THE CREW RELEASES IN DECEMBER
Drivers, keep those engines warm. The Crew is coming to Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PC on December 2, 2014.
That’s just a couple of months away – and less than a month later than the initial release date of November 11 – but there’s a good reason for the small delay. It’s because the teams at Ivory Tower and Ubisoft Reflections are listening to all of you. In fact, a second console closed beta is planned for November, giving players another opportunity to jump into The Crew ahead of its release and help shape the game.
The Crew has already completed three closed betas – two on PC, plus a limited technical beta on new-gen consoles – and each time they’ve kept their ears to the road, listening and learning. Yes, they were fiddling with things like server loads and tinkering with technical adjustments (as all developers do during closed betas). But the real win for gamers: They also enhanced the game itself to deliver more of what you love.
“We received a lot of valuable information from the recent PC and console betas,” says Creative Director Julian Gerighty. “We are now scrutinizing all of the player feedback so we can ensure that The Crew delivers the seamless open-world experience that meets everyone’s high expectations.” This ongoing process has already resulted in some substantial updates to the game, including everything from the option to fully remove the HUD so players can enjoy the scenery as they roam freely through a massive re-creation of the United States (a highly requested featured, Gerighty tells us), to fine-tuning the collisions to be even more realistic and adding in new visual effects. Other major enhancements include adjustments to the difficulty (for example, tweaking the police A.I.) and better integration of the voice chat – especially helpful when crewing up with other players.
Developing The Crew has been a lot like an epic road trip. And, like any long-distance journey, some of the best moments are those detours along the way. The three closed betas added in a few additional unplanned side trips, in order to ensure that players have even more of what they crave in The Crew’s massive open-world playground. And the upcoming console closed beta in November gives the development team and the players yet another chance to work together to deliver a truly revolutionary driving experience.
“One of the best qualities of The Crew is that it’s so open to being played in different ways,” Gerighty says. “People will find pleasure doing different things. Giving people that choice is something we really believe in.”
