PlayStation wrist-slapped for 'misleading' Gran Turismo Sport TV ad
False start.
Sony has found itself falling foul of the Advertising Standards Authority, with an ad for Gran Turismo Sport that aired on UK television deemed as misleading in regards to the game's reliance on an online connection and subscription to PlayStation Plus.
The ad, which screened on October 23rd, showed gameplay that featured a selection of cars and tracks - only some of which were available on the disc for players who were offline, with only 30 cars and three tracks on offer to those who hadn't connected to the internet.
Sony countered by explaining that PlayStation 4 owners were likely to be able to access the internet - and that some three quarters of PS4s sold in the UK had been online at some point in the month of the ad's screening.
The complaint was upheld by the ASA, which went on to say it felt that players would have expected to be able to play the majority of the game and its modes upon buying the disc, and that the advert was in breach of its code - and that specifically it was a case of misleading advertising and qualification when it comes to a products' limitations.
Gran Turismo Sport's offline offering, although having improved in recent months, remains fairly limited, without the option to save any progress made in the game's single-player modes without a connection to the internet.
The ASA ruled that the advert no longer be shown without any amendments, and that Sony was to be more explicit in future regarding whether or not a game requires an internet connection in order to fully play it.