Driver: San Francisco

[LittleBlueTroll]

Got round to downloading and playing the demo today! I enjoyed the gameplay and i think the shift concept works amazingly well! Bit confusing at first but once i got used to it i really liked it.

 

The only thing i found strange though is the cars on the roads, such a wide array of good/rare cars all in one go, im not sure if this was just because its the demo so it wanted you to use a few of the better cars im not sure.

 

But seeing 2 Deloreans driving down one road was slightly weird!

[Sunrise Driver]

There will not be any PC demo on this game. The reason of being delayed and no PC demo is because of their DRM. Making a demo will give opportunity for cracking the game much earlier and understand DRM new functions.

Ironically console versions will be available on torrents a week before release. So publishers should start put DRM in console versions too.

[BLlTZ]

Well, this is how Ubisoft thinks will win over piracy by delaying with two more weeks. They still don't understand that, when a game is released and doesn't matter when the time will come, the game will be already considered a cracked game. Is something that nobody can escape, even Valve.

 

Anyhow, the DRM on Assassin's Creed 2 with his 2 months delay made the piracy to decreased his number of cracking and Ubisoft jumped like a bunch of young happy kids, but that didn't complete stop piracy to take over the game. Now, this is what Ubisoft is trying again with San Francisco.

 

The confrontation between any developers, their games & piracy is already part of gaming history and the number of PC platform is much higher than a Console one even though in your bedroom you have both platforms, if you understand what I mean

I will add the fact that a game on a PC platform is more easy to control and more fluent than one on a console, after all it doesn't do what a PC can do when it comes with cracking programs, a mouse and a keyboard.

[Knife]

They're just blind. DRM has no negative impact on your average pirate because hackers remove it. And I'm sure hackers actually enjoy the challenge of removing it. I'm not sure why Ubisoft are so ignorant when it comes to piracy.

[G The Generous]

lol. if they afraid of DRM being crack. they should use the same way as H.A.W.X 2

I don't know how the game could stop the crack but many people said that the game was impossible to crack (first game impossible to crack I ever heard so far)

H.A.W.X belong to Ubi so I think pirates will have no chance on San Francisco now.

[BLlTZ]

They're just blind. DRM has no negative impact on your average pirate because hackers remove it. And I'm sure hackers actually enjoy the challenge of removing it. I'm not sure why Ubisoft are so ignorant when it comes to piracy.

They think that I will just buy some 30DVD, clone the game and sell at stands like fresh hot donuts

 

I don't want to say thumbs up to piracy, but the cracked game doesn't go anywhere else than the Internet & yours truly PC/Console, a vast sealed placed where technically speaking is the same as playing on DRM game where the files doesn't go anywhere else running on the same firewire connection. So where is that violation agreement conspiracy on author rights if I don't see any difference between DRM and playing online for free, or with the crack or without the crack if everything doesn't espace from this sealed placed.

 

I don't know why, but I haven't seen any other company before like Ubisoft that become so obsessed of piracy more than be interested in their own buyers that are buying their products.

 

Or Ubisoft thinks if they are screwing with the buyers, the buyers will be mad of those who doesn't afford to buy a game and maybe the piracy will be over and they will be so happy. That's the joke!

 

 

 

 

[Creed Bratton]

DRM is bullsh*t. Piracy doesn't hurt sales because 99% of pirates will never buy the game. 1% of those pirates are people who pirate games to test them before they buy them because for some reason PC isn't good enough to get a demo, and you can't sell a PC game when you activate it.

 

So like I said, piracy doesn't hurt sales. There is no such thing as lost sales because of piracy. Even if you make a game that's uncrackable it still won't make pirates buy the game. It will lower the piracy, but it won't increase the sales. So again, what's the f*ckin' point in decreasing piracy if there is no impact on profit?

 

DRM on the other hand hurts sales. I know that I will rather pirate a game and play without any trouble than pay someone to treat me like a criminal. Why should I pay to have a worse experience than a pirate?

-On one side you have paying customers who pay to get punished and to feel like criminals. You can only play a game under certain conditions when and where the developer and publisher want you to play.

-On the other side you have pirates who can play however they want, whenever they want and wherever they want, without feeling like they're being punished. And they play for FREE! I think logic is pretty clear on this one.

[Sunrise Driver]

 

I don't know why, but I haven't seen any other company before like Ubisoft that become so obsessed of piracy more than be interested in their own buyers that are buying their products.

Ubisoft has console versions as an "insurance" so they can do whatever they want with PC versions. When it comes to PC-based games like RUSE, Anno, From Dust, CSI, M&M Heroes then DRM magically disappears. And the game gets simultaneous release.

[Creed Bratton]

 

Ubisoft has console versions as an "insurance" so they can do whatever they want with PC versions.

But that's just bad business plan. It's far more profitable to treat our customers with respect. You will be respected in return. Look at Valve. Kings of PC gaming. Making millions of dollars. Even though their games are among the most pirated games. They don't give a f*ck because they know those are not lost sales. That's why they have Steam sales and good customer service. That kind of stuff can actually turn a pirate into a paying customer. Respect and reward potential consumers. Win them over instead of punishing already loyal fanbase.

[BLlTZ]

Yep. Have you ever seen Gabe upset because of the pirate thing. We see opportunity of playing them for free, he see us being happy of playing and admire his games. End of story.

[CharmingCharlie]

AH Ubisoft I hope they never stop making PC games, I have too much of a laugh at the bullsh*t they do. So lets see :-

 

• No Demo for the PC
• Always on DRM for the PC version

The only thing that would make their failure complete was if for some reason the PC version got delayed. I doubt that will happen though, I mean no company is that unprofessional to delay a product so close to release ................... oh wait guess what boys and girls :-

 

 

Ubisoft has confirmed to Eurogamer that the PC version of Driver: San Francisco has been delayed.

 

It launches on Friday, 30th September – nearly a month after the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 versions.

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-...ancisco-delayed

 

So the PC version is releasing a month later than the console versions now.

[Blackadder.]

Really, shouldn't be surprised, Ubisoft delayed the PC release of, hmm, all the Assassin's Creed games.

[Bowserchomp]

Heh, I love how this thread has steered into the realm of piracy and Ubisoft. Well, anyone with half of a brain can tell this game will be half-assed, just like ALL of the previous Driver games were, by the way. Even the first one, with its glitches, 90-degree road turns, jagged texture-mapping, and monotonous gameplay was pretty mediocre, even back in the day. There was a much better game back then called Midtown Madness that no one gave a damn about. The studio who made that, MM2, and MM3 eventually went on to become Rockstar San Diego, the guys who make the Midnight Club and Red Dead games, and houses the team behind the RAGE engine.

 

Even though I'd take Midtown Madness 2 way over Midnight Club LA and Red Dead Redemption. PC only, runs on just about any computer made after the release of Windows 98, no DRM, lots of mods, and best of all... FUN to play, unlike most AAA games made today.

 

Oh, and did I mention that Midtown Madness was published by Microsoft Games? I wish we had THAT Microsoft today, instead of this boring Halo and Forza bullsh*t. I mean, back in the days of Windows 98, Microsoft Games commissioned and published several awesome games, like Flight Simulator, Age of Empires, Midtown Madness, Monster Truck Madness, Motocross Madness, etc. You know, a wide variety of great games.

[BLlTZ]

There was a much better game back then called Midtown Madness that no one gave a damn about.

Uh ? I played more hours in Midtown Madness than Driver & Driver II together. I would still give a damn any time for MM. I remember the days and hours spend on internet-cafe in Multiplayer with my buddies. The Lodon and San Francisco map where the best.

[Seddo]

This game is looking great, handling is pretty decent but takes a bit of time getting used to it, whilst also trying to perfect the handbrake turns.

 

The shift feature was quite cool actually and the 2 on 2 race whilst shifting was good as well. Didn't really do any free roaming, going to go back into the demo later and give it more of a whirl.

[vertical limit]

I love the car textures they look kind of arcadish yet realistic, also what Seddo mentioned the handling will take sometime getting used to it, especially while drifting.

[Daz]

Alot of the game's focus is on shortcuts and no waiting around, especially with the boost feature, which kind of annoys me as you can f*ck up a corner but then just speed the f*ck out of it with boost.

 

It is like this game is designed to never have any car stationary or going slow. I get a very disposable feel. And that is the last thing I want when I have a really nice car I like. I hang onto that sh*t for hours. I dont want to ditch it the first time the front gets smashed up.

Does the game make it painstaking or just nigh on impossible to cruise around at your own pace? Call me a bit of a boring fart, but all I plan on doing most of the time, is cruising around the city following traffic laws and stopping at intersections. I'd be put off a whole lot if this game tried its best to prevent me from doing this.

I agree there. Though I cant say I will be following the laws. But I definitely want to cruise at a slow pace at times, see the sexy bounce of the suspension over bumps and hills. Mostly just car porn really. With so many things on screen such as HUD and peds and so many other vehicles, and around 50 car ramps driving about, it is kind of annoying.

 

What I would like to see is a multiplayer free roam session where you can adjust car damage, so the current car you are in takes no damage, yet can gain damage if bailed into something else. Less or no traffic only parked. But no cars are parked, infact cars dont even stop. I want to create a roadblock or leave a car somewhere but it will constantly drive off. I dont like this.

 

As for the handling, I dont know how you cannot get used to this. Infact its abit too easy to get used to. I am afraid I will get bored of it too soon. I managed to drift all the way round a nice windey road. The problem is other cars and your own car getting wrecked straight away.

 

 

The shift feature is great, but because it is there, you will always tend to use it more than you need to. I find that the longer you stay in one vehicle the better aquainted and attached you get to it. I am not the type of person to ditch cars constantly. In the end you are going to find your favorite few cars and only use those.

 

 

I had alot of fun in the Nissan GT-R, which is probably the only car made in the last 21 years that I even like. It was a great drifter and learning how and when to pull the slide at high speed is really satisfying, may even be more fun than using the muscle cars, just because of the increased speed.

 

The boost feature pisses me off now, I end up using it all the time and it just ruins the driving experience. Even when I hit top speed I boost and it pretends like it is going faster but infact I am losing 1mph a second once you hit max.

 

Overall driving should be cherished and endulged. You should be proud of one or two vehicles, get them the color and look you want, and always drive them around. In some modes it can be fun to bail every two seconds but I hope the majority of the game isnt too orientated around it. Because I did the race without shifting, at least only once or twice to bring the crappy new camaro up abit. But doing a perfect run in the GT-R was WAY more satisfying than throwing cars into the opposing team to win the race.

 

I know you can choose how you play, but its always that same thing, if something is there that makes the game easier, you tend to just use it, even if you didnt originally intend to.

 

I want the game to focus more on the cars and driving, rather than shifting constantly. Maybe that urge will wear off as the game goes on.

 

I miss the original games, where there was not many cars on the road. It always feels better driving in the early moring or on christmas day when nobody is around. The road feels more yours.

 

I dont know anymore, I am just yapping crap.

[vertical limit]

Pretty much what Daz said.

 

 

I also like the how realistic the damage is, side view mirrors, front bumpers and pretty much the whole body of the car.

[GrandMaster Smith]

Got to play the demo last night, nice graphics, very nice car detail but god damn I could not stand the voice acting/main plot.

 

Idk what it was I just know I would never be able to play through that entire game.. the whole shift feature followed up with the extremely sh*tty 'i was in a near death experience and now I can go into other peoples' bodies' thing just seemed like the cheesiest and cheapest way out of having to program walking animations and all that. I did have fun though sabotaging the race with shifting into other cars driving in the opposite direction and going head on into my opponents lol.

 

I loved driver 1 and 2, Driv3r was decent but nothing grand, Parallel Lines was just bland and now this.. eh I just think they should throw the series in the trash bin, it's become rubbish.

[Algonquin Bridge]

Time for me to eat a slice of humble pie.

 

I played the demo, and by god was it fun. It looks fabulous, and the cars handle greatly. I've had fun just handbrake turning and flying through the streets of the city.

 

The shift mechanic...is actually not as bad as I feared. If anything, I'm glad it's there. Having to pull over and run to another car would really break the flow of this game, I feel. It's a game all about fast-paced, high-speed action and chases. Having to break the flow just to change vehicles when you bugger yours up beyond repair would impede my enjoyment of this game.

 

As for the story and dialogue...I find it gleefully cheesy. Pretty much like a 70's buddy cop show.

 

In any case, I await its release, so I can explore the whole city proper, and get behind the wheels of the Aston Martin DB5. Delish.

 

Also, screw DRM. Really.

[Archangelsky]

I am happy to see that there are at least some other people that also seems to have been looking forward to the game with some of the same expectations I had, well wishes at least on my behalf.

 

I love the original Mafia and also to some extent Mafia II, the thing with these games are that you can drive around and just enjoy the scenery and following the traffic laws if you want to, and also in addition for Mafia you can do it with a wheel and pedal set and also a H-pattern shifter.

 

When I saw that a new Driver game was coming out I thought, oh my now we will get another game (on of few) where we can just srive around with a wheel, getting up to som decent speed and manually down-shift from 5-3 gear while throwing the car around a corner, but oh no it doesn`t seem like it. Actually I am horribly disapointed that Ubisoft with a pretty f*cking vague excuse says that there is no wheel support because it would make the player sweaty and exhausted with all the steering going on.....are you f*cking kidding me, its above lame, it should be the players choice, but it coming from Ubisoft I am not suprised, the company that raped and ruined the R6 series.

 

Also I am very surprised to see the amount of people on this site and also on other forums that seem to not understand that a game like this would benefit from wheel support, its like players do not understand that wheel and pedals and manual shifting adds more immersion then playing the game with a controller.

 

I player the original Mafia with keyboard and I also played GT on ps1 with a hand controller, and then I tried Mafia with wheels and pedals.....I mean I would rather not play a car game after that at all in front of giving up an experience with wheels and pedals set. Ironically Mafia II did not support wheel and pedals either, a game feature included in the sequel over 8 years prior....if it was not for the fact that one could get it to work with an emulator I would not have played it at all.

 

Perhaps it will be the same with Driver, I do not know, if so then the game is a "maybe" in my book.

[Daz]

Though I hate Kinect to f*cking death, this seems like one of the games that has so little controls that it may even work. At least instead of a wheel.

 

I think it is just the demo that is very restrictive and with all the shifting going on, you dont get a propper feel for the game or vehicles.

 

I can bet that the full game will give a much better feel. It does not feel like an accurate representation of the game. For example, if there was a demo of Vice City and all it contained were pizza delivery missions.

[vertical limit]

Though I must say the shift is great and everything but the to be honest it kinda gets boring after 5 mins of continous driving, maybe due to the demo being limited.

[Daz]

Though I must say the shift is great and everything but the to be honest it kinda gets boring after 5 mins of continous driving, maybe due to the demo being limited.

The driving works great, shift works great, but something of having the two, kind of separates them abit. I cant really explain it. I tend to just shift into every new car just to test it and ditch it. I think most of the satisfaction from finding new cars and trying them was stopping them getting in then gaining speed again.

 

I think because you can instantly do exactly what you want, it may run the life on the game down a little bit.

 

Similar to Just Cause 2, though I prefered grappling and parachuting around the map, it made it kind of pointless to ever get in a vehicle other than aircraft. Thus alot of that was not even used.

 

For example, when the f*ck are you ever going to be stuck in a sh*t car you hate because there is nothing else around, or be stuck down some road with no vehicle? It kind of takes all that away. Where in some cases, I like those times.

 

The feature could work better for mission based modes and such, like base defense and such. But really all I want to do is drive.

 

The bottom line is I just hope this game lasts for a while. I dont want to have waited all this time for a new driving game to have seen and done everything within a week and already be bored of it.

 

If only Test Drive Unlimited 2 had better driving and old school cars.

[vertical limit]

True that man, with full honesty.

[Algonquin Bridge]

IIRC, they're going to implement Shift so you can't just spam it as you please. I think you'll have to pull off drifts, jumps etc. to fill the meter required. I'm thinking this unlimited Shift ability is just for the demo.

 

Then again, I could be utterly wrong.

[vertical limit]

Yes yes, your right, it was mentioned in an interview but yet he said that he didn't want it to be limited.

[Daz]

Yes yes, your right, it was mentioned in an interview but yet he said that he didn't want it to be limited.

That is what I first thought, but he mentioned you need a certain ammount of WP points in able to gain the higher levels of zoom, not to be able to use it. So you use those points to upgrade it, I am pretty sure.

 

That would probably piss me off more if I couldnt shift when I wanted to. The feature is great I just feel its cutting short some of the fun we could be forced to have. As sometimes the journey to the location ends up being much more fun than getting to where you want to be to do whatever it is you want to do.

 

 

Btw a fun thing I have been doing in the demo lately is boosting up hills or off jumps and hitting shift at the crest of the jump. Then just viewing my car in slow motion from a side on angle. It looks f*ckING OWN. Which reminds me I hope they still have the replay feature enabled.

 

 

Also does anyone else hear an old telephone ringing on the pause menu? I cant tell if it is the game or in my house or next door. Because it is PISSING ME OFF LIKE f*ck. I am about to kill someone over it. Let me know. Because I will kill reflections if they have done this to me.

 

It is driving me insane.

[AceRay]

Which reminds me I hope they still have the replay feature enabled.

don't worry, if you mean film director, that is definitely coming back, I heard its one of the features.

[mr quick]

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Edited April 27, 2016 by Marwin