It’s a bizarre world. Just weeks after Ubisoft hacked off PC Driver fans by refusing to fully drop their horrendous DRM system from the release of Driver San Francisco, they go and release a load of freebie online content for Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers. Um, thanks?
The first bit is a nice slab of DLC – 12 new online routes will be released for free on September 15th, and another route each week for the next 10 weeks. Better than a kick in the nuts, I suppose?
The second is a bit more “meh” – an online Driver Club that let’s you check stats, share your director clips and unlock some exclusive achievmo’s. Again, though, it’s free – and that’s the interesting thing about this little tale. Ubisoft join Activision in launching a major game-to-web service for free – though with their theatre mode included – in another sign than cross-pollination of your audience is a crucial way forwards for today’s modern devs. And we’d agree – Facebook and the like have spawned a secondary games industry of horrendous micro-transaction gaming that’s robbing focus from better platforms. And why’s that? Because mainstream gaming offers too few chances to get social, and that needs sorting out.
Personally, though, we’d only really sign up for the ‘chievmos, but if you fancy hooking up with other Driver fans, toddle off to The Driver Club webpage to sign up.