DriveClub from Evolution Studios (MotorStorm) is set to be a PlayStation 4 launch title, with a special PlayStation Plus edition becoming available for free at the same time. As it turns out, Evolution was “asked a couple of years ago to come up with another new IP for a console launch,” said Matt Southern, Studio Game Director, to The Guardian.
Likening DriveClub to a first-person shooter, Southern talked about how racing games used to be the dominant force in gaming, before the industry shifted towards shooters:
Before PS3 launched, the number one game every Christmas was a racing sim, usually Need For Speed, it almost became cliche. Then, over the console’s life-cycle, the shooter took over. We did some research with the Sony guys in the US and we found that people moved from racers to shooters because, when they played together online, they didn’t like it when only one person could win. Squad-based shooters really nailed that, especially the first Modern Warfare where you could really feel a sense of reward; you could level up and unlock abilities even if you were hopeless. As long as you were in a group of people where at least some of them were doing well, you made progress. We wanted to nail that with DriveClub, we wanted people to feel it was worth racing, even if they never crossed the winning line first.
Is DriveClub a new IP that you’ll be supporting at PS4 launch? Or will you go with a first-person shooter like Killzone: Shadow Fall? Let us know in the comments below.
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