Driveclub PS Plus Server

It hasn't been a great time for online services of late. The problems with the online multiplayer of Halo: The Master Chief Collection have been well-documented, and it's joined by a host of other titles in a list of AAA games with severe problems. Assassin's Creed Unity's highly-anticipated online co-op mode had problems with lag and drop-out when it was first released, whilst both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network went down due to a DDoS attack over Christmas.

One of the unfortunate casualties of a rushed release schedule was Driveclub. The online racer, developed by Evolution Studios and published by Sony, was released in October of last year with some serious server problems. The connection problems were long-lasting too, with patch after patch failing to completely solve the issues. Amongst it all, Driveclub's promised free PlayStation Plus version was nowhere to be found.

After a fair bit of radio silence, we now have another update on the future of Driveclub's free version. Evolution Studios took to Twitter to give an update on the progress of the PlayStation Plus edition of the racer. Unfortunately, the developer has given a less-than-promising response when questioned on the subject by a curious fan. Apparently, the developer is "getting there" with regards to the free version, but there is "still a lot of server development needed to support the PS+ Edition."

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The PlayStation Plus version of Driveclub was supposed to be ready when the game launched. Meant as an extended demo, the free download was set to give players the chance to get a look at the title before committing to the retail price. Driveclub for PS+ was set to include India as its sole location and allow gamers to get behind the wheel of a select few vehicles.

It's another delay in a long line of problems for the title. Driveclub was initially meant to release alongside the PS4, before being pushed back multiple times. Even though Evolution Studios promised the game would only launch when it was ready, the server problems said otherwise. Players were given premium DLC as compensation for the disruption, with Sony giving an explanation for the issues.

If there's one positive to be had from this announcement, at least the free version has not been cancelled entirely. With the full game's server issues now regressing, hopefully all of Driveclub's promised content will soon be a reality. However, it's still damning evidence that Driveclub was simply not ready to launch when it hit shelves in October of last year. Let's hope that the PlayStation Plus edition does appear sometime soon.

Source: Twitter