8 Tiny Issues That RUINED Blockbuster Video Game Launches

8. Too Many Players Break The Servers - Driveclub

While the company has moved on from it now, for a time Sony was defined by Drivelub's failure early on in the PS4's life cycle.

One of the first titles revealed for the next-gen system, the racing game was going to compliment Gran Turismo by embracing online connectivity and crafting an experience where you were never on the tracks alone. Even more tantalising, the game was set to be a major push for Playstation Plus, with a free version launching at the same time as the regular edition for subscribers.

Now, a racing game entirely designed around online connectivity needs to have, you know, an online infrastructure that can support all of its players. That's priority number one. Sadly, while Sony tried to make this as watertight as possible, one tiny detail slipped through the cracks which broke the entire game at launch.

As soon as Driveclub released, it was clear that its servers weren't up to snuff, with players being unable to go online for weeks afterwards. In response, Sony postponed the PS Plus edition and tried to figure out what went wrong.

It turned out this disarray was caused by the servers being unable to handle so many people at the same time. Later, an executive would describe the issue as an "oversight" that led to the developers having to rip the system out entirely and re-build it from scratch.