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Sony closes Evolution Studios (Motorstorm, Driveclub)

What can PD learn from EVO ?
Racing games are not selling well it don't matter what sub genre it in..
Also i would wait to see GT engine before saying that .

From the engine and gameplay side, quite a lot. Graphical elements, weather implementation, sense of speed, some of the physics implementation (especially contact physics), the dash cam, camera characteristics, online modes and features, the extent of record keeping and constant updating of a massive number of variables updated in real time, the aggressiveness of the AI, the track design, detailing and features, some of the paint job customisation and so on and so on. Even though Driveclub is not a Sim racer, to me it actually replicates the thrill and speed of driving/racing better than any other grounded real world racer, much more so than games like GT.
 
Thanks for the clarification. My Nintendo fan side must have been thinking these consoles must sell close to that figure if Nintendo sell like over 10 mill on a big franchise :/

Have we had any games hit that figure (5 mill) this generation?
Well, Nintendo is in a different situation. They do not have big third party titles (GTA, CoD, etc...) absorbing sales. You buy a Wii U and you pretty much have Nintendo's offerings as your selection of titles. Thus, their games will have higher totals. The sort of people buying the Wii U are the type of people who want those Nintendo games as well. On the other hand, the PS4 and X1 have a more diluted base thanks to addition of more casual buyers.

It really isn't anything strange.
 
Don't think it's a coincidence they announced this the same day that PSVR went on sale in the US. Great way to bury the lede.
 
:(

Shame. I really enjoyed the DC, but I guess the facts were hard. DC did not manage to repeat the success of Motostorm [which was more successfully launch game for PS3]. Game was troubled, and managed to rise from ashes into one of the best simcade racers out there.

I hope VR version is not scraped.

gonna scream if Sony throws away the Driveclub engine like they basically did with The Order engine

RAD owns Order engine [or at least they can use it for their future projects]. They confirmed that they are working on porting it to PC and maybe making a VR game with it.
edit - http://venturebeat.com/2015/06/14/ready-at-dawn-creating-exclusive-vr-game-for-oculus/
 
FUCKKKKK!

no.gif


Sony just shot themselves in the foot.

Driveclub remains my favourite racing game ever, and I'm absolutely gutted to hear this. I'm guessing now we won't even get DC in VR :( fuck me...
 
Shoe
‏@DanShoeHsu

Pre-order for PSVR went live. I added to cart. Amazon *re-asked* for password. By the time I went to LastPass and back, sold out! So close.
RETWEETS




@DanShoeHsu @yosp I heard evolution has a few spare ones if you need one shoe

friday-damn-gif.gif
 
From the engine and gameplay side, quite a lot. Graphical elements, weather implementation, sense of speed, some of the physics implementation (especially contact physics), the dash cam, camera characteristics, online modes and features, the extent of record keeping and constant updating of a massive number of variables updated in real time, the aggressiveness of the AI, the track design, detailing and features, some of the paint job customisation and so on and so on. Even though Driveclub is not a Sim racer, to me it actually replicates the thrill and speed of driving/racing better than any other grounded real world racer, much more so than games like GT.

When GTS \ GT7 comes out we will see .
Cause stuff like weather , certain graphical elements , certain types of physics etc etc PD was doing since PS3 .
And they had to do it at twice the frame rate .
 
http://www.gamingcapacity.com/exclusives-2007/

Based on this (first thing to come up with google), Uncharted Ratchet and Clank and Warhawk are the notable ones. Versus Until Dawn. Tearaway, The Order and Bloodborne if I'm not forgetting an obvious one.
Thanks.

So, Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank, Warhawk, GT Prologue and MLB. I'd say that is better than Sony's 2015 lineup for sure. I don't necessarily think it makes the 2015 lineup look as bad as it was implied though. At least in terms of first party studio releases. In that regard, it is just Uncharted, GT and MLB and MLB comes out every year.
 
Again, what were some of the games during the PS3's second year? What sort of titles have you making that argument?

From a list I posted back here... In a similar time frame, SCE had released these games for the PS3 when compared to the PS4:

Bolding notable ones, in my opinion.

2006

Retail

Genji: Days of the Blade
Resistance: Fall of Man
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom (Published by Sony Online Entertainment)

PlayStation Network


Blast Factor
Cash Guns Chaos DLX (Published by Sony Online Entertainment in North America only)
Go! Sudoku
Gran Turismo HD Concept
Lemmings
Mainichi Issho (Japan only)

2007

Retail


Boku no Natsuyasumi 3: Kitaguni Hen: Chiisana Boku no Dai Sougen (Japan only)
Folklore
Formula One Championship Edition
Heavenly Sword
Lair
MLB 07: The Show (North America and Korea only)
MotorStorm
NBA 08 (North America and PAL only)
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Ridge Racer 7 (Co-published with Namco in PAL only)
SingStar
The Eye of Judgment
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Warhawk

PlayStation Network


Aqua Vita (North America and PAL only)
Calling All Cars!
Everyday Shooter
EyeCreate
Feel Ski
Flow
Go! Puzzle
High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition (Published by Sony Online Entertainment in North America and PAL only)
High Velocity Bowling
LocoRoco Cocoreccho!
Mesmerize Distort (North America and PAL only)
Mesmerize Trace (North America and PAL only)
Nucleus
Operation Creature Feature (PAL and North America only)
Pain (Retail version in PAL only)
PixelJunk Racers (North America and PAL only)
Piyotama
Snakeball
Super Rub 'a' Dub
Super Stardust HD
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (Co-published with Namco Bandai Games in PAL only)
The Trials of Topoq
Tori Emaki
Toy Home

2008

Retail


Afrika (Japan only)
Aquanaut's Holiday: Hidden Memories (Japan only)
Buzz!: Quiz TV
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Everybody's Golf 5
LittleBigPlanet
MLB 08: The Show (North America and Korea only)
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
NBA 09: The Inside (North America only)
Resistance 2
SingStar ABBA
SingStar Vol. 2
SingStar Vol. 3
Socom: U.S. Navy Seals Confrontation
Time Crisis 4 (Co-published with Namco in PAL only)

PlayStation Network


Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party (PAL and North America only)
Crash Commando
Dark Mist
Echochrome
Elefunk
Linger in Shadows
PixelJunk Eden (North America and PAL only)
PixelJunk Monsters (North America and PAL only)
PlayStation Home
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (Retail version in PAL only)
Siren: Blood Curse (Retail version in PAL only)
Sky Diving
The Last Guy
Wipeout HD

2009

Retail


Demon's Souls
Infamous
Killzone 2
MLB 09: The Show
 
From a list I posted back here... In a simlar time frame, SCE had released these games for the PS3:

Bolding notable ones, in my opinion.

2006

Retail

Genji: Days of the Blade
Resistance: Fall of Man
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom (Published by Sony Online Entertainment)

PlayStation Network


Blast Factor
Cash Guns Chaos DLX (Published by Sony Online Entertainment in North America only)
Go! Sudoku
Gran Turismo HD Concept
Lemmings
Mainichi Issho (Japan only)

2007

Retail


Boku no Natsuyasumi 3: Kitaguni Hen: Chiisana Boku no Dai Sougen (Japan only)
Folklore
Formula One Championship Edition
Heavenly Sword
Lair
MLB 07: The Show (North America and Korea only)
MotorStorm
NBA 08 (North America and PAL only)
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Ridge Racer 7 (Co-published with Namco in PAL only)
SingStar
The Eye of Judgment
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Warhawk

PlayStation Network


Aqua Vita (North America and PAL only)
Calling All Cars!
Everyday Shooter
EyeCreate
Feel Ski
Flow
Go! Puzzle
High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition (Published by Sony Online Entertainment in North America and PAL only)
High Velocity Bowling
LocoRoco Cocoreccho!
Mesmerize Distort (North America and PAL only)
Mesmerize Trace (North America and PAL only)
Nucleus
Operation Creature Feature (PAL and North America only)
Pain (Retail version in PAL only)
PixelJunk Racers (North America and PAL only)
Piyotama
Snakeball
Super Rub 'a' Dub
Super Stardust HD
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (Co-published with Namco Bandai Games in PAL only)
The Trials of Topoq
Tori Emaki
Toy Home

2008

Retail


Afrika (Japan only)
Aquanaut's Holiday: Hidden Memories (Japan only)
Buzz!: Quiz TV
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Everybody's Golf 5
LittleBigPlanet
MLB 08: The Show (North America and Korea only)
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
NBA 09: The Inside (North America only)
Resistance 2
SingStar ABBA
SingStar Vol. 2
SingStar Vol. 3
Socom: U.S. Navy Seals Confrontation
Time Crisis 4 (Co-published with Namco in PAL only)

PlayStation Network


Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party (PAL and North America only)
Crash Commando
Dark Mist
Echochrome
Elefunk
Linger in Shadows
PixelJunk Eden (North America and PAL only)
PixelJunk Monsters (North America and PAL only)
PlayStation Home
Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty (Retail version in PAL only)
Siren: Blood Curse (Retail version in PAL only)
Sky Diving
The Last Guy
Wipeout HD

2009

Retail


Demon's Souls
Infamous
Killzone 2
MLB 09: The Show
I do agree that it was better. You won't find an argument from me there.

I just don't think the difference is that big. I'm also keeping in mind how many studios were still releasing games on PS3 late in the generation and how that has impacted releases now.
 
I really can't understand why (A) Sony keeps closing studios these past years while their first party output has been so limited despite their leading position (as they have admitted themselves in the past) and (B) why they apparently are still being seen as the saviors of console gaming ("for the players" and whatnot) despite all these closures (going by their leading position and good sales).

Fuck man, why don't any of the bigger news/review sites interview the people at Sony about these sudden moves that seem to go against everything that they are trying to build up? Surely they can't be solely concerned with saving money, even to the detriment of a much needed (so far only decent imo) first party line-up? Or are they suddenly in a position to demand more third party support, which in turn negates the need for first party games?

Sigh...I had some hope we'd see a new Motorstorm as well...
 
I'm linda sad with Sony first parties. i loved them last gen but this gen has been rough. And the shittiest thing is that Driveclub was my favorite exclusive so far, only second to Bloodborne.
 
I don't like this at all Sony. You better give us a good reason for why you shut down this studio.

At the same time, a little sick of the lack of exclusives talk. 2016 is finally a big year for them. They have plenty of first party studios even after dropping Evolution, they are just taking too damn long to get their games out.
 
wow, what happened? Last week we were talking about DC in VR...

Did the game get traded off to another team to work on, or has it been canceled altogether?
 
Yes but the massive hype the game generated for Sony and the PS4 was probably well worth it. It's the flagship racing game on the PS4 and arguably the best looking racing game on any console. That's a pretty good return I would have thought.

Companies tend to operate on a 'what are you doing for me now' basis. It's nice that the game generated hype in the past, but if it isn't generating hype now then there's no value. I have to believe that the continued investment in patches and DLC is costing more than the revenue being generated.
 
So Driveclub was THAT bad? I only got to play it briefly and I'm sure by the time I did its issues must have been ironed out.

Kinda crazy.
 
Well shit. This makes me really quite sad.

Driveclub is my favourite game this gen. Own all Evolutions games from PS3 on, and loved all of them. As someone above posted, feels a lot like when Liverpool got shut down.

i guess the chance of DRIVECLUB VR ever getting released is gone:(
 
So Driveclub was THAT bad? I only got to play it briefly and I'm sure by the time I did its issues must have been ironed out.

Kinda crazy.

It was a great game. But every disaster that could happen, happened. Massive delays, broken online, mediocre reviews,delayed ps plus version, etc.
 
Just bought the last two expansions. Supported the game and Evolution from day one to the last, always payed full price, and it was some of the most well spent money on gaming I ever did. A very sad day indeed.
 
So Driveclub was THAT bad? I only got to play it briefly and I'm sure by the time I did its issues must have been ironed out.

Kinda crazy.

The problem is not what Driveclub was or is, Driveclub has been supported in good faith and it's pretty clear the studio was aware of its fate for some time now (the name of the events of the last update).

The problem is that Sony consider the racing genre as good as dead and don't want to bet anymore on that if it's not GT related. Which is unfortunate because with a constant quality and regular release, Forza games sells decently enough.
 
So Driveclub was THAT bad? I only got to play it briefly and I'm sure by the time I did its issues must have been ironed out.

Kinda crazy.
It's a great game, but the launch was rough. It got so so reviews and it was in the bargain bin before 3 months. Then they fixed every problem with the game, added a lot of content and made it great, but it was already too late to make money out of it.

I think Driveclub 2 could have sold a lot, because current users love the game, but I guess we will never know.
 
Bad decision.
You don't close a studio capable of doing what Evolution did with Driveclub and MotorStorm.
I can only imagine what they would do next.
 
The problem is not what Driveclub was or is, Driveclub has been supported in good faith and it's pretty clear the studio was aware of its fate for some time now (the name of the events of the last update).

The problem is Sony consider the racing genre is dead and don't want to bet anymore on that if it's not GT related. Which is unfortunate because with a constant quality and regular release, Forza games sells decently enough.

No the problem is what Driveclub was, it was meant to be a big launch title and they delayed it almost a year and it was still broken online. This hurt the game a lot and it hit the bargain bin quickly. The whole thing was super unfortunate because it's great now and the people at evo are clearly passionate and talented.
 
Well that sucks, Evolution have been excellent since the launch disaster and I can't think of many games that have been so well supported. Was hoping we'd eventually get a Motorstorm game on the Driveclub engine from them too. Best wishes to those affected by this.

Oh, and maybe North West Studio will take over Driveclub VR, I think they are mostly ex Evo people there, would piss me off if Sony cancel it and just focus on Polyphony and GT Sport.
 
End 2013, 2014 2015 and 2 and a half months of 2016 = 2006, 2007 and half 2008. But I'm being pedantic, I think ps3's lineup was slightly better.

Edit: Actually looking at wikipedia, I think I might prefer ps4's lineup...

ps3 was released at end of 2006, it's a valid comparison. End of 2006, 2007, 2008, and 3 months of 2009.
 
I am really, really disappointed and upset by this decision. Ever since the closure of Studio Liverpool (which I will never forgive them for), I've looked at Evolution as the saving grace; the studio which produced some of my favorite racers ever including Pacific Rift, and outdid themselves with post-release content and patches for DRIVECLUB, really fleshing out that game as much as possible and turning it into a phenomenal game available for only $10. With aspirations of getting into the game industry (I know, I know), I looked at the successes of Evolution as a beacon of hope. 'Perhaps I can work there one day' and help produce similarly fantastic racing games that I adored so much when I was younger.

Oh, and if Driveclub VR is cancelled, so to is my interest in PSVR.

Sony working their way through my list of favorite devs

  • Naughty Dog
  • Evoluti
    on
  • Liverpool

I very much doubt ND will be next, if ever. But you're doing a good job of killing any aspirations of working in the only industry I've ever really cared about. At least that helps all the jobless devs find work easier I guess. :(
 
Sucks for the people who lost their jobs, but I do see it making sense for Sony-

A) Racing games are on the decline anyway
B) Driveclub was not received very well initially, and though it did get better the fact that it had such a bad initial impression despite being delayed a year was a problem, I'm sure.
C) Most importantly, Sony already *has* a big racing franchise- GT. While I suppose Evolution could maybe have focused on Motorstorm instead, in the end having two studios focused on similar genres that don't sell particularly well these days doesn't really make any sense. Hell, if Sony could do it over again they'd probably have had GT6 as a PS4 launch window title and had Evolution make something else.
 
WHAT. THE. FUCK.
We have lost a great studio today which has made some of the best racing games ever made. :(
My best wishes go to the very talented people that were employed by the studio.
 
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