WipEout HD delayed due to technical issue

By Tom Bramwell Published 17 July, 2008

Reeves hopeful it'll still be out this year.

WipEout HD has yet to be released because of a "specific technical problem", but Sony hopes it will be out "before the end of the year".

"There is a specific technical problem with WipEout that we have to solve. I can't go into details but it is a really, really tricky technical problem that no region has been able to solve at the moment," Sony Europe boss David Reeves told us when we hassled him about the game's progress this week in LA.

"I think it will come out before the end of the year but it is something that was just very difficult to get to grips with."

Which is a shame, because WipEout HD looks great and we were pretty happy with it when we got to play around with an unfinished build a few months ago.

WipEout HD features eight tracks borrowed and spruced up from the excellent PSP games along with online multiplayer and the promise of downloadable content. It also aims to run at 60 frames-per-second in 1080p.

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 (84) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • chris_ace #1 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Gaol #2 4 years ago

    Damn.

    Delays on this system are becoming legendary.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #3 4 years ago

    Hi guys. Just a quick note about these Reeves stories - we know you'd prefer to read the whole interview rather than having split it up like this, but we thought you'd appreciate some of these updates before I get round to transcribing it properly. He said some properly wacky stuff, so watch out next week :-)

  • Law07 #4 4 years ago


    Wonder what this issue is.

    General Xbot: The PS3 is the issue lololololol
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/08 @ 20:06

  • bad09 #5 4 years ago

    Darren won't be happy :)

  • the_dudefather #6 4 years ago

    @chris_ace

    you forgot blu-ray lolololololololololrofllol

  • GitSomE_UK #7 4 years ago

    Oh FFS this is taking the piss.

    What specific technical problem? The PS3?

    /Kicks PS3 across the room
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    /Runs to PS3 and hugs it

  • Aloominum_man #8 4 years ago

    Surprise surprise. I said this in a thread yesterday, and some tool threatened to use troll spray on me... *sniff*

  • des #9 4 years ago

    Some people are saying that trophies are to blame hmm...

  • Mr_Bison #10 4 years ago

    I DEMAND WIPEOUT!

  • jmctavish #11 4 years ago

    F-Zero>>>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>>>>>>>WipeArse

    (i did like the music in the first wipeout)

  • tonynibbles #12 4 years ago

    Big shame, hope they fix this soon, need this game.

    :(

  • tobsen #13 4 years ago

    I guess that the "60 frames-per-second in 1080p" part is the technical issue that nobody is able to figure out.

  • Miths #14 4 years ago

    Thanks for hassling them - it was about time somebody did. Well, at least bad news is better than no news (well, some might disagree :p) - guess it's WipEout Pulse on the PSP for another several months then.

    It certainly sounds a bit odd that "a specific technical" problem - even a very tricky one - should take months to solve for a full development team though. And if they can't solve it in few hundred man hours, what makes them think that several thousand will make a difference if we're talking about a specific hurdle rather than unexpected extra volume work?
    Well, hopefully they'll figure it out eventually - though if the developers really are more than fairly loosely connected to SCEE, perhaps there's reason to be very afraid indeed :).

  • Rash' #15 4 years ago

    bad09, No he won't. :o)

  • DrDamn #16 4 years ago

    Bit strange he said "No region has been able to solve".

    @the_dudefather
    No exactly appropriate given it's a PSN title. :)

  • Krelle #17 4 years ago

    "I guess that the "60 frames-per-second in 1080p" part is the technical issue that nobody is able to figure out."

    id guess so

  • Artemus #18 4 years ago

    I was thinking online might be the problem.

  • Carlo #19 4 years ago

    "Hi guys. Just a quick note about these Reeves stories - we know you'd prefer to read the whole interview rather than having split it up like this, but we thought ..."

    We'd get more clicks this way.

    /counts money

  • zedzee #20 4 years ago

    "it is a really, really tricky technical problem that no region has been able to solve at the moment,"

    Why don't they ask Microsoft to look at it for them...they cut code for a living, you know!

  • Krelle #21 4 years ago

    Bit pathetic that Mugwum tries to justify splitting up articles into smaller stories.

    We all know its just to get more "clicks" anyway. Keep some of your honor and dont try to fool us aswell.

  • pac666 #22 4 years ago

    Chuffin nuts to that!

  • HermitArcader #23 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • agparrot #24 4 years ago

    Fixing Broken Game > Releasing Broken Game.

  • Darren #25 4 years ago

    Bloody typical. Just about every other major announcement that Sony have made over the past year has been subject to some delay. It's getting ridiculous really not to mention annoying. I wish Sony would shut the f*** up about this stuff until they know it's almost ready for release, that way they don't look foolish when they have to announce yet another game is being delayed!

    *sigh*

  • Darren #26 4 years ago

    I'm guessing at this technical issue being somehow related to the game's online features. After all it can't be anything to do with rest of the game since Sony showed us videos of the game running months and months ago and bar a little tearing it was all looking very slick and running well. Oh and the first trailer for the game has been around almost a year, hasn't it? Tut.

    /curses Sony

  • photosinferno #27 4 years ago

    Technical issues???? any chance on this 'Jim' bloke expanding on that??
    If it's the on-line aspect then fair enough...but hey at least give 'us' a reason for the delay!

    Poll... which will come out first 'Wipeout HD' or 'Home' ?
    ....both seem to be going 'backwards' fast!

    gggrrrr

  • SeesThroughAll #28 4 years ago

    First game broken by in-game XMB confirmed!

  • squarepusher #29 4 years ago

    technical issue is sony parlance for please buy this piece of shit called fatal inertia EX while you wait

  • SeesThroughAll #30 4 years ago

    technical issue is sony parlance for please buy this piece of shit called fatal inertia EX while you wait

    Tried the demo and it is indeed quite dire. I feel sorry for anybody who actually bought that shit on DVD before.

  • Darren #31 4 years ago

    @SeeThroughAll - Hey, you know, you could be right... maybe the new XMB uses memory that the game needed and so it won't run without crashing. LOL

    That would be funny especially as I read an article earlier that basically stated that Sony design the hardware first (blindfolded... nah, just joking!) then pass it onto to the software people to see what they can do with it rather than sitting down with both and building the console together like Microsoft and Nintendo do. Thus they spend a lot of time trying to get stuff working on the hardware and we already know from developers that the PS3, like the PS2 before, is a complicated machine to code for. Seems like Sony haven't learnt anything from the PS2 at all. Based on what I've read and seen for myself I suspect there's a lot of truth to it.

  • SeesThroughAll #32 4 years ago

    @Darren: I think the only lesson they learned was that they got easy profit from the PS2, innit? ;)
    And although I joked, I wouldn't be surprised that the technical issue comes from the new firmware either...

  • JohnnyWashnGo #33 4 years ago

    Delays are great when they mean that the final game is as polished as can be.

    The modern attitude of release it as soon as possible and fix it later is appalling. It is one of the reasons I gave up PC gaming a long time ago and it is the thing that is really pissing me off about console gaming now.

  • SeesThroughAll #34 4 years ago

    I don't think delays ever are great. Indeed, polishing a product and making sure it works right is the only acceptable reason behind them, but I never like to hear about games being delayed.

  • jonbwfc #35 4 years ago

    Official Sony page for WipeOut HD
    "WipEout HD represents the future of the iconic anti-gravity racing series when it launches in late 2007."

    Lol at them not even updating the web page for the last 9 months.

    It's going to be a year late. 12 whole months. Do they really think they'll have some miraculous breakthrough in the next couple of months they haven't had in the previous 10?

    Releasing a working game (even if you end up with foot in mouth cos you promised what you can't deliver)>>>>>> not releasing a game because you're embarrassed about promising something you couldn't deliver.

    if they can't manage 1080p/60, drop it down to 720p/60 and GET IT OUT THE DOOR. Delaying it further now just makes them look even more useless by the week.

    Jon
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/08 @ 22:28

  • APHIZM #36 4 years ago

    Wouldn't surprise me if it's a net code issue. Hasn't it already been running in 1080/60 for a while?

  • JediMasterMalik #37 4 years ago

    1) This really sucks, I hope hey fix the issue quick cause I was really looking forward to having this soon.

    2) The problem is most certainly not the resolution and framerate, they've had it running at that for a while now afaik. I also agree that 1080p is not important if they can get 720p working fine, but somehow I can't imagine that being a reason to delay the game, it simply would not compute. Fanboys are just using that as some kind of dig at the PS3, when it doesn't really fit as the reason for the delay.

    3) I think it probably does have something to do with the latest firmware as well.

  • Stoatboy #38 4 years ago

    @Krelle: Please fuck off. If EG post these articles as quick as possible - i.e. split into chunks (which they've been doing for a bastard long time btw, and nobody's cared until now) they now get accused of doing it for the clicks. If they wait, edit and compile them into one article they get told they're late with the news.

    Just accept the content the site has, or shut up and fuck off. I'd rather have the mindless fuckwit fanboy rhetoric that I can pity and laugh at than mewling snide comments like yours about a site that you're not paying a fucking penny to access. If you don't think the time you spent "clicking" was worth the effort then a) stop fucking clicking and then EG'll get the message sooner, and b) don't bother wasting more time whining about it afterwards.
    Edited by 2 at 17/07/08 @ 22:49

  • yupyup #39 4 years ago

    A delay on Playstation 3? Oh my, now that *is* newsworthy.

  • neilka #40 4 years ago

    Trouble at t'Blu-Rays mill.

  • onyxbox #41 4 years ago

    As some one pointed out earlier, I think the "No region has been able to solve" bit is the clue to the problem.

    I'd go with some kind of net code problem... or he could be just making it up... you know plumber style.

    So why isn't it ready?

    /rubs chin, deap noisy inhale

    Well it's very technical sir, it a problem no one's been able to solve.

    edit: we turned the speed up to 11 and now it's fooked.
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/08 @ 23:22

  • phatb0y #42 4 years ago

    Home integration perhaps?

    Tell you what, fuck it off, nobody will care.

    It'll run from the XMB just fine without going into that polygonal self-promotion shitfest.
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/08 @ 23:25

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #43 4 years ago

    I haven't read that this game is doing anything particularly unusual as far as networking is concerned so I really can't see it being a netcode issue. How many players per race? Does it have spectator options?

    To say its a very tricky problem would point to it either being a pure processing grunt issue such as getting 1080p 60fps or the aforementioned firmware issue.

    Given that the firmware must have been tested with every game released thus far I can't believe it would suddenly cause problems with Wipeout HD.

    So I'm gonna plump for the 1080p thing as it fits the 'very tricky' description and I can imagine that Sony would delay it for this purpose do to all the bad press they're getting about the performance of the PS3. The game has also got HD in the title so it would be embarrassing if it had to drop to 720p. (Yes, I know 720p is HD but you know what I mean.)

    I know some of you have said that it's already been running as such, but can you confirm that and even then it may not be smooth throughout a full race or with the max number of ships they want per race.

  • Kazzahdrane #44 4 years ago

    Wouldn't be surprised if it's something to do with the networking for the multiplayer aspects.

    If I happen to have a PS3 when this is released I'll get it for sure, Wipeout is awesome!

  • Gormless #45 4 years ago

    Gobble my fucking stoppard, i am so glad i bought my PS3 for this!

  • haldier #46 4 years ago

    Actualy do'nt think it's ps3 but Sony, Fatal Inertia just released........

  • eepic #47 4 years ago

    thats right ps3 fags, keep on waiting for games

    HAHAHA

  • Krelle #48 4 years ago

    lol, to close to home Stoatboy? Keep of the sterioids, mate (y)

  • ChrisOTR #49 4 years ago

    Bad news... but great news for my wallet. I don't own a PS3, but I've never been able to resist Wipeout games - Pure was the only reason I bought my PSP...

  • Aretak #50 4 years ago

    Great to see so many programmers in tonight offering their expert analysis on the delay.

  • barnard666 #51 4 years ago

    I thought at one point this was intended to be out by last Xmas.

    at least we should see it the same day as the rest of the world right? localzsation cant really be an argument when they have had so many extra days, errrr wekks....errr months...(years?) to finish it.

    I guess It really must be an online issue.

  • Scimarad #52 4 years ago

    I suspect it's an issue with the online part of the game...which pisses me off because I don't particularly want to play it online!

  • 3william56 #53 4 years ago

    Ha! Think you can make me pay for Fatal Inertia with your poxy delays? You're 'avin a Steffi.
    (in fact, Fatal Intertia would be an excellent title for this story!).

    Based on the EG preview a few months back, which said ace, bar an occasional frame stutter on single player, it's got to be network. Always wondered whether t'intertubes would be fast enough for a game like Wipeout. If so, then please just release the single player for a few quid less, then add the online element as a DLC. We'd be happy puppies.

  • mazzl #54 4 years ago

    just port it to xbox, and the game will run fine :p
    my guess is frame rate issue.. full speed, 8 vehicles and a smooth 60 frames...
    just not possible due to lack in gpu memmory.
    but, i'm not a ps3 dev person ;p

  • old_man #55 4 years ago

    @ChrisOTR +1 Same for me. Had a PS3 , Sold it, was considering getting another for Blu-Ray and Wipeout. Saves me some cash for a while longer.

  • Tiel #56 4 years ago

    I'm with the fatal Inertia conspiracy.

    I for one didn't buy it because I'm waiting for wipeout.

    Having said that, I still won't buy.

  • Wyrm #57 4 years ago

    The problem is that they can't get it to run in HD.

  • seasidebaz #58 4 years ago

    Hmmm... My expert analysis... It can't be the netcode. Other games work fine (CoD, for example).

    More likely to be something they've tried to shoehorn in at the last minute, such as trophy support, then realised it doesn't work.

    OR (and infinitely more likely)...

    As the problem can't be solved in any region, maybe it's to do with localisation stringtables? The stringtables pushing the size of the game above memory limits (even though there isn't much text in a Wipeout game...)? And if it is that, they will need to implement a bootstrapper that pre-loads the selected language beforehand, and throws out the rest. But that will use up the memory again.... Could overwrite it again I suppose... Vicious circle TBH.

  • Dezm0nd #59 4 years ago

    Yo scouse boys, if it's an online network code problem, just take it out, release the game and promise a free patch later :)

    Easy peasy

  • andijames #60 4 years ago

    Hmmm very strange. Personally i think it's something to do with the recent update from the FW as they've had the game running smooth for a period of time now at the desired res/frame rate. Be interesting to see what comes of it thou.

  • BartonFink #61 4 years ago

    He did mention 'in any region' so it's quite probably something in the network code and getting the regions to play nice with each other.

    Oh and Delaystation3 - haven't heard that one before - lol

  • bloodflowers #62 4 years ago

    I have a PS3 for playing films, but I was quite interested in this and picked up MGS4 last week. I wonder if the 60@1080 thing is causing a problem for some systems though, mine gets really loud sometimes when playing standard def DVDs, or busier sections in MGS4.

  • #63 4 years ago

    Maybe its down to something that it runs in 1080p and 60fps???


    And your in full knowledge of the facts farticusmaximus, as usual?
    Edited by 1 at 18/07/08 @ 09:31

  • canIdoyabombsforya #64 4 years ago

    @Kaz Hirai
    "Gamers are ready for REAL change"

    Ready and waiting Kaz, ready and waiting.

  • dieseljunkie #65 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:42:38 15-12-2011

  • #66 4 years ago

    So farticusmaximus going by your uber development rational, a game like Resistance with 60 man online and Killzone 2 shouldnt be possible if they cant get something as simple as WipeHD to run?


    /mental note, don't get farticusmaximus to code anything.

  • septimus #67 4 years ago

    Technical issue = PS3 is shit?

    FFS, Wipeout looks very nice, but it hardly looks as though it is pushing the machine. GT5 can do 1080P 60FPS (most of the time).

    My vote is network problem. Fuck it, just release multiplayer later.
    Edited by 1 at 18/07/08 @ 10:25

  • seasidebaz #68 4 years ago

    I completely agree with fartacus on this one, there is nothing that every developer in the world finds impossible. As a programmer, I have to find solutions to impossible solutions every day, and do exactly that.

    I would assume that it's simply because they shoehorned trophy support in, which threw the game over its memory limit, and now is b0rked. It's already a great technical achievement that they managed to get the thing running 1080p60, and we know the game was pretty much finished to go out of the door, so it won't be something like netcode which would have been accounted for from the start.

    Therefore, it's either trophy support broke it, or general lack of memory/processing power due to in-game XMB that broke it.

    edit: wording
    Edited by 1 at 18/07/08 @ 10:26

  • penhalion #69 4 years ago

    @farticusmaximus

    When did they demo this at 1080p 60fps?

    I know both the 360 hardware and the PS3 hardware very well. I would be amazed if they had this running online at 1080p 60fps. As for the ingame XMB. That may take some memory but, it's not enough to scupper a game. If anything it would just lead to a slow laggy XMB.

    You could run something with a pretty static screen at that speed, maybe with 1 or two players competing against each other but, not with 8 racers on a complex level where twitch reactions are necessary. In fact it's not so much the hardware itself as it is the fact that no-one has a fast enough internet connection to pass the data on. Even one player with a slow connection would ruin it.

    I would be interested to hear what the problem is from the developers themselves as I suspect, like most of the people here, that it's utter nonsense and they are simply trying to do something that todays readily available (and affordable) technology simply doesn't allow for.

  • DrDamn #70 4 years ago

    Yeah my vote is for netcode being the issue. I doubt we have a particularly clear picture here as Reeves is likely passing on info he didn't understand in the first place.

    Trophy support is one thing, but they could bang it out the door and patch it later surely? Sony have real problems hitting dates and getting stuff out when they want/need to. Ok it's a tricky platform to develop for but it's not *that* tricky surely? There has to be some management issues at some of the studios. Look at GT5 - full game not likely until 2010 ffs.

  • ishigo #71 4 years ago

    >>As a programmer, I have to find solutions to impossible solutions every day, and do exactly that.

    seasidebaz, you're such a hero.

    could you maybe not classify your ramblings as 'expert analysis', though, seeing as you clearly aren't one?

  • seasidebaz #72 4 years ago

    @ishigo:

    It was a quote from Aretak's post at the top of the page.

  • andijames #73 4 years ago

    Well whatever the problem they're hardly likely to go public and announce what it is are they so there's nothing we can do about it and just had to sit and be patient for it. I'm sure it'll be worth it when it arrives :)

  • Moz #74 4 years ago

    Look SSL if you can't get it running in solid 60fps at 1080p then just release and fess up. Hell the number of people with full 1080p is so damb small anyway it doesn't really matter, just include an option to force the game into 720p for thoughs people who have their system set to 1080p.

  • Widge #75 4 years ago

    Barely any info but:

    [link url=http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/missing-e3-wipeout-hd/
    ]http://ww w.joystiq.com/2008/07/17/missin...[/link]

    says to add extra features. Whoever called Home interaction earlier in the thread, I reckon so.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #76 4 years ago

    @Aretak

    I've been a professional programmer for 10 years so I will offer my thoughts on what the technical issue is thanks.

    I'm with baz and farty on this. Why do you think netcode would be a 'very tricky' problem on this game and not others?

    I still personally think it's a 'STABLE' 1080p 60fps issue. I think if XMB was a problem we would see it in a lot of existing games. Maybe something else to do with Trophies or Home though as baz said.

    @farty - 18 years dev! How old are you? Or are you counting writing adventure games in BASIC on a BBC Model B when you were 15? ;)
    Edited by 2 at 18/07/08 @ 11:41

  • Dark_Stranger #77 4 years ago

    Although I am a 360 owner (worst possible start to a posting on a PS3 game thread), I am an impartial non-bias owner, but i really think Sony took their eye of the game (no pun intended) with all things PS3 related. There only ever seems to be negative press about the PS3, its games (lack of or delayed), its online infrastructure, etc and I dont see them make much headway when this (next) generation is concerned.

    This story simply confirms it, a game is over a yr late & still they are having problems, im sure if sony wasnt relying on this game to boost sales, it would have been scrapped months ago.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #78 4 years ago

    Old git. All you had to say was Old git.

    =]

    It was probably the Acorn Electron and Speccy for me around the '84 mark. Although I much preferred the Acorn for programming.

  • NorfolkNClue #79 4 years ago

    @farticus - you're only as old as the woman you feel, as the adage goes :p
    Edited by 1 at 18/07/08 @ 12:25

  • Darren #80 4 years ago

    penhalion - "When did they demo this at 1080p 60fps?

    I know both the 360 hardware and the PS3 hardware very well. I would be amazed if they had this running online at 1080p 60fps."

    Virtua Tennis 3 ran natively at 1920x1080 @ 60 fps for 1-4 players and could be played online. Granted that was only the 360 version as the PS3 version was finished too late to include net code but if that game can be played online at 1080p then I don't see why Wipeout HD can't be.

  • monkie_king #81 4 years ago

    /wonders how online functionality could possibly affect framerate/resolution

  • eepic #82 4 years ago

    admit it ps3 cant run games at 1080p/60fps sony fagboys

    jump in

  • seasidebaz #83 4 years ago

    If your pushing at the processing limit rendering each frame then that doesnt leave a lot of headroom for AI and netcode, etc.

    Should have been recently alleviated by the introduction of parallel processing and the fact that games should just have plug-in multiplayer, where the AI is basically just electronically "pressing buttons", but I know it still hits performance.

    One day though, soon, this won't be an issue. Hence why some games can already have massive multiplayer counts.

  • Gormless #84 4 years ago

    technical issue is sony parlance for please buy this piece of shit called fatal inertia EX while you wait

    You leave Foetal Excreter alone, it is well worth 15 quid of anyones cash providing they are pissed enough.
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/08 @ 19:55

  • PuppyFiddler #85 4 years ago

    Just been playing old Wipeout on the PS3 and it still rocks. Well worth buying again, even with the laughably terrible graphics the sense of speed is still there and the weaponry still fun, not to mention the class music as well.

    Personally I hope the problem they're having is in finding a suitable replacement for the god awfull female voice acting that was in the WipeoutHD clips..

  • SeesThroughAll #86 4 years ago

    ts rumored that the issue with Wipeout is its strobing effects. At 1080p/60hz there is a high chance of it triggering an epileptic seizure in susceptible individuals, I hear rumors that it's failing TRC for this :D

    WTF, it's just like the SEGA/Nintendo days all over again. :D