Driveclub PS Plus held back to ease server load

If you were wondering why you weren't able to download the free version of the Driveclub yesterday, then here's why: Sony and Evolution Studios have decided to temporarily hold back the release of the PS Plus version of new racer, so as to ease the huge server load that they are currently experiencing.

Game Director Paul Rustchynsky apologised for holding back the version intended for Plus subscribers, which was due to launch alongside the full game this week. Here's the letter that was posted on Facebook by way of explanation:

With DriveClub, we are dedicated to delivering a dynamic and socially connected racing game that everyone can enjoy, and along the way we're facing new challenges which we haven't encountered as a development team before.

We are seeing a lot of activity and new social behaviours right now, but unfortunately this is pushing the servers to their absolute limits.

In order to help all DriveClub players who have the game already, we're temporarily holding back the PS Plus Edition and the My DriveClub app to ease the load and traffic to the servers. This should give players a better chance of connecting to the game servers and, once the servers are operating well, we'll be sure to let you know when the PS Plus Edition and My DriveClub app will be available to download.

To our PS Plus fans, we're sorry you're having to wait longer to play, but we want to ensure that when you come on board, you get the best experience possible. Rest assured, if you've pre-ordered the full game upgrade from the PS Plus Edition, you will still get the full version of DriveClub digitally, and if you can't get online you'll be able to get started offline like everybody else with single player mode as you start your DriveClub tour.

You'll still be able to earn fame, unlock cars and get to grips with all of the options for playing and creating your own events and challenges - and everything you do will be synchronised with the servers when you do get connected, so you can set-up a bunch of challenges to send out to your friends as soon as you are able to join each other online.

We fully appreciate how frustrating this is for everyone. We want you to get online with your club because racing, challenging and having fun together is what the game is all about. We know that racing with your friends online is what you've been waiting for and we are doing everything we can to deliver that experience to you as soon as possible.

Sorry again for the difficult start. We'll keep you regularly updated on our progress as we work round the clock to improve connectivity.

While you wait for Sony to sort out their server issues, why not read our Driveclub review, and see if it's worth the download when the PS Plus version of the game finally arrives on PS4, whenever that may be.