of those advertised components fail, to what extent is the supplier of the service required to offer compensation of that, when the entire rest of the service is intact?

To what extent is a cable company liable if you unexpectedly can't get the sports channels for a month, for instance?

 

[Fermbiz]

Since I pre-ordered the new Xperia Z3 from T-mobile, as a promotion, they give you a code to unlock the full version of Driveclub for free. I just got that code now before the PS+ version is released.

Not complaining. I'm extremely happy I waited and didn't rush to buy the game but it sucks for those who are waiting to test the game out.

 

[blitzcloud]

so still nothing. sony, do the right thing, give 1 month of plus to active subscribers.

 

[Card Boy]

so still nothing. sony, do the right thing, give 1 month of plus to active subscribers.

They should anyway considering they are stealth swindling people by releasing the PSN+ games later and later each month.

 

[RPG]

They should anyway considering they are stealth swindling people by releasing the PSN+ games later and later each month.

?? Outside of this Driveclub debacle, which games are being released later in the month?

 

[dugdug]

I'm seriously amazed at Sony's complete lack of communication about this game. Since launch, they've said *one* thing about it. "Go to Driveclub's facebook page for updates."

Which, while that is easy enough to do, is still horseshit. They haven't publicly said a single thing about the PS+ version since it's delay. Sony themselves, never even mentioned the game on launch day. They made one blog post, a full day late, only to say "Hey, don't look at us, man."

I bought the game, so, it's not like the PS+ version even affects me, but, jesus christ, this is ridiculous.

 

[Agent X]

I'm seriously amazed at Sony's complete lack of communication about this game. Since launch, they've said *one* thing about it. "Go to Driveclub's facebook page for updates."

I agree. It's a sad state of affairs.

Also, not everyone uses Facebook, so they should really consider getting the word out through other avenues.

Which, while that is easy enough to do, is still horseshit. They haven't publicly said a single thing about the PS+ version since it's delay. Sony themselves, never even mentioned the game on launch day. They made one blog post, a full day late, only to say "Hey, don't look at us, man."

Sony has said virtually nothing about Driveclub since it released. They aren't even airing TV commercials for Driveclub (while I see Forza Horizon 2 ads several times a day). I'm sure this is because they are trying to avoid calling attention to the game and the problems that it's suffering from.

This is the PS4's only truly exclusive game at retail for the fourth quarter of 2014, yet these problems are forcing them to suppress any efforts to promote the game. This is yet another reason why they should be interested in fixing these problems as soon as possible.

 

[Shaneus]

Sony has said virtually nothing about Driveclub since it released. They aren't even airing TV commercials for Driveclub (while I see Forza Horizon 2 ads several times a day). I'm sure this is because they are trying to avoid calling attention to the game and the problems that it's suffering from.

Perhaps where you are they aren't showing anything, but in Australia I see it advertised at least twice a night, depending on what channel I'm watching. I'm honestly surprised with the amount they're putting into it, especially compared to Horizon 2 with which I've seen literally none.

 

[valkyre]

The whole Driveclub thing is perhaps the most embarrassing release of recent years...

I wouldnt be surprised if Evolution Studios gets the boot from Sony...

 

[Septic360]

Still waiting...

 

[MadD4mon]

They posted this minutes ago.

Message from Shuhei Yoshida - President of World Wide Studios
Hi everyone,
I wanted to provide you with the latest update on DRIVECLUB. Unfortunately, the road to launch has been a little rocky, and we are truly sorry that so many of you have not been able to enjoy everything that we had hoped DRIVECLUB would deliver.
We have been listening to your feedback and realize that patience understandably is running out. Evo is working around the clock to close the gap, and we have deployed additional engineering resources to help resolve the remaining issues as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the time frames required to roll out the fully connected experience will be longer than anticipated and we do not have an exact time frame for when they will be resolved. We will continue to update you on progress and you can find the latest info on the DRIVECLUB Facebook page.
We are also very conscious that we have disappointed so many of you who were looking forward to playing the promised PS Plus Edition. Our first priority is to provide you with the best possible experience while playing DRIVECLUB. With the high volume of new players and additional server load the PS Plus Edition is anticipated to bring, we are currently not confident that we can guarantee the best online experience. Until we can ensure that everyone can enjoy the full social connected online experience, we will be postponing the release of the PS Plus Edition until further notice.
On behalf of WWS we are enormously grateful for your patience and we thank you for the continued support and encouragement. Again, we sincerely apologize for the delay. We are committed to giving you the best racing experience on PS4 – it’s taking a little longer than we hoped.
Thanks,
Shu

 

[GlamFM]

They posted this minutes ago.

This is just incredible...

Unfortunately, the time frames required to roll out the fully connected experience will be longer than anticipated and we do not have an exact time frame for when they will be resolved.

 

[gogogow]

They posted this minutes ago.

Summary:

Message from Shuhei Yoshida - President of World Wide Studios

Please understand.

Thanks, Shu