Driveclub was one of Sony’s most anticipated PS4 exclusives. This was largely due to it being a PS4 exclusive when those were a rarity, but also because fans were promised a free version of the game with their PlayStation Plus membership. This version wouldn’t feature everything from the regular game, but it promised to offer a large enough chunk for gamers to enjoy. However, the launch of Driveclube didn’t go according to plan. Glitches and network problems essentially shut the game down for many players, causing Sony to backtrack and put the free PS Plus version on hold. That hold has continued for months with no end in sight, and according to a recent interview from PlayStation Europe president and CEO Jim Ryan, there is no guarantee that it will end any time soon.
That’s still being looked at…I can’t say anything at this stage.
Speaking with Metro, Ryan was asked if there was still going to be a free PlayStation Plus version of the game. He answered, “that’s still being looked at.” When pressed for whether or not he could guarantee that it will ever happen, he responded “I can’t say anything at this stage.” This is certainly unfortunate as many fans had been holding out hope that once the main game’s issue were worked out that they would get the promised free version for their PS Plus account. Of course, corporate speak being what it is, this isn’t a definite “no”, but it is disconcerting that Sony is unwilling to even guarantee that it will ever be available.
Elsewhere in the interview Ryan speaks of the lessons that Sony learned from the Driveclube launch problems. While he doesn’t go into specifics about what has been changed, hopefully they will help lessen the frequency of broken, buggy games launching in a bad state.
