MotorStorm online chatter

By Tom Bramwell Published 15 January, 2007

Voice comms, player numbers, downloadables mooted.

Online is likely to be the only key change to MotorStorm prior to its European and American launches this year, although developer Evolution has said it may introduce new features via download.

"There will be enhancements, but many will be under the hood," product manager Matt Southern told Edge Online. "A lot of the changes for the US and Europe are legal or even cultural - things like the gestures are specific to each territory and their respective age rating guidelines." (In the Japanese version, released in December, the AI racers often wave 'colourfully' when you piss them off.)

Southern says that the main change, as previously stated, will be the addition of online - something the Japanese didn't miss especially. "It's a cultural thing, really, which we had to learn from Yasu-san [Japanese external producer Yasuhiro Iizuka]. The Japanese are used to new iterations of a game at a later stage, and are also less bothered by online multiplayer. The scores seem to have justified our decision."

And we can expect that multiplayer element to offer voice comms, incidentally, "either using USB headsets or Bluetooth wireless sets. "Currently we have 12-player; recently we had 15 but we've had to cull this. We're still hoping for 16 but we can’t commit to that right now," Southern added.

Some of the surprise at the Japanese release's slightness stemmed from the absence not only of online features, but also additional gameplay modes and even split-screen. What's more, split-screen won't be added to the Western release, although Southern's keen not to rule out the possibility further down the road - "the beauty of online consoles," he notes, "is that the game can change in the future and we can sit down with SCEE and say, 'Let's offer this for download - the fans want it'."

Ditto the idea of recording replays. "Not for the boxed launch," Southern says when asked about it, "but as ever we'll see what is being demanded by fans when we start to offer download packs. Remember, we were up against it with MotorStorm, even with the timescale we had. The ability to pause and rotate the camera was added really late - it was classic feature creep."

Although it did work out quite well, as you'll know if you read our Japanese import review. Watch out for a full European report on the game nearer release - whenever that ends up being. PlayStation 3 is still down for release in March, with MotorStorm among the first Western releases.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (51) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • Dizzy #1 5 years ago

    The potential is there in the future people!

  • Eighthours #2 5 years ago

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but splitscreen has never been reintroduced to a game via a download on any console game ever. So I think that's one we can safely write off.

    The online offering as a whole, though, could be enough to get the score up to a 9. Still don't agree with Tom's apparent "happiness" at the comparative lack of content in the Japanese import review, though. Bizarre.

  • kangarootoo #3 5 years ago

    Oh come on disc. There is no bad news here. Perhaps you will get your splitscreen feature as a download? Write and ask for it.

    As for not being bothered playing online. Online play is not always the same thing as playing against random strangers. I don't have a single person in my XBLive friends list that I didn't first know in person, and I have no desire to run the gauntlet of playing games against strangers in the hope we might just haveanything at all in common. Playing against people I know online means we can each have a big telly all to ourselves, which has to be better than splitscreen surely?

    However, if you live in a remote town that doesn't yet have broadband, you have my condolences ;)

  • kangarootoo #4 5 years ago

    P.s. I realise my online play style means we each need a console, which in the case of a 360 works out rather cheaper than everyone owning a PS3. At this stage anyway.

  • Steroyd #5 5 years ago

    Southern says that the main change, as previously stated, will be the addition of online - something the Japanese didn't miss especially. "It's a cultural thing, really, which we had to learn from Yasu-san [Japanese external producer Yasuhiro Iizuka]. The Japanese are used to new iterations of a game at a later stage, and are also less bothered by online multiplayer. The scores seem to have justified our decision."

    WOW they're used to different iterations of the same game AND they don't care about online, no wonder MS does so poorly in Japan this is a culture shock to me. O_O

  • SpacemanX #6 5 years ago

    The demo is great.

    Hopefully the game will support PS3 buddy-lists and messaging and not some game specific sh*t like Resistance. Otherwise I'll get very very very angry.

  • JediMasterMalik #7 5 years ago

    Stll gonna get it, no other racing game has excited me like this one, it has the same Burnout effect on me, can't wait for this and Burnout 5.

  • AcidSnake #8 5 years ago

    And you wouldn't like SpacemanX when he's angry...

  • brainbird #9 5 years ago

    I see those features promised being nothing more than a PR stunt. How many Xbox games had "downloadable content" written on their boxes and we're still waiting for it? Only a selected few developers are kind enough to stand by their announcements.

    "Online play is not always the same thing as playing against random strangers."
    Agreed. The people I play most with are friends I knew from, you know, "out there".

  • Zero Beat #10 5 years ago

    So what's the best PS3-compatible Bluetooth headset money can buy at the moment?

    I've got my eye on the Apple iPhone one. ;D (please be compatible!)

  • Psychotext #11 5 years ago

    "I'm just fed up by all the negativity everywhere."

    Be positive about the negativity! Don't get negative about people being negative...

  • Zero Beat #12 5 years ago

    Ditto about the negativity, I'm sure it's spoiling a lot of people's enjoyment of gaming and web surfing. Stick to the topic at hand!

  • penhalion #13 5 years ago

    Seems to me that the lack of content and the lack of a split screen make this a bit silly. I don't know about you lot but, beating my mates around a big screen tv is the most fun you can hava. This is closely followed by beating strangers or my mates online.

    I like variety of vehicles and tracks. How did Tom find the limited tracks to be a bonus. All this tells me and the designers seem to admit to, is that they rushed the game and the content suffered as a result. I'd say that deserves a 7 or 6 not an 8 and the poor Japanese seem to agree with me!

  • kangarootoo #14 5 years ago

    @disc

    Wheeeeee.

    Thats your sarcasm going over my head :)

  • LeD #15 5 years ago

    disc: do you realise how depressingly boring all of your posts are? Just thought I'd ask. Go have some fun with a nice game, film, book, lady. Whatever it is that can cheer you up a bit.

    You never seem to express any degree of satisfaction, excitement or enthousiasm about anything. I'm worried about you. Even if you are in fact trying your best at dead pan humour, it's not really working.

  • Darren #16 5 years ago

    EEEK!

    I thought Microsoft were bad for patching Xbox 360 games but Sony's idea to possibly add splitscreen multiplayer via a download at a later date is just so wrong, it makes their aborted decision to sell Gran Turismo HD in bits online seem like a wonderful idea (it wasn't but I least they realised that).

    I'd argue that a splitscreen multiplayer mode in any game is surely more important than an online one given the small number of people that actually play online (I'd guess at less than 20%). I think it's the online mode that should be offered as a download not the splitscreen one. In fact, I can't ever recall a console racing game in the last five years that didn't have a splitscreen mode included even if it was only a one-on-one affair.

    Poor show, Sony!

  • peterfll #17 5 years ago

    disc, I share the same concern. Is it SAD? Seasonal Affective Disorder?

    It's all over me like a rash.

    ps Is there no standard PS3 headset?

  • Steroyd #18 5 years ago

    In fact, I can't ever recall a console racing game in the last five years that didn't have a splitscreen mode included even if it was only a one-on-one affair.

    Motostorm looks like it'd be bollocks if there were only 2 vehicles on the track.

  • kangarootoo #19 5 years ago

    @peterfll

    "Is there no standard PS3 headset?"

    It is any bluetooth headset you care to use. So if you already have one for your mobile phone, that should work just fine.

  • SBfistfun #20 5 years ago

    Bluetooth?

    Pootooth more like.

  • lambtron #21 5 years ago

    I PRONOUNCE YOU ALL RUBBISH!

  • lambtron #22 5 years ago

    Still even though I can't afford a PS3 have to admit MotorStorm looks ok.

  • JediMasterMalik #23 5 years ago

    I pronounce you lam-tur-on

  • The-Bodybuilder #24 5 years ago

    I can understand the other dowloads, but to download split-screen? A feature seen as the only alternative to online play? So someone without broadband can't even enjoy offline multiplayer?

  • kangarootoo #25 5 years ago

    "Bluetooth?

    Pootooth more like."

    Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

    "Its no use, its gone. Time of death, 16:23:20."

  • brooza #26 5 years ago

    I much prefer split-screen to online gaming. Maybe that'd be different if I know more people, but as it is, I prefer to actually be in the same room as the people I'm playing against.

    The only online game that did it for me was Counterstrike

  • lambtron #27 5 years ago

    "I can understand the other dowloads, but to download split-screen? A feature seen as the only alternative to online play? So someone without broadband can't even enjoy offline multiplayer?"

    Let's face it - if you can afford to fork out 425 quid for a luxury item I'm guessing you can afford teh interweb!
    Edited by 1 at 15/01/07 @ 16:34

  • Steroyd #28 5 years ago

    I can understand the other dowloads, but to download split-screen? A feature seen as the only alternative to online play? So someone without broadband can't even enjoy offline multiplayer?

    The Japaneese don't seem to mind.

  • kangarootoo #29 5 years ago

    Only 2 es in Japanese.

    ;)

  • Steroyd #30 5 years ago

    goddamnit that's a force of habit even google corrects me everytime and i still mispell japaneese.

  • Steroyd #31 5 years ago

    eh? i'm using firefox 2.0 right now, didn't know it had a auto spell checker, although they usually do piss me off.

  • JediMasterMalik #32 5 years ago

    Right click on yar toolbar, go to customise, it's one of the mini clickies. :)

  • kangarootoo #33 5 years ago

    I'm still running some variant of 1.5. I feel like an idiot :(

  • lambtron #34 5 years ago

    But then I would not be able to write 'teh'.

    This would make me sad inside.

  • Steroyd #35 5 years ago

    woohoo now i can type fast and not bover to luk up my text in detail anmores. :)

  • SeesThroughAll #36 5 years ago

    Speaking of downloadable extras, where's the KillZone PSP infrastructure mode? Hmmmm?

  • ProdigyBE_OPM #37 5 years ago

    Why can't they jus be fair. They only got the singleplayer game up to speed in the last few months. Their 3D engine just isn't fast enough to do 2p split screen. Or they have to do it without all the bells 'n whistles. And that's what MotorStorm is all about.

    To be honest, I don't care. I may have lots of gaming friends, we rarely play split screen racing. But we do play online racing (Toca, PGR3...) online.

    As long as they do 1080p and Split screen in the sequel, no harm done.

  • Steroyd #38 5 years ago

    Well atm they've got a placeholder Website I actually get a web site server error on the website rather than my PSP not connecting to the website at all they're taking a long ass time but at least there's progress if not it being slooooooow.
    Edited by 1 at 15/01/07 @ 19:33

  • Steroyd #39 5 years ago

    :o

    Holy shilt I tried to access Killzone.com through my Liberation game and I got through!!!

    They're in the final stages of their website infrastructure mode iminant I repeat INFRASTRUCTURE MODE IS MOFO IMINANT!!!

  • JediMasterMalik #40 5 years ago

    CRAP, gotta buy it now. Thank god my exams pretty much finish tommorrow. :)

  • Steroyd #41 5 years ago

    I dug deeper and i found out that they're holding a public BETA and you've got to sign up before the 26th of January.

    <a href=h ttp://community.yourpsp.com/showthread.php?t=46544>Li nk</a>

    Hope to hear from them. :)

  • The-Bodybuilder #42 5 years ago

    >"Let's face it - if you can afford to fork out 425 quid for a luxury item I'm guessing you can afford teh interweb!"

    Good point.

    >"The japanese don't seem to mind".

    The japanese were trying to open up excel on thier ps3, and the ps3's best selling game is the crappy gundam game. We can't trust thier taste.

    Besides, we aren't the japanese.

  • davisorle #43 5 years ago

    Speaking to GameInformer Mr. Newell said, The PS3 is a total disaster on so many levels, I think It's really clear that Sony lost track of what customers and what developers wanted. I'd say, even at this late date, they should just cancel it and do a "do over". Just say, "This was a horrible disaster and we're sorry and we're going to stop selling this and stop trying to convince people to develop for it".

    Since it is hard to argue that Valve, or Mr. Nnewell have something to gain from the failure of the PS3 we have to pay additional attention to the comments he made as he remains a very influential figure in the industry.

    There... I hope you understand somehow better of why I'd never wait for the ps3 since I'm not just saying stuff like some might call me *fanboy* from sony's *fanboys* side. I'm not MS' fanboy and I hope some of you might understand I haven't been all this time. Get a Wii at least. Way better than PS3. Not in graphics but way more intresting... I hope, since you call yourselves "gamers", you know Gabe Newell. Valve
    Edited by 1 at 16/01/07 @ 01:14

  • Darren #44 5 years ago

    I don't think his comments mean anything personally; it's just a personal opinion and doesn't mean that the PS3 *is* a disaster.

    I seem to recall lots of developers complaining about the PS2's complexity and its poor development tools but that never stopped them making games for the system. Despite its relatively poor graphics hardware, it hosts dozens and dozens of impressive games like God of War, Final Fantasy XII, Devil May Cry, Gran Turismo 4 and so on. I cannot see it being any different for the PS3. Like all consoles, the majority of its games won't be worth bothering with but it'll be worth buying the console for all those triple-A exclusives.

    I reckon time will prove Gabe Newell was wrong and personally I'm a little suspicious of the fact that both the Xbox 360 and Wii use ATI graphics whereas the PS3 uses NVIDIA graphics. That's surely more than coincidental? ;)

  • mkreku #45 5 years ago

    Where did Mr. Newell work before he co-founded Valve..?

    Take a guess.

  • kangarootoo #46 5 years ago

    Does the Source engine run on PS3?

    Just wondering.... Its worth bearing in mind that Gabe is a business man as much as anything else.

  • Garulon #47 5 years ago

    "Does the Source engine run on PS3?"

    HL2:orange is coming out on PS3 (as well as XBox 360), so Mr Newell has no fiduciary benefit in giving the PS3 a good old pasting verbally. Rumour has it that EA (who are publishing EP2 and HL2:orange) want to sim-ship the PS3,360 and PC versions, the PS3 version is holding everything up big-time (because of it's shitty, up-it's-own-arse architecture) and he's blowing off er, steam.

    So yeah, I'd be playing HL2 EP1 & EP2 by now if it wasn't for you PS3 owners. Cheers guys.

    (Cue half a dozen posts varying on "but... but... CELL!" by non-technical fanbois who couldn't point to Cell on a PS3 system board)

    Edited by 1 at 16/01/07 @ 13:46

  • Feanor #48 5 years ago

    He's still releasing the Half Life 2 collection for the PS3, right?

  • Garulon #49 5 years ago

    Yeah, that's what "Half Life 2 Orange" is.

  • ronuds #50 5 years ago

    I'm glad with xbox games you don't have to worry about whether or not this stuff will or won't be included. You know it will be and that's how it is.

  • davisorle #51 5 years ago

    @Darren
    Just wanted to let you know that HL2 is out on the original xbox for a long time now so the chipset doesn't countsince xbox had an nvidia GPU...

    @disc
    He called PS3 a "dissaster" and pointed out that it has to do with the gaming part that this thing is missing.... Read it again.... He says that it's pointless where Sony is heading to in gaming with the new console of theirs mentioning also that blu-ray is kind of useless as well i guess.

    @kangarootoo
    It does on the original xbox with Nvidia GPU... I don't think that PS3 is THAT BAD!

    @Garulon
    I wouldn't be so sure about HL on PS3 after what he said and I'm not sure I've heard any official announcements about it either.I can't tell for sure since I don't know. And after all.... How is it call "Orange"? I know it's coming out on Xbox 360 since I've downloaded the new video trailer of HL2:Episode 2 including the last one as well and I don't think it has to do with "orange" tittle...

    Conclusion: More and more support gain for MS and lose for Sony. I don't think it's all a coinsidence anymore don't you think?