DriveClub Release Date
After months of delays, "DriveClub" finally has a set release date. Courtesy/Sony

Sony Corp.’s (NYSE:SNE) Evolution Studios has finally set a release date for the highly anticipated cooperative multiplayer racing sim “DriveClub” after it had been delayed.

Originally slated to be released on the same day as the PlayStation 4 in 2013, “DriveClub” is expected to hit store shelves on Oct. 8 this year. Previously, “DriveClub” had been delayed until early 2014. However, Evolution Studios decided to extend its delay to work on key features for the multiplayer racing game.

Evolution Studios game director, Paul Rustchynsky, revealed in a blog entry on Wednesday that “DriveClub” was delayed to allow its creators to focus on improving its dynamic menu:

“The dynamic menu is key to how much fun you’re going to get out of the game because it is the glue that connects you to everyone else in the DRIVECLUB community. Whenever you fire up the game; between every race you play, and when you log in to DRIVECLUB on your phone or tablet, the dynamic menu has to be slick to ensure your experience is seamlessly connected. Essentially, it’s where you discover what to play, and who to play with.”

While dynamic menus appear to be among the top priorities for Evolution Studios’ development of “DriveClub,” the team working on the upcoming racing game are working on other elements of the game, including visuals, audio, vehicle handling, difficulty and clubs.

One of “DriveClub’s” highly touted features, its Club system, was further modified to support up to six players instead of the initially announced twelve, which Rustchynsky claims will make the game more fun with more “tightly knit clubs.”

In addition to “DriveClub’s” announced October release date, the PlayStation Plus edition of “DriveClub” will also be released on the same day as the full game. While not all the details for the PS Plus edition of “DriveClub” have been announced, Rustchynsky explained that some of the particular differences between versions in response to a commenter:

“The PlayStation Plus Edition hasn’t changed. It’s hardly a demo because you get access to all of the game’s features online and offline. The difference is that you only have 10 cars and you can only race in one country (which gives you access to 5 tracks with 11 distinct variants).”

There have been a number of improvements in “DriveClub” since it was delayed a second time back in February 2014. However, one particular change does have some players questioning whether or not they’ll pick up “DriveClub” on its release date.

Responding to comments in his blog post, Rustchynsky revealed that “DriveClub” will run at a locked 30 frames per second (FPS) to make game play consistent:

“The most important thing for a racing game is a locked frame-rate – whether it’s 30fps or 60fps. It’s vital that every controller input you make is consistent and also equal for all drivers. We chose a locked frame-rate for this very reason and with 30fps we don’t have to hold back any of the obsessive visual detail in our game.”

For some, the lower frame rate appears to be a deal breaker. However, any PlayStation Plus subscriber will be able to play the PS Plus edition of “DriveClub” for free on its release in October.