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The ongoing problems with DriveClub and SingStar have now been compounded with several issues affecting PS4 owners who have downloaded the 2.00 firmware update.
We are aware of issues reported by some PS4 users following the release of PS4’s latest system software update, v2.00,” Sony told MCV. We are investigating these issues and will provide an update as soon as we have more information.”
A collection of complaints have littered forums and Sony message boards since Tuesday, with the most serious complaint being that some users are unable to turn their consoles back on once they have been placed into ‘rest mode’.
Others are claiming to be unable to connect to PSN entirely or reported problems with music functionality.
A firmware problem is the last thing Sony needs after a period of extensive technical issues with its console.
Driveclub has now been available for over three weeks in the US and nearly the same in the UK yet continues to be crippled by a barely functioning online infrastructure.
Furthermore, the messaging about this is becoming muddled. Developer Evolution had previously claimed that the problems were down to the game’s code and not server capacity. This tune has now been changed, however.
"The issues with server performance were never encountered during the past year, in any of the many rounds of testing prior to launch," it said on Facebook. "The servers were actually live for over a week before October 7th for reviewers and none of these issues were discovered during that time either.
"The servers hit their absolute limit soon after the midnight launch. We have been working around the clock every day since, to get more servers online and improve the way that the servers handle social activity between players."
It gets worse, too, with the long-awaited PlayStation Plus Edition of the game now officially on hold.
The studio added: "The PS Plus Edition is on hold while this work progresses and we want to get it back on track as quickly as possible, because we want everyone to enjoy the game we’ve poured our hearts into throughout development.”
Users of its Facebook page are also questioning the assertion that Evolution’s diagnostics show the majority of you are now able to get online and racing”, with many saying they are still unable to get online or access key features such as leaderboards.
As if all that weren’t enough, Sony is also contending with a revolt over both the PS4 and PS3 versions of SingStar Ultimate Party.
PS4 owners remain furious over the new title’s comparative lack of features and its sparse catalogue of tracks, rendering their previously purchased libraries largely redundant.
Worse still for PS3 owners, the release of the new game has broken the existing one, and despite Sony’s claim that user libraries should now be restored there are still widespread complaints regarding songs that are still missing and the need to re-download tracks – which for some users can number in the hundreds.
Based on feedback, some users are unable to see songs from existing PS3 libraries. Please do not be alarmed, your songs are still available to you,” Sony assured.
We have run a series of diagnostic tests and found the issue to be an incompatibility between the old XMB PS3 version of the game and the new PS3 catalogue of songs. As a result of these problems we have brought forward the release of the new PS3 version of SingStar to today.
On a separate note, the new SingStar for PS4 is currently operating at full functionality. As always we are working with our licensing partners to grow our collection of songs and hope you enjoy the vast array of choices available.”
SingStar Ultimate Party has been delayed in the US as a result.
