Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is available already as a pre-order bonus of the Gold Edition. However, server issues plagued its launch and reignited the conversation about "always online" titles.
The official release date may be September 12, but those who pre-ordered Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown's Gold Edition got access to the game seven days early - on paper, anyway. The open-world racing game that succeeds 2011's Test Drive Unlimited 2 unlocked at 08:00 UTC on September 5, 2024 - but hardly anyone could play it.
Server issues plagued the game at first, and after those were fixed, players were still greeted by a message informing them that they could not be logged in. As a result, plenty of TDU fans who had eagerly awaited the launch of the game could not play even eight hours after the supposed launch, no matter if they tried on PC or console. Consequently, players were not exactly happy with their pre-orders - the Gold Edition set them back a lofty €89.99/$89.99/£74.99, after all.
Of course, this immediately reignited the discussion about "always online" games, which kicked into high gear when Ubisoft announced that it would switch off The Crew's servers in March of 2024. The game was approaching ten years of age at that point, but players who had once spent money on the product were criticizing the game being effectively killed by its servers being shut down.
Even worse, the publisher also made the game completely unavailable by removing it from players' libraries in April, which dashed any hopes of The Crew becoming playable again on privately-run servers. Even physical copies, while still possible to boot, could not be played anymore.
Naturally, modders took to making the game playable again, succeeding with making the game's open-world map explorable in June.
It does not seem too far-fetched, however, that a game's developer being on strike when such problems occur at launch does not help with things being fixed faster.
Of course, with the game having been marketed as an MMO, it could be argued that players had to expect being online at all times to play was a requirement. But racing games in particular should lend themselves well to offline modes, which would also ensure that players had something to do even in case of server issues - and that they could use it even if the servers were switched off for good further down the road.
It is great to see that a passionate community can revive a game with a lot of hard work, like in The Crew's - but it should not have to be like that if you ask players. So going down the "always online" route should ideally not be considered without the intention of making a game playable offline once its life cycle ends.
What is your opinion on games that require you to be online at all times? Let us know in the comments below!
The official release date may be September 12, but those who pre-ordered Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown's Gold Edition got access to the game seven days early - on paper, anyway. The open-world racing game that succeeds 2011's Test Drive Unlimited 2 unlocked at 08:00 UTC on September 5, 2024 - but hardly anyone could play it.
Server issues plagued the game at first, and after those were fixed, players were still greeted by a message informing them that they could not be logged in. As a result, plenty of TDU fans who had eagerly awaited the launch of the game could not play even eight hours after the supposed launch, no matter if they tried on PC or console. Consequently, players were not exactly happy with their pre-orders - the Gold Edition set them back a lofty €89.99/$89.99/£74.99, after all.
Players At The Mercy Of Servers
TDU SC's launch difficulties highlight the biggest problem many players see with "always online" games such as Solar Crown - they are the mercy of servers and a working internet connection. If they are not working, the game does not either. In TDU's case, this is because the game's approach is to be an MMO, in which its features are rooted. As no offline play is intended, players are left to wait for the issues to be resolved.Of course, this immediately reignited the discussion about "always online" games, which kicked into high gear when Ubisoft announced that it would switch off The Crew's servers in March of 2024. The game was approaching ten years of age at that point, but players who had once spent money on the product were criticizing the game being effectively killed by its servers being shut down.
Even worse, the publisher also made the game completely unavailable by removing it from players' libraries in April, which dashed any hopes of The Crew becoming playable again on privately-run servers. Even physical copies, while still possible to boot, could not be played anymore.
Naturally, modders took to making the game playable again, succeeding with making the game's open-world map explorable in June.
Kylotonn Strike A Factor?
Only two days before the early access launch, TDU developer Kylotonn called for its employees to go on strike over publisher and studio owner Nacon's "strategy of silence". While OverTake has inquired about the possible ramifications for Solar Crown's launch, we have not received a reply.It does not seem too far-fetched, however, that a game's developer being on strike when such problems occur at launch does not help with things being fixed faster.
Of course, with the game having been marketed as an MMO, it could be argued that players had to expect being online at all times to play was a requirement. But racing games in particular should lend themselves well to offline modes, which would also ensure that players had something to do even in case of server issues - and that they could use it even if the servers were switched off for good further down the road.
It is great to see that a passionate community can revive a game with a lot of hard work, like in The Crew's - but it should not have to be like that if you ask players. So going down the "always online" route should ideally not be considered without the intention of making a game playable offline once its life cycle ends.
What is your opinion on games that require you to be online at all times? Let us know in the comments below!
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