Driveclub Message Board

EA plans to model Star Wars games on Batman Arkham series & Steam, Amazon and iTunes prices could rise in UK. Plus, Sony layoffs hit & Vita gets an update.

If you're hanging out for Driveclub, it might be a while. Sony's Sony's Scott Rohde tells IGN the game has gone "back to the drawing board" so they can "make sure the game is great before we ship it."Read more...

While the Driveclub team continues to work hard to create an outstanding racing game for you and your friends to enjoy in 2014, we’re taking a moment to thank you all. We wish you well for the holidays, because your support and enthusiasm have kept us fired up all year.

We’re passionate about creating great, long-lasting games (which is why we’re taking more time with Driveclub), and the conversations we have with gamers are a regular reminder of why we pour our hearts into every stage of development.

We’ll keep you up to speed with Driveclub when we have updates for you, so in the meantime, have fun and enjoy the new year with your family, your friends, and with PlayStation. Thanks again everyone — 2013 has been an incredible year, and 2014 is shaping up to be just as exciting.

Watch Dogs and Driveclub, two high-profile games planned for release alongside the PS4 and Xbox One, have both seen fairly last-minute delays into next year. However, both of those games had been included in next-gen console preorder bundles. Two readers inform us that today, Target cancelled not just their game preorder, but their console preorder as well.Read more...

SCE Worldwide Studios and the team at Evolution Studios have made the difficult decision to delay the release of DRIVECLUB and DRIVECLUB PlayStation Plus Edition until early 2014. DRIVECLUB will be a truly innovative, socially connected racing game, but the team requires more time in order to deliver on their vision — and I’m fully confident the game will surpass your expectations.

This decision also affects PlayStation Plus members’ Instant Game Collection for launch. To be clear, DRIVECLUB PlayStation Plus Edition will still be part of the Instant Game Collection when it is released. For the PS4 launch, in addition to Resogun, I’m pleased to announce that Contrast, the highly anticipated game from Compulsion Games will also be available to PlayStation Plus members for free as part of Instant Game Collection. If you’re not aware of Contrast, it will whisk you away to a surreal vaudevillian, film-noir inspired reality full of performance, intrigue, shadow-play and drama. Please check out the trailer below. I’m sure you’ll agree that it is unlike anything you will have played before.

We’re also offering members access to an exclusive “Open Weekend” trial of Killzone Shadow Fall multiplayer on December 28-29.

We understand that the delay is disappointing news, but can assure you that the reason we have made this decision is to ensure that when DRIVECLUB launches, it will realize the next-gen racing vision. And PlayStation 4 gamers will have no shortage of titles to play this year. At launch alone, we have Killzone Shadow Fall, Knack, Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, FIFA 14, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Battlefield 4 to name but a few, as well as the incredible list of indie games coming to PS4. A broad portfolio of games will be available on PS4 before the end of the year, and with games such as inFAMOUS Second Son, The Order 1886, Destiny, Watch Dogs and now DRIVECLUB coming next year, the strength of the software line-up on PS4 is unprecedented.

DRIVECLUB is a really ambitious racing title and the game is looking stunning. The extra time we’re giving the team means the visuals and overall experience are only going to get better. We can assure you that it will be worth the wait.

Thanks to everyone that played the DRIVECLUB demo at Gamescom! There were some blindingly quick racers, and even though my team weren’t the fastest overall, we earned the most fame points to win the challenge. So that means that the Gamescom trailer plays out with ”Like A Boss” winning, which I’m obviously very happy about! Also, in case you were wondering, the music track is Be Here Now by Hybrid (The Qemists remix). ;-)

The reaction we got at the show was fantastic, with over a thousand people trying the demo each day. I spoke to a lot of people playing the game and the key thing that stood out and really connected with people was the concept of “always having something to play for” and “always contributing to the success of your club.”

The fastest racers loved that they could aim for first place on the leaderboard and still play over and above that to beat every challenge in every event. Everyone else enjoyed being able to focus on the face-off challenges, rather than struggling to be the quickest around the track. It was great to see that people understood that DRIVECLUB is not just about the fastest racers getting to the finish line first, but that everyone can drive together and win together.

We showed a track from Canada for the first time and the enthusiasm we’ve seen makes us excited to show you even more of the game before the PS4 launches, especially because the game is already looking better and smoother than it did at Gamescom!

For those of you that couldn’t make it to the show, we also shared some direct feed video footage of DRIVECLUB running on PS4! The videos have been on our Facebook page since the show but we’ve just put them up on YouTube at a higher resolution for you (closer to showing the game’s native 1080p resolution).

There are more videos for you to watch on YouTube, too. Just before I sign off, I should probably pre-empt the most common question we get asked by people when they see the direct feed videos: “how does it play”? It’s a tricky question to answer because it entirely depends on your experience with racing games.

If you come from a background of playing arcade-racing games, like I do, then you’ll have a lot of fun with DRIVECLUB. The first thing I learned is that you definitely need to use the brakes, which I wasn’t used to, but it’s really easy to get to grips with. It’s incredibly satisfying to get a feel for some of the world’s most exciting cars and there’s a lot of depth and individuality to driving each of the cars.

If your pedigree is simulation-racing games – or you’ve ever driven these cars for real, like our Design Director Paul [Rushy] Rustchynsky – then you’ll also be happy with how DRIVECLUB feels. He tells me you’ll instantly get to grips with each vehicle’s unique handling characteristics and you’ll be able to apply advanced driving techniques like ‘trail braking’ and ‘feathering the throttle’.

You can also choose to drive with manual gear transmission and we’re working on support for steering wheels to enhance your driving immersion too.

It’s really exciting that players from different backgrounds like Rushy and me can drive together (and win together!) in DRIVECLUB. So tell us, what’s your racing background, who will you be playing with and what do you think of what you’ve seen so far?

Guten tag from Gamescom! I hope you got a chance to see yesterday’s press conference, where we saw a glut of new games announced (and finally found out when we can get our own PS4s!).

Sid and I are in Germany, tracking down new info for the latest games. Yesterday, I sat in on a presentation by Col Rodgers, the game director on PS4′s upcoming launch exclusive, Driveclub. He went into detail about Driveclub’s social features, the PS Plus Edition of the game, and showed us how Remote Play on PS Vita works.

Rodgers described Driveclub as the “social network for racing games,” and this is exemplified by the game’s Challenge system. If you feel especially confident about a run on a certain track, with a certain car, even at a certain time of day, you can issue a challenge to your club, sending a notification to their PS4s or to their mobile phones (courtesy of the Driveclub Mobile app). As they play and try to beat your challenge, they’ll rack up points for the club.

Things get interesting when you elect to challenge your other friends, who might not be part of your club. If they like a challenge that you’ve sent them, they can redistribute it to their club or friends, who can then redistribute to their club or friends, and so on. A friendly challenge can turn into a worldwide phenomenon, literally overnight.

More details about the PlayStation Plus Edition were divulged, as well. Gamers can play Driveclub on PS4 three ways when it launches: the full retail version on Blu-ray, the full version digitally, or gamers will have access to a free version of the game with their PlayStation Plus subscription as part of the Instant Game Collection. The PS Plus edition of the game is the full, complete experience, differing only in the amount of content included with a selection of cars, tracks and locations from the full version. PS Plus members can pick up the game for free initially, then buy more cars and tracks, or upgrade to the full version of the game if they choose.

Driveclub keeps looking and sounding better and better as we get closer to launch. Between the intimately detailed car models, the real-time shadow rendering, the Hybrid-created soundtrack — “Remixed by the best in the biz,” says Rodgers — and the directly recorded roars of each car’s engine, every inch of this game is permeated by passion and the desire to create the best racing game possible. Oh, and yes: it runs at 1080p.

Remote Play on PS Vita looked easy, beautiful and responsive — three very welcome qualities for this new technology. When a challenge arrives on the Driveclub Mobile app or on your PS4, you can start up the game and hit the track, or switch over to your Vita to take it off the big screen.

Afterwards, Jamie Brayshaw caught up with us to pass along some info about a challenge taking place at Gamescom this week.

Two clubs from developer Evolution Studios, LIKE A BOSS and LUCKY 7 LEGENDS, face-off in the #GC2013 Challenge, and the rivalry is captured in the new Driveclub trailer — which debuted at the show.

Everything you do in Driveclub earns fame points for you and your Clubmates, and there’s plenty of ways you can earn fame with Overdrives and Face-offs. These allow you to compete against friends and rivals across the world in every section of every track; whether it’s maintaining incredible speed through a section of track, drifting with skill around a bend, or taking specific corners with the perfect racing line, there’s always something to play for, no matter how far ahead or behind the pack you may be. At Gamescom, Evolution is inviting the fans to be a part of these clubs. Who wins the #GC2013 Challenge will be determined over the course of the show!

After watching the trailer, vote on Facebook, or if you’re at the show, stop by the show floor and play the demo to help contribute to the overall success of both clubs. The ending of the trailer will play out the final result of your votes next week!

The goal for Driveclub is to build a strong, connected community of clubs and racers that will keep the game fresh, with new challenges. A key part of achieving this is how we let you get into the game: so I’m here to not only reveal the options you have, but also share our stylish box art and the three exclusive incentives on offer when you pre-order the game.

Driveclub gives you immediate access to all the coolest cars, tracks and locations from around the world, the moment you slide the Bluray into your PS4. All of these combined give you unlimited opportunities to participate in and create challenges to showcase your skills to the world and your friends.

Today, we’re revealing the bonuses available when you pre-order Driveclub through participating retailers. You’ll have your choice of one of three exclusive packs depending on which store you pre-order from. Each pack includes an exclusive livery design, instant access to a powerful supercar and a boost of fame to increase your driver level in the game and give you and your club a head start over the competition. Check out the packs below and visit the official site to see the participating stores near you.

In addition to that, we have another announcement! Purchase Driveclub at retail or digitally via PlayStation Store, and you’ll get a free 3-Month PlayStation Plus Trial. This ensures you’ll get the most out of Driveclub and your PS4 from the get-go.

But let’s not forget the incredible offer available to PlayStation Plus subscribers, allowing you to instantly become part of the Driveclub community. Offered within the Instant Game Collection, with no need to pre-order, Driveclub PlayStation Plus Edition gives you an exciting selection of cars across all 5 classes, beautiful locations and exciting race tracks featured that you can play in all game modes, but does not include all Driveclub content unless you upgrade.

And for those of you who play the Driveclub PlayStation Plus Edition, but want to extend your experience and get access to all the cars, locations, challenges, events and seasons Driveclub has to offer, you can buy an upgrade to the full game – or just buy individual items as you go along. If you do decide to upgrade, everything you’ve earned so far will be carried over. Note that Driveclub PlayStation Plus Edition (and any upgrades) is only available for use during the period of your PlayStation Plus membership.

We’re really proud to deliver a next-gen way to join the Driveclub community and reward PlayStation’s most loyal fans – YOU! So if you are a racing fan and can’t wait to get behind the wheel of some of the world’s coolest cars, pre-order Driveclub and get hold of one of the exclusive bonus packs to help give you and your Club a head-start over the competition when you get your PS4!

PlayStation Plus subscription only available to Sony Entertainment Network account holders with access to PlayStation®Store and broadband internet. Online multi-player requires broadband internet, Sony Entertainment Network account and, for PS4 users only, access to PlayStation Store and a paid-for PlayStation Plus subscription. Content and services available via PlayStation Plus vary by subscriber age. Sony Entertainment Network, PlayStation®Store and PlayStation®Plus subject to terms of use and not available in all countries and languages; PlayStation Plus content and services vary by subscriber age; PlayStation Plus subscription automatically renews at the end of the subscription period and you will be charged in accordance with the SEN Terms of Service and User Agreement; Users must be 7 years or older and users under 18 require parental consent – eu.playstation.com/legal. Service availability is not guaranteed. Online features of specific games may be withdrawn on reasonable notice – eu.playstation.com/gameservers.

As I write this, Kotaku bossman Stephen Totilo has just walked into the office with an Oculus Rift. A bunch of us have already strapped on the VR goggles to our faces and have been super-impressed with what the headgear is able to accomplish. But, an Oculus optimized to work with the PS4? That’d be slick as heck.Read more...