10 Ridiculous Excuses For Failed Video Games
7. Driveclub: This Socially-Connected Racer Wanted To Be Too Socially-Connected
When the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were looming, Sony and Microsoft faced the usual dilemma: bringing consumers the familiar favorite gaming genres they love, with a dash of difference, a dash of next-generation gaming appeal. We needed an incentive to buy those expensive new consoles, after all.
As far as racing titles were concerned, the Sony-published Driveclub was PlayStation 4’s most hyped early offering. It was to be an experience all about the connectivity, offering a range of racing challenges for players to take on in ‘clubs’ of their own, earning reputation together and competing against other rival clubs from around the world.
Needless to say, robust online multiplayer was going to be key here, and that was where the team dropped the ball. The much-delayed title arrived with all manner of online issues, which (according to Sony CEO Shawn Layden back in 2014) resulted from the failure to adequately test the impact of heavy server load:
“You do a beta test, you scope against that. But now, in a connected world, you can't effectively test in your house or in your beta group what it means to have 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 users hit your service. And the guys [at the studio] are struggling with that. It's throwing up things they had not anticipated."
Again, there’s a degree of validity here, but considering the entire premise of the game and the hype it received, this really doesn’t cut the mustard. Still, that’s why Driveclub and the PlayStation Plus edition met the fate they did.