Evolution Studios, the developer behind racing titles for PlayStation consoles like DriveClub, MotorStorm, and World Rally Championship, has closed down after cutting a sizeable portion of its team as recent as last year. The studio's most recent effort, DriveClub, was considered a troubled project, as it was originally intended to launch alongside the release of the PlayStation 4. Sony has provided a statement in relation to the closure.

And its as polite and respectful as you'd expect.

Regular reviews take place throughout SCE Worldwide Studios, ensuring that the resources that we have in such a competitive landscape can create and produce high quality, innovative and commercially viable projects.

As part of this process we have reviewed and assessed all current projects and plans for the short and medium term and have decided to make some changes to the European studios structure. As a result, it has been decided that Evolution Studio will close.

It is regrettable that this decision will lead to compulsory redundancies. We accept that this decision will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff but by focusing on other Studios that already have exciting new projects in development we believe we will be in a stronger position going forward and able to offer the best possible content of the highest quality for our consumers.

Where possible we will try to reallocate people onto other projects. If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other development companies. Evolution has been an important part of SCE Worldwide Studios for over 10 years – working on ground-breaking racing titles like WRC, Motorstorm and DRIVECLUB.

This decision should not take anything away from the great work that Evolution has produced.

Evolution Studios has released a 1.4GB update for PlayStation 4-exclusive racer Driveclub that adds dynamic weather.

The new game update 1.08, available to download now, also adds two new tracks and a raft of improvements.

The headline new feature is the addition of weather for offline play and online play - the latter to be enabled when the multiplayer events are updated a little later this weekend. The two new tracks are Atlanterhavsvegen in Norway and Sinclair Pass in Canada. Here's the patch notes:New Features:

Adds weather to the game, for online and offline play.

Adds two new tracks, both including reverse variants: Atlanterhavsvegen in Norway and Sinclair Pass in Canada.

Improvements:

Adds the option to configure Throttle/Brake controls onto Up/Down on Right Stick.

Adds the ability to access Club Cars when offline.

Adds the ability to access Club Paint Jobs when offline.

Adds track maps and stats to each track card in Single Event.

Adds player statistics to various panels within Single Event and Challenges.

Includes more minor bug fixes, performance improvements and usability tweaks.

Meanwhile, Evo revealed new add-ons due out later in December:

Adds support for the Mazzanti Evantra, coming to PlayStation Store as a free download later in December.

Adds support for the Redline Expansion Pack, coming to PlayStation Store as a premium download later in December. This

Expansion Pack includes the Redline Car Pack and Redline Tour Pack.

The Redline Car Pack includes 5 new cars: Mercedes SLS AMG E-Drive, McLaren F1 LM, Renault Alpine A110-50, Ferrari 458

Speciale, and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

The Redline Tour Pack includes 11 new Events and 5 new Trophies.

Adds support for the Elements Tour Pack, coming to PlayStation Store as a premium download later in December.

The Elements Tour Pack includes 11 new Events and 5 new Trophies.

DriveClub has endured a torrid launch, forcing Sony to indefinitely postpone the DriveClub PS Plus Edition. Originally scheduled to launch alongside the full edition, a plague of issues preventing many players from going online caused Sony to hold back the PS Plus Edition, with no release in sight.

Sony Computer Entertainment America president Shawn Layden is defending UK-based DriveClub developer Evolution Studios, despite continual problems with the PS4-exclusive racing game since launch.

The game has been out for six weeks and in that time has been continually plagued with technical issues and problems with connectivity. The game was also supposed to be launched as a freebie for PS Plus subscribers - but that version of the game has been put on hold until everything can be ironed out.

"In the development cycle, we try to test against every possibility,” Shawn Layden told IGN. "We have a QA team, we have a QA plan. You do a beta test, you scope against that."

"But now, in a connected world, you can't effectively test in your house or in your beta group what it means to have 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 users hit your service. And the guys [at the studio] are struggling with that. It's throwing up things they had not anticipated."

"I get reports from them every day on the progress that they're making, and it is going forward. It is going slowly, but, you know, they tried to do the best, newest, greatest thing ever to happen in the driving genre and they hit a hiccup. I prefer people to have the ambition to try that, though. It's no fun being safe all the time."

Layden also pointed out that the studios last title, MotorStorm brought "innovations in the racing genre that even Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi hasn't replicated yet," and that "their ambition with Driveclub was to create this uber-connected experience, melded with the driving experience."

Driveclub's PS Plus Edition may not yet have a release date, but Sony remains committed to releasing its long-delayed free version of Evolution's racer.

"We apologise that the game is not yet ready to launch," said Sony's PS Store and Plus Content manager Chris Howe on the PlayStation Blog. "We want you to know that we're committed to providing Driveclub PS Plus Edition to members when it's ready, and the team at Evolution Studios is working hard to make it a reality."

"We will still add Driveclub to the PS Plus line up when it becomes available."

Previously many thought Driveclub's PS Plus Edition had been cancelled following a statement by Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida that it had been put on hold "until further notice."

PlayStation 4 exclusive DriveClub has received a new game update, this time promising another round of server updates to resolve online problems that have kept much of the game inaccessible to players.

Evolution Studios says more work is needed but the update rolling out this weekend "will improve online performance across the game and it also brings specific improvements for multiplayer racing and leaderboard updates."

That said, "we still have more work to do to get everything back on track before we can give you any bigger or better news. We will keep you up to speed."

There still is no word on when the version promised to PlayStation Plus subscribers will be deployed.

An update to DriveClub released today adds more multiplayer events to developer Evolution Studios' beleaguered, multiplayer-focused racing game, according to a post on the game's official Facebook page.

The update is designed to "ensure that there are more events available to you, and that you have more variety when you choose to race with and against other drivers online," the post reads. Evolution Studios also continues to add more DriveClub servers and update them in an attempt to continue "steadily improving connectivity for everybody."

"Improving server performance is taking time, which is frustrating for all of us, but please understand that we are doing everything we can to get all aspects of online play up and running smoothly as quickly as possible," the post reads.

DriveClub launched in early October exclusively for the PlayStation 4. Since its release, the game's social media-inspired online component has largely failed to function as intended. Director Paul Rustchynsky pinned the troubles on "the server code having some bugs" last week. The game was also set to launch with a PlayStation Plus "slim" version, however that has been delayed indefinitely as the social online issues continue to be problematic for Evolution.

DriveClub developer Evolution Studios has delayed the release of the "free" PlayStation Plus version, citing strained servers as the reason for its delay in an update on its official Facebook page.

The PlayStation Plus version was originally scheduled for launch today in both Australiasia/Europe and North America alongside the game's full launch. This was however changed in the wake of servers being pushed "to their absolute limits," game director Paul Rustchuhnsky wrote.

"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," he continues.

"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."

Currently it is unclear when the PS Plus version will be released to the eager crowd of PlayStation 4 gamers. Evolution are also holding back the My DriveClub app, which Rustchuhnsky says should offer existing players a better chance to connect to the game's servers.

For those worried about whether they will gain access to the full version after purchasing the PlayStation Plus discounted title, rest your weary heads as Evolution confirmed you'll still receive a digital copy. The studio also noted that those who have the game, either digitally or physically, can still access the offline, single-player mode to unlock cars and earn fame. Of course, being such a heavily online-integrated game it will feel somewhat neutered but at least some access is guaranteed.

DriveClub is available now exclusively on PlayStation 4. Sadly you'll be playing Russian roulette one whether you are able to connect online.

Racing enthusiasts eager to try out Evolution Studios upcoming racing title DriveClub, either in PlayStation Plus free form or the full game, will be happy to know that a full list of compatible racing wheel setups has been released by the dev.

On the PlayStation Blog, Jamie Brayshaw, community manager for Evolution Studios, Driveclub developers, has outlined that the Thrustmaster wheel sets will be supported on launch. Sadly this means no support for Logitech wheels, but apparently this is due to issues involving a security chip, though Brayshaw has hinted this may change in the future.

Both Thrustmaster T80 and T300RS will work on launch, with no specific mention of the T500 model.

“Our goal is to bring out the racer in everyone – so we’ve worked hard to make the driving fun and challenging for you, not only on DualShock 4 but also on all of the wheels currently compatible with PS4,” he added.

Driveclub will be available as a PlayStation 4 exclusive come October 8th, with a free PlayStation Plus demo to boot for members. Check out the latest gameplay trailer below for a glimpse at the racing action.

Sony has unveiled the October list of free games coming to PlayStation Plus subscribers, which will include the long-awaited PlayStation 4 racing exclusive DriveClub.

Beginning on October 8th, PlayStation 4 owners will get the free PlayStation Plus edition of DriveClub, which includes 10 cars and 11 tracks across one country. They'll also get the next-gen port of cartoony "Metroidvania" Dust: An Elysian Tail.

Those on the PlayStation 3 will have access to the oldie-but-goodie Batman: Arkham Asylum, and side-scrolling brawler Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara.

Vita and Cross-Buy offerings include the Pac-Man-esque arcade game Pix the Cat (Vita, PS4), oldschool RPG Rainbow Moon (Vita, PS3), and best-game-ever Spelunky (Vita, PS4 and PS3). Fun fact: the Vita version of Spelunky is the only one to include co-op where you're not tethered to the same screen.

As always, remember to download the current stock of PlayStation Plus titles before they get switched around. You can find the complete list below.

Leaving PS Plus:

8th October: Velocity 2X

8th October: Sportsfriends

8th October: PlayStation Battle Royale

8th October: Hoard

8th October: TxK

8th October: Joe Danger Vita

Entering PS Plus:

8th October: Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)

8th / 10th October: DriveClub PlayStation Plus Edition (PS4)

8th October: Dust: An Elysian Tail (PS4)

8th October: Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara (PS3)

8th October: Pix the Cat (PS Vita/PS4 Cross Buy)

8th October: Rainbow Moon (PS Vita/PS3 Cross Buy)

8th October: Spelunky (PS4/PS3/PS Vita Cross Buy)

Possibly buried under all the bombs Sony dropped during its gamescom press conference is a new trailer for Evolution Studio’s DriveClub.

Shown in the video are not just how points are earned in-game, but the drop-dead car models, too. Here’s the trailer’s official description:

DRIVECLUB is about teamwork; it’s about everyone fighting for one another and earning rewards together – and most importantly it’s about sharing in the excitement of every race.

In a post on the EU PlayStation Blog, it mentions that some familiar Sony employees can be seen racing against each other in the trailer.

In this video we asked our friends across the PlayStation family to get involved, so keep a look out for friendly faces from Naughty Dog, Media Molecule, Guerrilla Games, Santa Monica Studio, XDev, SCEE and of course Shuhei Yoshida. So check it out (again!) and start thinking about who you will play DRIVECLUB with – and share this trailer with them so your club is ready for launch.

Driveclub will be available as a PlayStation 4 exclusive come October 8th, with a free PlayStation Plus demo to boot for members. Those looking for even more in-depth coverage can find a full 40-minute demo playthrough via PlayStation's Twitch.

PlayStation 4's exclusive racing title DriveClub may not be getting a dynamic weather system until after the game's launch come this October 7th, but that hasn't stopped developer Evolution Studios in releasing two small snippets of gameplay showing off the rainy weather seen in-game.

In a recent interview with the official PlayStation Blog, DriveClub art director Alex Perkins explains that the weather conditions seen in-game can change rather dramatically. From a slight drizzle of rain to a torrential downpour or the cold flurry of snow to an encompassing blizzard, it seems Evolution Studios aren't stopping at anything for their realistic weather system.

"You can expect it to change dynamically and unpredictably while you race — because we've designed it to be just like real weather systems," said Perkins. "Lots of things play into this, like elevation, wind speed and temperature."

Perkins gave the example of driving in Norway, where the snow will get heavier as you go up a mountain. The conditions can even get to the point of zero visibility. Players will be able to fully customize the weather themselves, and create unique challenges to share with friends. Check out the weather system in action below, and another one through their Facebook.

Evolution Studio's PlayStation 4 racing exclusive DriveClub has received a new gameplay trailer out of E3 2014 today, showing off the crazy details the game has to offer for racing fans.

The footage below shows off the racer's dynamic weather system, which will be introduced to the game after it ships in October. Alongside the pretty rain, the game will also feature some long drawn-out vistas, with game director Paul Rustchynsky explaining a bit more about race challenges.

Want to know our thoughts on DriveClub? Check out Joaby Gilroy's hands-on preview to see his thoughts on the PlayStation 4 exclusive racer, and just what you can expect from the long-awaited title.

Rage quitting is a common practice in video games, be it through verbal or physical actions, so it doesn't come as surprise to hear that DriveClub developer Evolution Studios is looking to solve the issue so prevalent in the racing genre with the introduction of a challenge system.

According to the PlayStation Blog, DriveClub's challenges are littered all over the game's race tracks, and they award Fame, a measure of progression, to players who complete them. Challenges include setting the highest-ever speed on a section of track, going for the longest drift and holding a racing line through a turn. But if you quit a race before it's over, you'll lose all the Fame you've earned, which also means that your Club — groups in which friends team up to race together — won't make any progress.

"In so many racing games there's that 'all or nothing' mentality. One moment you're in first place, and then suddenly you crash and you've lost everything. The preceding few minutes of superb driving count for nothing," said Paul Rustchynsky, DriveClub's game director, in an interview with the PlayStation Blog. "With DriveClub, if you're racing online and you make a mistake it's not game over. You don't lose everything and you've still got dynamic face-offs to keep playing for."

Read up on more of the system at the full PlayStation Blog article. DriveClub will be available exclusively to PlayStation 4 come October 7th.

To simulate or not to simulate -- that's the question. At least at Evolution Studios it's the question, and where their hotly anticipated DRIVECLUB is concerned, they've attempted to reach some form of middle-ground where simulation is a dirving game is actually concerned.

Joab Gilroy recently visited the studio's home in the UK and took to the not-so-simulated wheel for a test-drive, and while on paper their mash-up might sound strange, he certainly walked away buzzing at the experience.

Click here for his full hands-on preview of DRIVECLUB.

PlayStation 4-exclusive racing title DriveClub will have the option of choosing between a male or female driver, Evolution Studios director Paul Rustchynsky has confirmed through Twitter.

Responding to a fan question on whether players will be able to choose "a feminine character on DC," Rustchynsky responded with a simple "most certainly will be able to :)" The studio's director also revealed that screen-tearing currently seen in a number of their gameplay videos will not occur during the game, with Rustchynsky stating that it's "just the video player on the web site, it doesn't happen in the game."

DriveClub will be launching on October 8th for PlayStation 4.

PlayStation Plus members who pay to upgrade the PS Plus Edition of DriveClub to the full game will now be able to continue playing if their PS Plus subscription runs out, publisher Sony Computer Entertainment announced today.

Earlier this week developer Evolution Studios revealed further details about what to expect in the DriveClub PlayStation Plus edition, which will be free to all PlayStation Plus members. Alongside the free edition a $49.99 upgrade option will be available that will unlock the entire game, however the original blog post stated that if players purchase this title and let their PlayStation Plus subscription lapse, they would lose access to the game. As you can imagine, chaos ensued.

Sony today reversed the policy, in response to the rather loud (and justified) outcry from the public due to the original terms.

"PlayStation recognizes that the prior plan for DriveClub entitlement for the upgrade to the PS Plus edition was not appropriate. As a result, we have adjusted the PlayStation Plus terms for DriveClub," reads an update to the PlayStation Blog post about the PS Plus Edition. "Now, if you intend on downloading DriveClub PlayStation Plus Edition, and upgrading to the full game experience, you will have access to the full game even if your PlayStation Plus subscription runs out."

The PlayStation Plus upgrade will still be available at the previous price of $49.99, making it effectively cheaper than the retail edition. DriveClub's new game director, Paul Rustchynsky, took to the PS Blog today to post two videos explaining a couple of the game's primary features, which you can check out below.

Sony has outlined its release plans for the PlayStation Plus edition of Evolution Studios' sim-styled racer Driveclub, revealing that the upcoming free version will feature around one-fifth of the total content found in the full retail release.

While it may be one fifth of the full release, the PlayStation Plus version will feature all game modes, 11 tracks and 10 playable cars. Additional vehicles and tracks can be unlocked either individually via in-game purchases or all at once with a full upgrade option priced at $49.99. The retail and upgraded versions of Driveclub boast a total of five locations, 55 tracks, 50 cars, and 50 tour events.

Sadly, DriveClub players who wish to upgrade from the free PlayStation Plus edition of the game to the full version will only be able to access it while their PS Plus subscription is active, Evolution Studios community development manager Jamie Brayshaw announced via the PlayStation Blog.

"It's about accessibility for all and building a community of gamers who love online play," Brayshaw wrote. "DriveClub PlayStation Plus Edition is designed to be a quick and easy way for gamers all over the world to join the DriveClub community. You can take part in all the game modes, set, send and compete in challenges, and race online against others in the DriveClub community."

In an interview with VG247, DriveClub game director Paul Rustchynsky has confirmed that the previously planned PlayStation Plus "free" edition of their PlayStation 4 racer is still on track for release, and was in fact never hurt by the delay.

“No that’s still the same as it ever was," explained Rustchynsky in the interview. "We always wanted to create a PlayStation Plus edition to allow players who aren’t necessarily into racing games to try out the experience and also add the numbers to our social network, because a social network isn’t a network unless you’ve got tens maybe hundreds of thousands of people playing."

The game director also revealed that players can expect a steady amount of DLC, both in the paid and free categories. This will include month-to-month new cars and new tracks, though it hasn't yet been determined what exactly will be given a price tag.

“It’s something we want to keep the Driveclub community active with, so month-on-month you’ll see new cars and new tracks added to the experience, so whether you’re a Blu-Ray player of PlayStation Plus edition player, you’ll be able to continue the experience. But there will of course be additional paid-for content as well, which will be release afterwards.”

DriveClub will be launching on October 8th for PlayStation 4.

After its original delay from the PlayStation 4 launch, Evolution Studios' realistic racing title DriveClub has now been given a definite release date: October 8th, 2014.

As mentioned, DriveClub was originally slated for the launch of Sony's PlayStation 4, however was pushed back to an "early 2014" date before that was also pushed back, citing more development time needed as the cause. Sony Computer Entertainment' President Shuei Yoshida took to the PlayStation Blog to outline the need for further development, and also announce Paul Rustchynsky as the newest Gaem Director.

The problem with being ambitious is you have to be prepared to accept there will be challenges along the way. What DRIVECLUB offers has not been previously achieved in this category, and, because of this, the team needed more time to give you the game you’re waiting for.
In addition to the new date, we are also very pleased to announce that as of February 2014, Paul Rustchynsky — better known as Rushy — has been at the helm of DRIVECLUB as Game Director. We appreciate the announcement has come a little late, however we wanted to inform his appointment along with the new date announcement.

Check out the new trailer and screens below for a glimpse at some of the realistic cars featured in the racing game, plus a look at the various integrated online modes.

DriveClub will be available on October 8th exclusively for PlayStation 4.

Evolution's Driveclub was one of the first of the PlayStation 4 games to be announced at the PlayStation event last year, scheduled to release at the system's launch in November with a special Instant Game Collection edition. In late October it was announced that the game wouldn't be making it to the console's launch, instead being delayed into 2014, though now it seems that may not even happen.

According to a recent interview with IGN, Sony Worldwide Studios' Scott Rohde explains that the company, which owns developer Evolution, doesn't want to release the game before it's ready.

“So, I think that at PlayStation, perhaps more than at other places, we’re willing to kinda eat that [cost],” Rohde says, “and go back to the drawing board and make sure the game is great before we ship it. And that’s what’s going on right now with that game.”

Sadly it is unclear when exactly we can expect DriveClub on the PlayStation 4, and just what it will represent in terms of quality and improvement from its original reveal. When asked if the game would be releasing anytime in 2014, Rohde was somewhat tight-lipped, with a PR representative promising more details soon enough.

Hopefully we'll be hearing more at the upcoming GDC 2014 event in San Francicso, which if rumours are correctwe may also be seeing Sony unveiling its own take on the virtual reality craze about to hit the industry. Who knows, we may even see a virtual reality take on DriveClub. For full details, head to the original story on IGN.