On the topic of faith, I'd say DriveClub could play a major role in what GT7 could/will be. Being a "racing" game from a Sony subsidiary company (just as Polyphony Digital) and the only racing exclusive next gen for Playstation to this point, it's success could make Sony force PD in taking different approaches to the design of GT7 in order to enhance sales figures.
I think you got a very valid point. DriveClub could very well be that spark GT series is needing. However, one thing is not pleasing me about DriveClub, and one thing only. That game looks and feels like it was designed to be online only. And by online only, I do not mean a game where playing offline would be impossible, but rather a game where playing offline would just be pointless. I'm getting that conclusion with all the words of a game based on clubs, cooperative play, racing with friends, stats online, etc.
If I turn to be true, DriveClub will not push the "career" mode forward. All their ressources will be in the online department. So, If I turn to be true, I doubt that DriveClub will impact GT series on the offline single player.
But that's where the problem is right now.
The online is pretty good. It's not perfect, never will be, but it's good. It's easy to get some friends online, put up your own rules, play on the track you want, and have some fun.
While it's almost impossible to do that if your alone, playing the single player false "career" mode.
That offline experience needs a lot of tweaks. It's broken right now. And I'm serious. It's not just bad, It's broken, it's awful, dull, bland, boring, useless, and so on and so forth.
We need another A.I. Right. But we also need events. Real events. A lot of events. Different events. Point to point races. Standing starts. Drag racing. And all that with a real economy. Like in GT2 where you had to actually race a ton just to get a damm muffler to perform a little better.
I may be wrong, but GT series should be all about a "driving experience" and all that implies being such a thing.
Not a game of Pokemons where you live the life of Bill Gates collecting cars that you will never even try.
Buying even one car should be an important decision. Adding even one upgrade should be something valuable. And all that, tied together within a great real career mode should feel rewarding and challenging. You should learn from such an experience. You should be able to tell yourself, once that single player is completed, that you are a better driver, and - also quite important - that you had fun.
Right now, the single player experience GT has to offer is just about as annoying it can get. "completion before putting it to dust" all written over the place.
Don't you think?
