First DLC announced

[jjaisli]

The more that transpires (or doesn't) with Ferrari Challenge and SuperCar Challenge, the more I shake my head and wonder about System 3 as a company, their resources, their ability and their know-how. Their website was updated less than a few months ago. And yet, despite everything that's transpired and everything that went wrong, they still list the following points:

* Complete official team and car rosters from the real-world racing series plus new downloadable teams, cars and content made available at the start of each new season

* Downloadable cars updated each month, circuits, hill climbs and customization options to build online Sony PS3 community

* Race online races with up to 16 players

* Annual world online Ferrari Challenge Virtual Championship will start in January 2008

* Innovative online community features including the ability to swap cars and collectable battle cards.

* Game supports the "Official Ferrari Steering Wheel"

Even forgetting the moral obligation to their customers, aren't there laws in the UK that prevent companies from providing what is essentially false information on their product? At least 4 out of the 6 statements are wrong and one could make a strong case that the remaining 2 are entirely misleading. While these may have been intended features at the beginning I think it's completely improper to update their site and still list this information when they know fully well that most of these didn't and never will see the light of day.

Even their announcement about DLC is a half truth because it's only available for PAL users. There is nothing wrong with making a statement claiming that DLC is coming. But again, the fact that they have a product which comes in two versions, NTSC and PAL should mandate a statement on their website in clear language that the PAL version will have DLC in a month and not simply "DLC available in May".

I'm not a lawyer but I think what these guys get away with is galling.

 

[kjb]

The more that transpires (or doesn't) with Ferrari Challenge and SuperCar Challenge, the more I shake my head and wonder about System 3 as a company, their resources, their ability and their know-how. Their website was updated less than a few months ago. And yet, despite everything that's transpired and everything that went wrong, they still list the following points:



Even forgetting the moral obligation to their customers, aren't there laws in the UK that prevent companies from providing what is essentially false information on their product? At least 4 out of the 6 statements are wrong and one could make a strong case that the remaining 2 are entirely misleading. While these may have been intended features at the beginning I think it's completely improper to update their site and still list this information when they know fully well that most of these didn't and never will see the light of day.

Even their announcement about DLC is a half truth because it's only available for PAL users. There is nothing wrong with making a statement claiming that DLC is coming. But again, the fact that they have a product which comes in two versions, NTSC and PAL should mandate a statement on their website in clear language that the PAL version will have DLC in a month and not simply "DLC available in May".

I'm not a lawyer but I think what these guys get away with is galling.

I didn't know they were just making DLC available for PAL region only that kind a sucks.

 

[jjaisli]

To clarify, they are working on DLC for both regions. But at this point we know only that DLC for the NTSC version will not be available at the same time and currently, System 3 can not tell us when it will be. Which means, maybe a month later, maybe a year later, maybe never. There were thinly veiled hints made by System 3 in the Eutechnyx forums that it had something to do with Activision. But I have trouble swallowing this excuse. To me it appears, once again, to be a situation in which System 3 was just caught out and too inexperienced to consider all the angles.

The ridiculous part, and here in lies my real complaint, is the fact that the DLC is PAL region only was not and is still not made clear on their website. I only found out because I posed the question. And to me, in today's world, it's inexcusable that a company who sells a product all over the world makes NO distinction between different versions of a product they sell.

EDIT: I don't want to take this out of perspective. But I feel it's another example in a long string of bad PR moves by System 3 which shows a lack of respect for the North American Market. First, the NTSC version is released months after the PAL version. Then the game is unplayable on-line until the first patch in mid November (months after it's release and months after the PAL version had received several patches). And now, when they finally make good on [a portion] of their promise to [finally] release DLC, almost as an after thought, I'm told by S3:

As for NTSC DLC, US gamers may recall that FC was actually handled/distributed by Activision in the US, hence why it's more complicated than it should be...

A statement which clearly leaves more questions than it answers. That quote was three weeks ago. Nothing since.

 

[Host_Killer]

I really dislike System 3... Only reason I would buy SCC, so I can race with everyone else. I get the feeling, everyone will switch to SCC over FC... Which is a shame, because S3 is being rewarded for poor behavior... I can't tell the difference between the US Government and System 3... Full of Huge Promises and false hope and nothing to deliver. Then they just forget about those promises broken and move onto a bunch of NEW promises... YEAHHH BABY... USA Govt. = System 3.

Just an opinion.

 

[Hun200kmh]

I get the feeling, everyone will switch to SCC over FC...

I'm not so sure. I'll probably end up using both, but I definitely plan on buying the DLC pack as soon as it's released. And I think you guys should consider buying a PAL FC copy (if indeed the DLC doesn't get to be released in NTSC version) because you can get it quite cheap nowadays. Then, you just need to open a UK account to download the DLC from the UK store.´


But don't be so nasty about NTSC vs. PAL . All jjaisli wrote is true, but:

a) NTSC guys are the ones that have the latest patch, for months now, something we don't have. So, we get a greater deadzone than you.

b) NTSC guys already have one of the cars that is featured in this DLC pack (the Fiorano 599), and you got it for free, while we PAL people will have to pay for it.


Anyway, Host Killer, that comparison between System3 and the US Government is spot on! It definitely applies to all "modern" governments and politicians 👍

 

[hozes]

hun;

its not ease that to buy DLC over UK PSN...we have to have creditcard that work for UK PSN and if you are out of UK,there is no way to download it..otherwise we have a uk credit card...

i should find kind people to help me..i wanna transfer money to a friend ( now i do not have one--maybe you can do it for me ) and then download the pack..or give my psn name and password and transfer money..than he logs in with my psn id and download it from his ps3..then i can download it from my ps3 ( i hope so, we have 5 chances to donwload games, adds-ons i know for now---but not try yet )

the last thing is that to wait for NTSC DLC pack..i am from turkey,we do not have any psn store, but we can download DLCs from US psn store or even from Hongkong PSN store...but it is impossible from UK psn...

 

[jjaisli]

I'm not so sure. I'll probably end up using both, but I definitely plan on buying the DLC pack as soon as it's released. And I think you guys should consider buying a PAL FC copy (if indeed the DLC doesn't get to be released in NTSC version) because you can get it quite cheap nowadays. Then, you just need to open a UK account to download the DLC from the UK store.´👍

But in fairness, you can't say this for certain until you've played SCC. Those in the Beta program probably have a better idea of how things are progressing. My feeling is, if SCC is an improvement over FC in every way, even if it has mostly the same cars and tracks, I probably won't play FC much either after I buy SCC. And I suspect this may be the general consensus. At least for those who buy SCC.

And Hozes brings up a good point about the difficulties of making purchases through a 'foreign' store with his credit card experience. It can be done. But the point is there are obstacles and it's sometimes a hassle.

 

[Hun200kmh]

@ JJ

1 - On SCC vs. FC:

I said this many times, and will say it again. I will only buy SCC on release-day IF some "FC Goodies" are bundled with it. I guess this DLC pack means we won't get any.

I will buy SCC only a while (probably a few months) after it is released. For three good reasons:

a) Some of my "online NTSC buddies" (you, Biggles, Zedux, and a few more) will still be playing FC, because SCC will have a later release in the NTSC world;

b) I want to wait for user reviews (and maybe a few patches) before I buy it;

c) I think System3 and eutechnyx must understand that what they did/do is wrong (broken promises, misleading advertising, giving up on FC before all problems are solved) and that such a behaviour has an impact on immediate post-release sales figures.




2 - On "foreign" stores - I thought any VISA credit card was valid worldwide, but I never bought anything from foreign stores, so I can't comment. But, as hozes said, any downloadable content can be downloaded up to 5 times, so, and because we all have good friends with PSN accounts from all over the world, I guess that wouldn't be a real problem to solve.

 

[Zathra5_]

It appeared to me that most (all?) of the proposed dlc content was contained in SCC. I don't really want to pay for both of them. But I'm with Hun in not wanting to by SCC right away. So I'll likely wait for SCC to come out before buying either the DLC or SCC. I may end up just sticking with FC and waiting for GT5. I'm also looking for a computer sim to keep me occupied while my wife is watching tv and I can't access the ps3.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Zathra: on PC sims Try GTR Evolution. Great, great game! If you go full hardcore PC sim-gaming, you might also be interested in iRacing.

 

[Peace_Zedux]

trust me you guys maybe will want to buy SCC from day 1 I think it's gonna be better than we can imagine. I was not happy about some issues with something and Eutechnyx but hope they'll be fixing things. I think maybe it's gonna be huge online with no lag at all! But I really want the DLC for FC specially if they release Monaco but as FerrariPro has said about improving the tracks layout SSC might end up being quite different!

 

[jjaisli]

Well, naturally I don't like to ask questions [of those in the Beta program] directly but I do appreciate your comments above. So at least now I have hope that SCC will be a genuine improvement over FC.

 

[Zathra5_]

Zathra: on PC sims Try GTR Evolution. Great, great game!

Marchbrown mentioned that on a PC gaming thread that I started. I didn't think that it would work with my laptop (only has 128mb video ram) but I downloaded the demo and it appears to work. I need to test it a little more though.

 

[jjaisli]

May I ask one of you with the PAL version of Ferrari Challenge to check the on-line store and see if DLC is listed as available for purchase. Supposedly today is the day.

Just not for NTSC users...


EDIT: Well, never mind. For about the 5th time in as many days, the date is once again changed. This time to May 21st.

 

[doblocruiser]

There are no updates in the PAL Store, according to an email send to a GTRP-user DLC will be for download @ 21 May!

 

[mcleeve]

More info now available on this DLC pack on the system 3 website:-

http://www.system3.com/index.jsp?i=269&s=1111

It says the full pack for less than £5 !!!!!

 

[Biggles]

Honestly, I couldn't care less about the new cars, other than the P4, but I would like to have the track - I really enjoy the Nurburgring track in F1CE.

 

[jjaisli]

Well, I can tell you, assuming the Gamestop 599 is the same as the 599 in the DLC package, it's bloody awful and not worth the download. And much like the 500M or 575M, it's far removed from the real car. I'm guessing the 612 is similar. But I would like try the F430 Scuderia, Enzo and P4. And the new track, well, it goes without saying.

But seeing as you and I are NTSC users, we may NEVER get to drive these cars.

 

[kjb]

I hope that's not true. I would love try the P4 and the Enzo.

 

[Mad Matt]

Hmmm, for a fiver it could be worth trying.

 

[Aero-R]

Now only 24 hours left for the DLC. System 3 did break their promises of a monthly DLC, only with that in mind I wouldn't buy Supercar Challenge whatever they promise this time. But lets see if this DLC that they announced is really released as they said.

 

[Pepsi0]

DLC looks pretty good and a good price as well....let's just hope it's released like Aero-R said!

You'll be able to buy these things seperatley as well....If I'm correct.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

DLC looks pretty good and a good price as well....let's just hope it's released like Aero-R said!

You'll be able to buy these things seperatley as well....If I'm correct.

Of course this DLC is only for NA as EU is always getting the shaft right?

 

[Ardius]

You'll be able to buy these things seperatley as well....If I'm correct.

Why would they do that? And where'd you get that idea from?

 

[Hun200kmh]

Nope, unfortunately it seems the DLC will be first released in EU only (or PAL only, I'm not sure, but any non-EU PAL player can make a EU account and the download will work).

NA players must have a PAL game (and a PAL/EU account) to be able to play with these cars.

@ Ardius: Yes, you can buy each DLC item separately, that's what's written in the official site. here: http://www.system3.com/index.jsp?i=269&s=1111


PS - P4 litle video posted there !!!! The video is awful, but the car is a beauty!

 

[jjaisli]

From the video it sounds and looks very much like the 512S.

 

[Ardius]

Nope, unfortunately it seems the DLC will be first released in EU only (or PAL only, I'm not sure, but any non-EU PAL player can make a EU account and the download will work).

NA players must have a PAL game (and a PAL/EU account) to be able to play with these cars.

@ Ardius: Yes, you can buy each DLC item separately, that's what's written in the official site. here: http://www.system3.com/index.jsp?i=269&s=1111


PS - P4 litle video posted there !!!! The video is awful, but the car is a beauty!

Oh, ok then, I'll probably just buy the Nurburgring GP track on its own then, as I'm not a massive fan of any of those cars, as awesome as the P4 is I'm not sure I'll fork out for it.
But I did love the track from F1:CE, so thats a definite download.

 

[Hun200kmh]

You're joking, right? If the full pack is priced at about 5 £ / €, I guess each item will cost about 1 or 1.5 £ / €.

I don'tr care much about the 599, the 612 or even the 430 Scuderia.

But ... I want the Enzo (I have a comparison to make and need that car to do it) and definitely the P4.

So ... if my choice is to spend 3 or 5 euros ... I'll probably buy the whole pack.

 

[Ardius]

No I'm not joking lol, every penny counts now, I learnt this the hard with Rock Band DLC. Every 99p is a song on Rock Band, so saving a few pounds sterling is well worth it!

 

[Peace_Zedux]

You're joking, right? If the full pack is priced at about 5 £ / €, I guess each item will cost about 1 or 1.5 £ / €.

I don'tr care much about the 599, the 612 or even the 430 Scuderia.

But ... I want the Enzo (I have a comparison to make and need that car to do it) and definitely the P4.

So ... if my choice is to spend 3 or 5 euros ... I'l probably buy the whole pack.

Mário the Enzo in SCC is very different from what you'll get for FC because the Enzo from 1 to 1.2 has been tweaked for handling and braking so don't expect the same product now.

I've got the PAL version but I don't have EU creditcard is it possible to use paypal? or is there a way out for me?