PC Driver: San Francisco delayed

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 11 August, 2011

New UK release date revealed.

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.

Ubisoft sparked complaints last month when it revealed that the Driver will not be playable offline.

Following that revelation, a company spokesperson said Ubisoft's always online strategy had resulted in "a clear reduction in piracy of our titles which required a persistent online connection, and from that point of view the requirement is a success".

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About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 6 months ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • J0rdan_KZ #1 7 months ago

    Having played the demo last night... I can safely say we're not missing out on much.

    EDIT: Just to clarify, that's the XBOX360 demo.
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/11 @ 10:08

  • CheesecakeBobby #2 7 months ago

    How uncharacteristic of Ubisoft to delay the PC version of a multiplatform release.

  • DozyKipper #3 7 months ago

    LOL, very true poster #1. It really is a lot of drivel. The car handling is BAD.

  • swissorc #4 7 months ago

    Does not matter it will be shit what ever platform you buy it on.

  • the_dudefather #5 7 months ago

    This is more shocking than when they delayed From Dust on PC, or the assassin's creed games, or splinter cell conviction, or Call of Juarez

  • Timotei #6 7 months ago

    "a company spokesperson said Ubisoft's always online strategy had resulted in "a clear reduction in piracy of our titles which required a persistent online connection, and from that point of view the requirement is a success""

    Utter bollocks.

  • BadBoyBonner #7 7 months ago

    @Timotei

    Probably true - reduction in piracy AND a reduction in sales.

  • el_pollo_diablo #8 7 months ago

    Just asking, but isn't everyone always online all the time anyway? Does this really inconvenience you or is it more the thought of it, or what?

    / not trolling

  • gm914 #9 7 months ago

    @1 (and everyone else)
    The PS3 demo is similarly godforsakenawful.
    Laughably bad. The in-car dialogue is hackneyed and just does not stop with the lame one-liners.
    I mean CONSTANT chatter. Shut up!!
    I felt compelled to turn the speech off completely, which means you dont hear the mission intro's or objectives.

    The cars handle like boats. They should have called it Skipper, not Driver . Cars won't turn until you hit the handbrake, at which point you're broadsiding walls or doing 270şs.
    And even though it's 'open world', missions are (too) strictly timed, or 'pass this checkpoint to get to the next checkpoint', negating any kind of exploration.
    Don't even get me started on the compulsory 'car-shifting' gimmick, and the ridiculous back-story to justify it.
    I looked forward to this for ages, but it's not even a rental anymore. The only 'AAA' this title deserves is the roadside-assistance kind...

  • LazyNinjaUk #10 7 months ago

    Wasn't impressed at all by the 360 demo, cars handled like shopping trolleys on sheet ice. The shift mechanic is an interesting idea but feels cheap and doesn't seem to fit the genre.

  • bad09 #11 7 months ago

    Wait didn't the turd eaters justify infecting Driver with their crud because it WAS releasing at the same time as the consoles? Whats the excuse now? Oh well going by the console guys impressions of the demo Ubi saved us from the disappointment of a real stinker with stupid DRM, no demo and pointless delay anyway. Cheers Ubi! :)

    This company deserves to go under on PC you console people are welcome to them now, I'm past boycott and on to do not care. I think pirating is just the best way to handle Ubi now and that's exactly what I'll do from now on, saves money for those companies who deserve it anyway.

  • BloodSaint #12 7 months ago

    In other news, Ubisoft confirms Assassin's Creed: Revelations is delayed for PC also.

  • CaptainKid #13 7 months ago

    The car action in that video looks horrible..
    Those supercars are waaay to fast and the other cars look uncontrollable.

    Driver is about PRECISION driving, in Driver 1 I could handbrake around a tree with 1 mm clearance, and going head on into a corner and then using your skills (and luck) to not crash.

    This looks just like another racer with crappy GTA car control.

  • Faramis #14 7 months ago

    Really Ubisoft? You delay game that has already bad reputation due to bad handling of the brand in past? Really great marketing move right there, It will bring Ubisoft huge profit, no doubt about it.

  • neems #15 7 months ago

    When will they learn? If you delay Assassin's Creed, From Dust etc, we'll wait for it, as annoying as it is. But if you delay a shit game, you're actually harming your potential sales. By the time this gets released on PC nobody will buy it, because we'll all have seen the reviews and videos for the console versions.

    See also Call of Juarez : The Cartel.

    Just to reiterate - Ubisoft are fuckwits. It's a shame because they clearly have some talented dev teams (not all of them obviously), but somebody high up in the organisation is having a giraffe.

    NINJA EDIT I'm off on one now. PC games may have rampant piracy, but you know what console games have? Rentals, and a pre-owned (second hand in English) market. I could play every available (retail) Ubisoft game on my PS3 without them ever seeing a penny from me. If I could be arsed that is.

    Edited by 1 at 11/08/11 @ 11:39

  • deadstoned #16 7 months ago

    Why does Ubisoft hate PC Gamers so much?

  • Nephirion #17 7 months ago

    I had this on preorder because it was cheap, with this news I can safely cancel my preorder and wait for the reviews .... thanks UBI you might have just saved me wasting my hard earned.

  • login_name #18 7 months ago

    Well, well, why am I not surprised. I'm with bad09 on this one, I'm past boycotting and on to just not giving a shit. Ubisoft will never see another penny from me.

  • login_name #19 7 months ago

    isn't everyone always online all the time anyway?

    No

  • DozyKipper #20 7 months ago

    Chaps, you are not looking objectively from a business point of view. PC sales are probably 5% of overall sales. I think we're lucky to be getting a port at all. That's the way things are unfortunately.

  • Seafort #21 7 months ago

    Its probably because we are gamers and don't really care about the business point of view to do with our hobby.

    I think ubisoft should just stop wasting our time and not develop any more pc games.

    Its only supposedly 5% because of the way they treat their pc customer? You ever thought of that :)
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/11 @ 12:46

  • DavidSebb #22 7 months ago

    Why just not cancel the damn game. With your bloody DRM i dont think alot of peeps will pick it up anyway. Cheerio !

  • haggisthelord #23 7 months ago

    I don't mind admitting that I thoroughly enjoyed the demo. The handling isn't as bad as mist of you are making out, I had no problem cornering with a mix of braking and accelerating. It looks good, the demo missions were good fun. I reckon you're all very quick to judge, if the handling was tweaked would you all be happy? If the voice chatter was removed would you be happy? Probably not, it seems loads of you just like to moan about games rather than actually playing them thoroughly. I'm willing to bet that most of you will buy it, just to see.
    I'm willing to go against all of you and say this will be a good game. If it's not I will happily admit to it here.

  • bad09 #24 7 months ago

    @ DozyKipper

    You are right PC is roughly about 5-10% compared to consoles Sven at Capcom recently told us about the same historically for them, Acti (outside of WOW subs) are around 6% but better publishers who are mainly earning from consoles are trying to expand in areas that are more PC areas and indeed trying to up the PC sales in general.

    Capcom is a good example of that, they want want/need to expand and that means growing PC markets they are well aware a good way to do that is build a strong customer/fan base on a strong image of support and customer service that's why they have refocused their approach to PC (we are even getting in on some of the fighters a genre generally ignored on PC) and, unlike Ubi, actually enage with the community and react when bad issues like stupid DRM hurting consumers arise.

    Just because it's small base doesn't excuse poor treatment of that base, especially if you are serious about trying to earn off that base. A good company looks at that small base and tries to increase it rather than piss on it.
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/11 @ 13:08

  • kongzi #25 7 months ago

    rofl @ anybody that wants to play this on PC... and pay for it..

    just cancel the thing..it's terrible on console. If you get better graphics on PC the horror is just that much clearer.

  • jedi99 #26 7 months ago

    Played the PS3 demo last night. I thought it was me with the car handling so bad. I only tried this out to see if the PC version would be any better. Thanks Ubisoft for saving me the time and money!!!

  • CaptainKid #27 7 months ago

    @tjtj
    I disagree 100% with you.

    GTA (4) car control sucks ass compared to Driver 1 and 2.
    The cars are wobbly, unpredictable, I never ever have a feeling being really in control.

    With Driver 1 and 2 I was in control all the time. I could drift past a tree with only 1 mm between the car and the tree. That's how accurate you could steer in those games. Despite the "crappy 70's American cars".

    Man I wish the next GTA would have Driver (1 & 2) car controls and the police system to.
    Ditch the stupid girlfriend and friend crap, let me drive on stairs again for jumps bring back taxi, fireman, ambulance missions and it would be the best action game ever.
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/11 @ 13:28

  • reeferchief #28 7 months ago

    I thought it had promise, but the demo was quickly deleted, shitty controls/handling, not to mention the storyline, given the amount of exciting titles on the way in the next couple of months I can't even see me picking this up out of the bargain bin.

  • UkHardcore23 #29 7 months ago

    It's odd to see so many have struggled with the handling? Seemed fine to me after only my 2nd shot of the demo. You guys realise this is an arcade title and not Forza or GT5?

  • landlock #30 7 months ago

    I liked the demo aswell, once you learn how to drift the handling is fine and I'm pretty interested. I'm glad it looks like it's back to all driving and no 3rd person bits.

  • Machetazo #31 7 months ago

    Ubis...GRR. Not worth it.

  • TheTingler #32 7 months ago

    SURPRISE SURPRISE.

  • azic #33 7 months ago

    Why do Capcom and UBI do this? Why? So that they sell more consoles versions @49.99 rather than ÂŁ24.99 on PC.
    Disgraceful company... I hope driver fails, shit game anyway.. Notice no release of a PC demo! Wonder why.

    UBI you would do good to remember where you launched the first ever Driver game....... Yeah the PC you cunts!

  • azic #34 7 months ago

    This fucking PC piracy shit is bullshit. Right now, right fucking now I can dl every xbox 360 PS3 wii PSP game no probs.
    It's utter bollox, 10 mins in Tottenham Court Road in London on a Sat afternoon and they will mod your 360 and even sell you ripped games on USB drives etc.

    At least on PC you need to really want to rip games, it's not just downloading games, you need all sorts of shit and software etc, disc emulators, cracks with risk of virus.. All manner of shit.

    On console you just activate the mod and put the disc in and bam.

    So please fuck off with the PC bullshit.. Consoles are the same if not worse for piracy... And no live cant detect new 360 mods

  • haggisthelord #35 6 months ago

    @ azic, so you're advocating piracy then ? That makes you part of the problem as to why developers have to go to such great lengths to copy protect their games. If there was no piracy, the revenue from honest sales would go back into making the games better with no need to include DRM. how does it feel, knowing that you are the reason that companies spend more time on the DRM and less on the game.
    Ubi haven't made driver for you, they're not going to care that someone who doesn't even pay to play their games, thinks a game they haven't played is shit! Let's not forget, honest citizen, modding and playing modded games in the UK is now illegal. Good luck in your law breaking.
    Edited by 1 at 12/08/11 @ 10:49

  • Darren #36 6 months ago

    This news is hardly a surprise considering it's Ubisoft but given the mixed comments the demo has been getting it is perhaps a good thing for us PC gamers as we'll know for sure at the end of September whether the game really is worth buying or not from the console reviews and will have ample time to cancel our pre-orders. :D

  • azic #37 6 months ago

    @haggisthelord
    I pay for all my games! Where did the fuck did I say I different?
    Im highlighting the point that piracy is not just downloading games and involves a lot more than that.

    I have over 150 games In my steam account plus many more on disc and 100s between the 3 current consoles.

    Learn to read before making sweeping statements. As for UBI not making a game for me... I wouldn't care if they did!