With that said, DRIVECLUB lacked a few key functions and ideals we would have liked to see in the game. But that’s what sequels are for! Here is our list of 15 Features we would like to see Evolution Studios implement into DRIVECLUB 2 to rev up our racing desires.

(note: some photos shown from other racers to emphasize desired feature.)

Stability Online

It’s hard to ponder why a game that was delayed ended up being, well, broken. This isn’t the first game that this has occurred in. Master Chief Collection comes to find, in fact. Single player in DRIVECLUB ran smoothly enough, but seriously: who wants to play a racing game by him or her self? Making sure online is functioning on Day 1 is one of the BIGGEST concerns going forward into a game designed for a social experience.

Evolution Studios’ DriveClub: PS Plus Edition, a free edition of the game available to PlayStation Plus subscribers on the PS4, is finally available on the PlayStation Store in both North America and Europe.

However, it should be noted that you can play it in offline mode. Sony will roll out online access to “steadily bring more and more players online” as the game runs smoothly. Yes, it’s still not quite what we were expecting but given the upward momentum that the PS Plus Edition has been experiencing lately, there’s hope yet.

DriveClub launched in October 2014 after being delayed by a year and was plagued with issues from the get-go. Server issues and faulty net-code rendered several of the game’s online features moot and severely hindered its social features. It’s since improved significantly with several content updates in the past several months or so. Can the PS Plus Edition do better? We’ll find out in the coming weeks.

Try as it might, Sony can’t quite get things rolling with the PS Plus Edition of Evolution Studios’ DriveClub. This was the free version of the game promised to PlayStation Plus subscribers at the game’s launch but was delayed following severe problems with the net code and servers.

However, following the weekly update of the PlayStation Store, DriveClub: PS Plus Edition actually appeared online to download. The links didn’t work though and it wasn’t long before the listing disappeared completely.

Posting on the game’s official Facebook page, Evolution Studios stated that, “We’re preparing to launch Driveclub PS+ Edition & will have news for you soon.

“The Store update today with the Driveclub PS+ Edition was premature. The servers aren’t ready yet, so it’s been removed while we get them ready. Apologies on their behalf for any confusion and inconvenience caused.”

That’s kind of a let-down but at least there’s some indication of the game releasing, right? Hopefully it really be soon and not by, oh, October when the full version of DriveClub launched a year ago.

Much has been made about the PS Plus Edition of DriveClub, a free version of the game which would have launched alongside the retail release in October 2014 and provided fans a chance to test it before they buy. However, due to numerous server and net-code issues at launch, the PS Plus Edition was delayed indefinitely.

However, it seems that it could be arriving some time soon. According to game director Paul Rustchynsky on Twitter, in response to a fan, stated that, “We’re in the final stages of development now.”

This could mean an announcement of sorts at E3 2015 for Sony, though it would be odd since it means bringing up the game’s past launch failure. Regardless, DriveClub: PS Plus Edition will likely be out in the coming months. If you haven’t had a chance to try DriveClub or have been dissuaded by the numerous launch troubles, it will be worth checking out.

Evolution Studios’ DriveClub is in far better shape now than at launch, though it has a more than terrible launch which delayed the release of the free PS Plus Edition. While no ETA was provided on when it would ultimately released, the newest update 1.16 will enhance server connectivity to prepare for its release.

Speaking on its official Facebook page, Evolution Studios said that, “The servers that provide Challenges in DRIVECLUB are being replaced and upgraded. This will bring bigger, better challenges and improve server performance across the game as we continue to work to make the PlayStation Plus Edition of DRIVECLUB possible.”

Other changes introduced include challenges now supporting an unlimited number of participants; a new interface for the challenge menu making it easier to participate in the same; Evolution Studios challenges now being a part of the challenges menu; and more. As the last point states, it also makes, “Significant technical improvements will be made to enhance server connectivity and prepare for the PlayStation Plus Edition.”

What are your thoughts on DriveClub: PS Plus Edition finally nearing release? Let us know in the comments.

Still waiting for the free, PS Plus Edition of DriveClub which was indefinitely delayed at launch following various woes? Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe president and CEO Jim Ryan spoke to Metro about the same and the situation is as ambiguous as ever.

On being asked whether the free version still figured into plans, Ryan said, “That’s still being looked at.” When asked if it would ship at all, he followed up with, “I can’t say anything at this stage.”

It’s a rather troubling situation, especially since the delay led to public apologies from Evolution Studios and SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida. Keep in mind that it’s been more than four months since DriveClub’s release and the PS Plus Edition still requires a lot of work.

Sony are still working hard to make up for the disastrous launch though. “Everybody in this building [Sony Europe HQ in London] and in the development community was absolutely distraught…I don’t think anybody should labour under the opinion that there was any feeling of insouciance or anybody being relaxed about that being the case. People were working 24/7, and that’s an expression that’s lightly used but people were working 24/7 trying to fix this.

“Now, should the game have worked at launch? Of course. Should people pay £50 for something and expect it to work? Of course.

“I think one thing that the industry appears to have misjudged in the generational transition – where there’s a lot spoken about moving to a more straightforward PC architecture that should make it easy for developers to come to terms with next gen and all of that – is I think the massively enhanced online ambitions a lot of developers and publishers have identified as one of the opportunists of next gen, appear to have been way more technically challenging than anyone realised.”

Do you agree with Ryan on the challenges that current gen consoles? What are your thoughts on DriveClub PS Plus Edition never coming out? Let us know in the comments.

Evolution Studios’ DriveClub has hit some roadblocks shortly after its launch. Not only are its servers at their limits, preventing many players from jumping right into the game, but the PS Plus Edition of the game has also been delayed.

The developer posted on Facebook about the same, nothing that, “We’re just as frustrated as you about the server performance issues right now. We want you to be racing with clubs and having fun playing challenges, not checking Facebook updates from us to see if the servers are updated yet.

“We’ll have more info for you later today (Thursday) so please bear with us while we work through this.”

As for those who own the game and are experiencing issues, Evolution stated that, “In case you don’t already know, the servers are up and running but they are hitting their performance limits, so they won’t accept new connections until one of the current online players frees up their space (allowing another to join in their place, which happens automatically and player selection is random).

“If and when you get online, you should not have any connectivity issues during the remainder of your session. When you finish and disconnect, you’ll free up a space for someone else. This is obviously not ideal, especially given that there are a lot of players waiting to connect, but that’s how it’s working right now.

“The whole team here at Evolution Studios have got their shoulders to the wheel working hard to improve this situation: developing updates and upgrades to the servers – and testing these updates around the clock so that we can get them live. We hope you can enjoy the game offline while we work to improve the server performance and get you connected – and we’re sorry that you’re having to wait to play the game online as we intended for it to be played.”

DriveClub has received some relatively middling reviews since its release. Are you enjoying the game or able to go online? Let us know in the comments.

Evolution Studios’ DriveClub is no stranger to delays, having been held back by almost a full year from its originally intended release date. Now that the game is out at retail, it seems the free PS Plus Edition has been delayed. This is due to high traffic that are currently taxing the PlayStation servers.

On Facebook, the developer stated that, “We are sorry if you are having a hard time getting online as we know many of you are. Please be aware that the game will automatically keep trying to connect you. Once you’re online, you should have no further problems during your session. Everyone at the studio is now working hard to get new updates ready for the game servers to improve connectivity. We will be rolling out these updates day by day and will keep you informed.

“In order to help all DriveClub players who have the game already, we’re temporarily holding back the PS Plus Edition and the My DriveClub app to ease the load and traffic to the servers. This should give players a better chance of connecting to the game servers and, once the servers are operating well, we’ll be sure to let you know when the PS Plus Edition and My DriveClub app will be available to download.”

What are your thoughts on DriveClub thus far? Let us know in the comments.

The free games in October for PlayStation Plus subscribers have been revealed and it’s a very busy month for PS3, Vita and PS4 users alike.

PS3 users will receive Batman: Arkham Asylum and Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara, with the former being one of the best open world games available and which kickstarted the Arkham franchise. PS4 users arguably have a better deal with DriveClub PlayStation Plus Edition and Dust: An Elysian Tail.

Finally, the number of Vita titles available include Pix the Cat (cross buy with PS4), Rainbow Moon (cross buy with PS3) and Spelunky (cross buy with PS3 and PS4). These are available for free but if you download them on the Vita, they’ll be available for their respective consoles.

The free games will be available starting from October 7th in North America and October 8th in Europe. DriveClub PS Plus Edition will be out on October 10th in UK.