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[UnluckyKate]

June 19, 2014
BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe S.A.S announced today that RIDGE RACER DRIFTOPIA’s open beta will be finished in 60 days.

BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe S.A.S announced today that RIDGE RACER DRIFTOPIA’s open beta will be finished in 60 days. The leading developer and publisher wanted to take this opportunity to thank all its players for their permanent support and dedication! All the feedbacks will be taken into account for the upcoming projects.

By August 15th, servers will be turned off and the game will no longer be in Early Access.

http://www.bandainamcogames.co.uk/news/2014/06/19/ridge-racer-driftopia-beta-coming-to-an-end/4422

This was in early access by they are closing the servers in 60 days : after a year of beta, is it the first game that get canceled while in early access ? And from a major publisher that is ?

Spin out if old

A year ago, the game was the worst F2P/ Pay 2 Play model I ever seen. I admit never giving it another chance after that

 

[jooey]

It was really badly shoehorned into Unbounded, so I'm not surprised. Plus Bugbear probably has bigger fish to fry.

 

[kadotsu]

Could you spend money in the game?

 

[Nethaniah]

Bamco's desperate attempts at cashing in on the F2P hype is funny.

Edit: Didn't that Family Guy game get canceled while in beta?

 

[stuminus3]

Bugbear: "We out." *drops mike*

 

[UnluckyKate]

Could you spend money in the game?

Yes you could. You had too : Each time you crashed (reminder : this is closer than Burnout than RR) you loose a life. You had like 5 life a day / an hour or something. For a game heavily focus on agressive driving, raming and high speed drifting in urban, blind corners, it was a mess.

Also, all tracks and cars and assets were from RR Unbounded. So you had to buy the game for 10$ and not bother with the F2P one to experience the full thing (RR Unbounded isn't that good either)

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Good. I feel sorry for anyone who spent money in the game, but I really hope this means a proper Ridge Racer is now being considered.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

Good. I feel sorry for anyone who spent money in the game, but I really hope this means a proper Ridge Racer is now being considered.

Probably this is a step closer to the death of the franchise. I don't think the mobile game was very successful either....

 

[patrickthehedgehog]

I'm sure the devs tried their best inside of the constraints set for them by Bamco, but this isn't the RR that anyone wanted.

Hoping for a new RR with the right tone and gameplay. I'd buy a new system for that goodness.

 

[Deadbeat]

Bugbear: "We out." *drops mike*

They got NextCarGame so why waste their time with anything else?

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Probably this is a step closer to the death of the franchise. I don't think the mobile game was very successful either....

I totally forgot there was a mobile game.

I hope you're wrong though, would be a crying shame if this signalled the edeath of the franchise. We need Ridge Racer.

 

[VariantX]

Having to repair your car after crashes just made for an extremely unfun game especially when the aggressive cpu would just smash you into a wall. I just bought RR6 on 360 after trying this and had a far more enjoyable experience.

 

[Renpatsu]

If they were to go back to reinvent Ridge Racer I've always wished they try doing a period piece and channelling Shuto Kousoku film series more prominently as I've heard it was an inspiration during early development of the series.

 

[AmyS]

NAMCO you messed with tradition by not having a new Ridge Racer game for a new PlayStation hardware launch. You did not even bother to have Ridge Racer for PS4's Japanese launch this past February.

All can be forgiven, if only you develop a PS4-exclusive Ridge Racer 8 with in-game graphics that looks as good as the racing segments in the CG intro for Xbox 360's Ridge Racer 6 from 2005.

Obviously, with PS4, such a game would automatically have to be native 1080p 60fps, like RR7 was at PS3's launch, but with graphics ^ like the above.

Oh, and where's my Ace Combat 7 ?

I hope Nintendo buys you. Soon.

 

[UnluckyKate]

NAMCO you messed with tradition by not having a new Ridge Racer game for a new PlayStation hardware launch. You did not even bother to have Ridge Racer for PS4's Japanese launch this past February.

All can be forgiven, if only you develop a PS4-exclusive Ridge Racer 8 with in-game graphics that looks as good as the racing segments in the CG intro for Xbox 360's Ridge Racer 6 from 2005.

Obviously, with PS4, such a game would automatically have to be native 1080p 60fps, like RR7 was at PS3's launch, but with graphics ^ like the above.

Oh, and where's my Ace Combat 7 ?

I hope Nintendo buys you. Soon.

RR7, being one of the very rare, true 1080p and 60fps game of the previous gen (and and launch game too) is still impressive visually. Sure it's not that pretty anymore but it's still eye candy.

 

[Diablohead]

This game really was the wrong way to approach Ridge Racer.

 

[Duxxy3]

I saw a little gameplay footage and... that's not a ridge racer game. That's not even in the same vein as a ridge racer game.

 

[Takao]

There was a PS3 version of this that I'm not sure ever came out.

 

[AmyS]

RR7, being one of the very rare, true 1080p and 60fps game of the previous gen (and and launch game too) is still impressive visually. Sure it's not that pretty anymore but it's still eye candy.

I picked up a used copy of RR7 several months ago, since I hadn't had a copy in years.

Such a wonderful game.

 

[RSLAEV]

You monsters teased Kaz so much about Riiiiidge Racer that he secretly sabotaged the franchise >.<

 

[AmyS]

Ridge Racer 7 question:

Alright, supposedly both the original RR short and long tracks are playable, as free DLC, UFRA single events.

I know Seaside Route 765 (RR Short) is there for sure because I downloaded it on the PSN digital store, but what about the extended version, Ridge City Highway (RR Long) ?

I couldn't find that for download. Could it be that it used to be there years ago but *some* of the RR content got taken down, as often things do from PSN ?

 

[isamu]

All they fucking have to do is make a true proper RR8 for PS4 and PC, make it cross platform multiplayer with up 100 players in a race, support force feedback steering wheels, incorporate a track editor, make it Oculus Rift compatible, and include tracks from ALL the previous RR game ala RR2 for PSP.

IS IT REALLY THAT FUCKING HARD NAMCO????

 

[vagabondarts]

I miss looking forward to Ridge Racer.
I still have R4 and Ridge Racer PSP on my Vita at least.

*hugs Vita*

Please stop trying to F2P itize RR

 

[KissVibes]

Ridge Racer: Unbounded was a good spin off. Shame they decided to take it and add a bunch of free to play garbage and call it a new game.

 

[Neff]

That's ok, Namco. I'm willing to accept your HD online compilation of Ridge Racer 2, Ridge Racer Revolution and Rave Racer for Wii U/PS4/XBone.

 

[isamu]

That's ok, Namco. I'm willing to accept your HD online compilation of Ridge Racer 2, Ridge Racer Revolution and Rave Racer for Wii U/PS4/XBone.

If only....

 

[Takao]

Ridge Racer: Unbounded was a good spin off. Shame they decided to take it and add a bunch of free to play garbage and call it a new game.

IIRC Unbounded sold very, very poorly, so this was likely Namco trying to squeeze what little they could from the project.

 

[pje122]

Any idea how to download the PS3 version?

 

[taku]

Driftopia?

I'd rather play Drift Stage.

 

[sörine]

Driftopia?

I'd rather play Drift Stage.

Oh god, I need this!