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Driveclub's glorious bad weather

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DriveClub

PlayStation 4 racer Driveclub has had a bit of a rocky start. It was meant to launch alongside the PlayStation 4, but was unceremoniously delayed just before release. It was then delayed again – and if you ask me, that’s a good thing because when I played it at E3 last year, it was bland and uninteresting, and hardly the sort of thing anyone would call a “next gen” game. That looks like it’s changing quite a bit.

For starters, Driveclub now features some of the finest, most most realistic bad weather effects you’ll likely see in a racing game for quite some time. Sony revealed the weather effects via a couple of Facebook videos yesterday. Take a look.

Here’s the caveat, because there’s always one, isn’t there? That sexy customisable weather effect stuff won’t ship with the game when its released in October; instead, it’s coming post-release in December.

 

Here’s what Evolution Studios’ Alex Perkins has to say about the new dynamic weather:

We’ve approached our weather system with the same guiding principles as we’ve done with everything in DRIVECLUB, to make it as immersive and fun as possible. We’ve developed a powerful engine that has the capability to model the entire environment in stunning detail; from each cloud that makes up our living skies, to every crest and fall in the tarmac beneath your wheels.

From there, we’re breathing additional life into the environments by developing the earth’s atmosphere around it. Originally we focussed on authentic lighting and skies as the tool for you to customise stunning backdrops for fun challenges with your friends. Now, we’re developing a dynamic weather system that plays into all of this, adding another powerful tool to your arsenal.

The cloud cover and conditions you choose will dictate how much snow and rain will fall. The wind direction and speed determines where snow will settle. Then when it stops, the temperature and height of the sun governs how quickly clouds evaporate and roads dry out. We’re really striving for consistency in every detail just like we have done with everything else in the game.

In somewhat related news, Sony has announced that we’ll be getting a Driveclub PlayStation 4 bundle in October, naturally bundling the racer with a shiny new PlayStation 4. If you’re a petrol head waiting to jump in to next gen, this could be the perfect thing for you. It’s been confirmed for South Africa, though we have no pricing details just yet. DCbundle

Last Updated: July 9, 2014

69 Comments

  1. Hammersteyn

    July 9, 2014 at 09:36

    Was this not supposed to be a free title for PS+ subscribers, Okay so bear with me. If true that means you have to buy the game if you are not a subscriber but then to play the game online you would need to subscribe. Hows that work?

    Reply

    • Jonah Cash

      July 9, 2014 at 09:39

      Left to right instead of right to left…..

      Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      July 9, 2014 at 09:40

      Why would it be free for subs on release? I thought they only get them a few months down the line.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        July 9, 2014 at 09:42

        It was going to be a free download or all subbies when the PS4 launched. Then the delays happened

        Reply

        • Brian Murphy

          July 9, 2014 at 15:32

          The free download isn’t the full game, it’s only part of it.

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            July 9, 2014 at 15:45

            Eish

          • Brian Murphy

            July 9, 2014 at 15:49

            It’s been pretty well covered, this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone 🙂

          • Brian Murphy

            July 9, 2014 at 16:54

            Additionally, I believe they stated that the version you do get, is enough to 100% the game. Will have to see if I can find that interview.

            Ahh CAE already covered this part below.

          • Hammersteyn

            July 9, 2014 at 17:04

            True, so it’s not all bad in the end

          • Brian Murphy

            July 9, 2014 at 17:11

            Well, the trophy part is meaningless to me. I don’t care about them myself. Would rather have the full game than the 100%.

    • CAE9872

      July 9, 2014 at 09:58

      It is still coming to PS+ BUT it was never intended to be a full-on experience. So apparently you will get something like 20% of the game on +. And yes with that they maintain you could collect all the trophies, not sure how that works.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        July 9, 2014 at 10:00

        Wow, they are so generous.

        Reply

    • FoxOneZA

      July 9, 2014 at 10:42

      Free but with only 1 or 2 cars. The final version will feature a grand total of 50 cars.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        July 9, 2014 at 10:53

        Eish, hopefully it’s not a choice between a Beetle and a Corsa

        Reply

    • e1ace

      July 9, 2014 at 11:50

      The free version has 10 vehicles and 11 tracks. The full version has 50 of each.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        July 9, 2014 at 11:57

        That’s not too bad, I guess….

        Reply

        • e1ace

          July 9, 2014 at 12:02

          Can’t really complain since it’s a free game. You get all the game modes and can still play with your mates online so I’m happy.

          Reply

    • Skyblue

      July 9, 2014 at 15:06

      I see console bundles, console bundles everywhere.

      PS+ is starting to “steek” us after spoiling us for too long.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        July 9, 2014 at 15:39

        Oh please no.

        Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    July 9, 2014 at 09:38

    Those weather effects look pretty damn good.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 9, 2014 at 09:39

      It sure does
      * Drives off the road looking at the clouds

      Reply

  3. Jonah Cash

    July 9, 2014 at 09:38

    Too many driving games coming out in my opinion…..

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 9, 2014 at 09:39

      I’m picking one and sticking to it and this might be the title I choose

      Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        July 9, 2014 at 10:19

        If it is still free for us subbies then I will try it out, but I am not buying a racing game ever!!! Not a fan at all!!

        Reply

    • CAE9872

      July 9, 2014 at 09:57

      Nonsense!!! You can never have enough racing games…heresy I say!

      Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        July 9, 2014 at 10:20

        Not a fan of the simulated cars man, I like to drive my own car though!!

        Reply

        • CAE9872

          July 9, 2014 at 10:38

          The Forza’s and GTs of the world can be very clinical; hence why I tend to swap between sims and the arcade style racers now and then. I love Gran Turismo as much as Burnout/Ridge Racer.

          Reply

        • Matthew Holliday

          July 9, 2014 at 12:54

          but, but expensive cars!
          and street racing!

          If im lucky, i may see an audi RS5 in my future, maybe go to a track day on a quiet day or something, but i dont see myself drifting a mclaren or lamborgini through a red light in the city center.

          but in a sim, i can =D

          for now I’ll have to stick to my Proton Gen2 though

          Reply

          • Jonah Cash

            July 9, 2014 at 14:31

            I had fast cars in my early working years and I went through a few street lights, but yeah I also don’t see a lamborgini or a mclaren in my future!! I’ll just stick to killing people, it seems that more and more of the games I play are about that in any case!! Oh and Fifa, cause if I could play it my ass wouldn’t be broke!!

    • CypherGate

      July 9, 2014 at 09:59

      Too many games coming out. Period.

      Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        July 9, 2014 at 10:20

        I am waiting on just one to come out: Destiny!!!

        Reply

        • CAE9872

          July 9, 2014 at 10:37

          Yip my most anticipated game as well.

          Reply

  4. Umar Reborn XIV

    July 9, 2014 at 09:45

    Well smack my ass with butter that looks mighty fine!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 9, 2014 at 09:48

      I’m still worried about online though. Like with Watchdogs I managed to win a few races but most of the times the other players were jumping all over the map as my game struggled to stay in sync with theirs.

      Reply

      • Umar Reborn XIV

        July 9, 2014 at 09:54

        Can never fully escape though 🙁 Don’t have much experience with online racers. Hopefully it will be stable

        Reply

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

      July 9, 2014 at 09:50

      Reply

  5. Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

    July 9, 2014 at 09:47

    Before anyone thinks otherwise, I believe these weather effects are amazing. They look really good. But there is one thing that grinds me:

    Quote: “See how dynamic rain affects your visibility while drafting your rivals along the winding roads of Scotland”

    This video shows almost 0 visibility change while drafting other than the cars in front being obscured by rain particles. This isn’t something new and has been done.

    If they wanted to impress me they should have made the visibility go down by drenching your windscreen in water splash. That would have made more sense to show off visibility changing while drafting your opponents.

    Also, why am I so cynical today?

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 9, 2014 at 09:49

      You truly believed people when they said Brazil would win?

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

        July 9, 2014 at 09:50

        I support Germany

        Reply

        • CAE9872

          July 9, 2014 at 09:56

          Now I just hope Holland beat Argentina for a brilliant German-Dutch clash. If Brazil had won I would have wanted Argentina in final.

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            July 9, 2014 at 09:57

            Agreed

          • Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)

            July 9, 2014 at 09:57

            German-Dutch clash? Do you want Afrikaners? ’cause that’s how you get Afrikaners

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            July 9, 2014 at 09:59

            I thought that was French-Dutch.

          • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

            July 9, 2014 at 10:18

            whahahahaha

        • Hammersteyn

          July 9, 2014 at 09:56

          Good on you, though I think their are thousands of cynical football fans out there, especially those that bet money on Brazil

          Reply

    • Brian Murphy

      July 9, 2014 at 15:37

      Both videos are taken from the the viewpoint of the hood. Not many windshields in front of a hood.

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

        July 10, 2014 at 07:49

        Granted. But then they mustn’t say “…rain affects your visibility while slipstreaming…” if there isn’t anything being obscured. It’s small mistakes like this that grind me because it puts up expectations that are never realised.

        The same way they said that the PS4 and Xbone would beat current gen PC’s which has failed to live up to hype.

        I’m all for hype. But false hype is the worst 🙁

        Reply

        • Brian Murphy

          July 10, 2014 at 15:26

          The only thing they didn’t do, was provide an in-car view for a moment, just to show what they meant. The rest of it is fine, and if you’re trying to show off a weather simulation, everything it can do, would be pretty obscured if you’re trying to see it through a windshield being pounded by rain, ya know?

          Reply

          • Sir Rants A Lot Llew

            July 10, 2014 at 15:43

            That’s what I mean. I want to see what they are talking about. Not take them on their word.

            It should be obscured yes. But I saw no evidence of it in the video. This, coupled with how games hype and don’t deliver, make me very skeptical.

          • Brian Murphy

            July 10, 2014 at 15:53

            I realize you want to see it, but I can also see why doing just an in-cockpit view would blur out most of what they’re showing off about the weather simulation engine they designed.. So, as I said, both sides make sense here.

            Thankfully there’s still 3 months until launch, so plenty of time to get to see all we want to see on it.

  6. Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)

    July 9, 2014 at 09:56

    “Weather DLC! You can make it rain for only $1.99!” (Imagine the shitstorm)

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 9, 2014 at 09:57

      Why would you want to drive in the rain? I would make people pay $1.99 to turn the rain off

      Reply

      • Martin du preez (D4RKL1NGza)

        July 9, 2014 at 09:58

        It looks nice 🙁

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 9, 2014 at 09:59

          It sure does.

          Reply

    • Spaffy

      July 9, 2014 at 10:03

      Is EA releasing this game?

      Reply

  7. Johan Fourie

    July 9, 2014 at 09:57

    That second video had my jaw dropped. The visuals are stunning. The depth of field, mist, light refraction en reflections on the road look super realistic.

    Reply

  8. CypherGate

    July 9, 2014 at 10:02

    The weather effects is really amazing indeed. Just there are still some issues. I know its still a work in progress, but I never saw it affect the driver when drafting? No extra water spraying against his windscreen etc etc. The water going against your cars windscreen as well. You dont see it running against the windscreen, but just vanishes into thing air. Lets hope once the dynamic weather system is complete it will show all those things.

    Reply

    • CAE9872

      July 9, 2014 at 10:04

      Snap! Glad I ain’t the only one.

      Reply

    • Brian Murphy

      July 9, 2014 at 15:38

      Because the video wasn’t taken from the interior of the vehicle, it’s taken from the hood. Look at the camera placement.

      Reply

  9. CAE9872

    July 9, 2014 at 10:04

    Hmmm *checks glasses*

    Am I missing something here? Graphics look great sure but weather effect isn’t out of this world. I expect mud, grit, rain, etc to be sprayed out from car in front, landing on my windscreen making visibility difficult.

    Reply

    • Brian Murphy

      July 9, 2014 at 15:38

      Yes, you’re not paying attention to where the camera is located in the video. It’s not inside the car.

      Reply

  10. FoxOneZA

    July 9, 2014 at 10:43

    Make.Believe @30fps.

    Reply

    • iAmWeasel

      July 9, 2014 at 12:26

      Make this video Forza @ 30fps you would be “OMG AMAZEBALLS!!”

      Reply

      • FoxOneZA

        July 9, 2014 at 12:41

        Now..now…Forza is 30fps x 2 which is ZOMG!

        Reply

        • iAmWeasel

          July 9, 2014 at 12:49

          With all that lovely baked lighting and the paper cut-out people standing along the road.. yup, gorgeous!

          Reply

    • Not_true

      July 9, 2014 at 17:12

      Don’t be upset PS4 is the more powerful console and Driveclub is the best looking console racing game.

      Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 9, 2014 at 17:18

      Not 720p 😛

      Reply

  11. Matthew Holliday

    July 9, 2014 at 13:02

    tbh, im looking forward to this.
    Grid Autosport is good, but its a grind and a chore.
    looking forward to something fun

    Reply

  12. Brian Murphy

    July 9, 2014 at 16:58

    Interesting little factoid I heard the other day, apparently the lead gameplay designer for DriveClub was the lead designer for both PGR and Blur, Ged Talbot.

    Reply

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