ModNation Racers Vita has no online head-to-head mode

By Fred Dutton Published 13 January, 2012

You'll make do with local multiplayer and ghost data.

ModNation Racers: Road Trip does not offer head-to-head online multiplayer, developer SCE San Diego has confirmed.

Speaking in a live chat session hosted on the US PlayStation site yesterday (thanks VG247), producer Vernon Mollette explained that online play is restricted to track sharing, leaderboards and swapping ghost data with friends.

If you want to race your friends in real time, you'll need to be in the same room and all own a copy of the game.

This is at odds with the 2010 PSP version, which supported six player online head-to-head races.

ModNation Racers: Road Trip is expected to be available from the Vita's 22nd February launch.

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 4 months ago

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  • HiddenAway #1 4 months ago

    I'm surely not the only person who thinks the lack of online racing in a kart racer on a "social" platform is ridiculous, right?

  • onezeonx #2 4 months ago

    BIIIIIIG mistake this!

    I was 50/50 on Mod Nations and Wipeout for the Vita launch but they just made it very easy for me!

    Wipeout all the way now

  • MattEdWithCheese #3 4 months ago

    Mario Kart 7 has online multiplayer...

  • dfish #4 4 months ago

    Even Mario Kart DS has online multiplayer
    Edited by dfish at 13/01/12 @ 23:31

  • vizzini #5 4 months ago

    @HiddenAway

    I don't mind if it is just that they are pressed for time and they confirm the feature is in the pipeline later down the line.

    I'm expecting a free update to the PS3 version to(for the new power ups), just to enable all those Modder's to join the competition and allow LAN multiplayer between Vitas and the PS3 in splitscreen.

    Selling four vitas and four copies of the game to four friends straight out is highly unlikely as it is too many hoops for most people to jump through. and without online it means very few people will be enjoying a quality multiplayer in this game.

    I might even have to cancel this game's preorder ,if this news doesn't change, as without any prospect of online, I'll have no human competition until my friends buy units, and by that time the game won't cost £30.

  • brigadier #6 4 months ago

    Faaail. It's a pity as well since i like the general concept of ModNation.
    I suppose it's not the developers fault, with them being rushed to get it out in time for release date.

  • NotSoSlim #7 4 months ago

    Oh it is the developers fault. Should do better and no excuses.

    No news of a upcoming patch to enable it...epic fail

  • Snakey #8 4 months ago

    Now that's just lazy.

  • Boomalla #9 4 months ago

    No online multiplayer? is it 1985?

  • vizzini #10 4 months ago

    Maybe it will be fixed quite quickly by an update to Adhoc Party that provided a solution to this problem for PSP games that only had a local multiplayer.

    But as much as I'm looking forward to designing new tracks with the touch screen and the new single player campaign. Without the option of multiplayer to play those tracks with friends for some time, I could probably just get my modnation gaming fix by buying the two other DLC track packs for the existing PS3 version.

  • Eraysor #11 4 months ago

    I have the PS3 version; I probably wouldn't have bothered playing it past day 1 if it didn't have online multiplayer. Best part of the game!

  • dadrester #12 4 months ago

    That's a very odd decision, given even the PSP version had online multiplayer. I'm guessing there will be a post release patch, but Sony's PR department need to get on this quickly given it's somewhat of a flagship title.

  • Triggerhappytel #13 4 months ago

    Seems like a foolish omission considering both its closest competitor and predecessor had online multiplayer. I'm sure fans wouldn't mind waiting an extra 2 or 3 months for its release while this was integrated.

  • Widge #14 4 months ago

    Y?

  • Arwin #15 4 months ago

    After seeing a 10 minute video of the beta version, and given how robust the create and share bits are, and that you have access to all the 500.000 PS3 user created tracks, and the far better load-times and all that, I am willing to wait and see how well the 'asynchronous' multiplayer is. After all, the Rivals Mode in Forza 4 and NFS's AutoLog and even Move Fitness' challenges, they really add in the multiplayer fun. And it's a kind of multiplayer that I enjoy.

    However, I do really hope they try to get it in there in the future. Perhaps sell this version for 20, and then charge 10 more for an online multiplayer expansion later?

  • steveb07 #16 4 months ago

    Hope they patch it as it's a big miss

  • h15c0r3r #17 4 months ago

    That is a 'huge' mistake :(

  • evarofzentral #18 4 months ago

    Er, come again?

  • Leecpfc #19 4 months ago

    I can see this having a serious impact on sales.

  • alcides #20 4 months ago

    It's like watching someone willingly split his own head with a chainsaw. Pathetic, gruesome, and nonsensical.

    I mean WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????

  • simsini #21 4 months ago

    Thanks, that's £27.99 saved on 22 February!

  • axisofweevils #22 4 months ago

    This is insane. Are Sony deliberately trying to lose sales?!

  • NotSoSlim #23 4 months ago

    How can you blame Sony? They had online on console version. Amazinv how console makers get blamed when its the devs decision as to what to include.

    Really see Sony saying no to online play?

  • Laythe_AD #24 4 months ago

    That's genuinely incredible, for a multiplayer focussed game, on an expensive console. Bugger buying this.

  • Laythe_AD #25 4 months ago

    I'd like to thank EG for bringing this up, by the way. Hadn't noted this news anywhere else, and this was likely to be an early purchase for me. No longer, of course.

  • Alivada #26 4 months ago

    2K04!

  • dadrester #27 4 months ago

    @NotSoSlim
    How can you blame Sony? They had online on console version. Amazinv how console makers get blamed when its the devs decision as to what to include.

    Really see Sony saying no to online play?

    Because it's a First party release. In this instance Sony aren't just the platform holder but also the publisher. Which means that Sony call the shots with what goes in.

  • gandhimaster #28 4 months ago

    When £6 iOS games have online multiplayer and a Vita game doesn't...... Very, very sad.