An open letter to Kaz and Polyphony

[Samcastor]

Scapes are photos. Sending people around the world to take photos does not require a dev team.

It's the same feature as GTS, and the titles before it. The photos themselves could have been bought from Getty Images and it would not have been much different.

It might require like 1 person to actually make sure the feature works and that person is probably the same person who does the rest of the menus.

Mate, its OK to not talk about things when you do not know what you are talking about.

 

[LeonPee]

I'm not sure I see the scapes system as being a large drain on PD's or SIE's manpower. I work for a company and help run a project that effectively does something very similar to what Scapes produces, but for car dealers in the real world. It's either done by in-house photographers (extremely expensive given the travelling required), or hired out to local photographers with spec requirements given. I really do not think for a moment PD is sending out their devs and engineers to do landscape photography. Unless I've been bamboozled and the scapes aren't real photos and are digitally mocked up, in which case, wat.

Edit: However I guess there's an outside possibility that given the sheer amount of scapes content, it is a bit of a drain having to do intake of new photoshoots, which I guess just points to one of the more baffling parts of GT7 for me: why the hell is Scapes so lovingly crafted and over developed compared to everything else in the game? It's a really strange gulf in attention to detail and breadth of content

 

[Silver Arrows]

why the hell is Scapes so lovingly crafted and over developed compared to everything else in the game?

And, at least in my opinion, doesn't allow for half the flexibility that making actual, fully modeled Photo Travel locations like in GT's 4 through 6.

 

[Zero2Oblivion]

nice so u ok with 0 communication, game is built in a way to force you to buy MTX paying 70$ for a half finished game no wonder games have went downhill

I still don't get this mentality. I've been playing the game since launch and I've yet to invest in a single microtransaction. If the game is built to force microtransactions, why haven't I spent money on them!?

 

[FPV MIC]

I still don't get this mentality. I've been playing the game since launch and I've yet to invest in a single microtransaction. If the game is built to force microtransactions, why haven't I spent money on them!?

You're playing it wrong!



And I must be too.

 

[Techlet]

I still don't get this mentality. I've been playing the game since launch and I've yet to invest in a single microtransaction. If the game is built to force microtransactions, why haven't I spent money on them!?

Because like most other aspects of the game, the monetization system is incredibly half baked and unfinished.

 

[boshuter]

Calm down, it's not a sim, it's a game. Just ignore the crap that is stuck in for the kids and race with your friends who just want a casual game to play now and then and don't want to take the time to actually be good in a real sim. PD has demonstrated for years that they could care less about how the game works as long as it sells. And as far as Kaz, they should have dumped that loser years ago.

 

[Tassie_tiger]

Calm down, it's not a sim, it's a game. Just ignore the crap that is stuck in for the kids and race with your friends who just want a casual game to play now and then and don't want to take the time to actually be good in a real sim. PD has demonstrated for years that they could care less about how the game works as long as it sells. And as far as Kaz, they should have dumped that loser years ago.

You read the name of the website/forum you posted in I assume.

The arrogance/ignorance of some.

 

[Boxster]

I wonder how this is going to play with the people who try to Baghdad Bob things and say that everything is alright, that the game is selling well and that many of the problems are being blown out of proportion by supposed bad faith actors and fly by nighters.

Well thank you for the gratuitous strawman attack.
I find it an excellent video. Good initiative and PD should do something with it.
For the record: I have not denied the faults of the game. I have objected to the constant over the top repetitive negativity that has rendered this forum a chore to read. And the constant attempts to beat down the voices of those who do still enjoy the game despite its many faults.

Signed: Bagdad Boxster

 

[kjeldsen]

The issue is that you can apply this to more or less the vast majority of problems the game has. This video talks about the Sport Mode side of things, but you can easily apply the crux of the video to the lack of significant single player content, or especially to how Polyphony straight up do not have a plan in place in order to outline what type of content is coming to the game other then vague promises, even vaguer patch notes, and the occasional car silhouette posted by Kaz.

And there is a very vocal group of people on this forum who seem to believe that pointing out this fact is tantamount to somehow bullying Polyphony - forgetting that their lack of desire to broadcast what needs to be fixed with the game has been the case since GT5, really, and is by this point incredibly deliberate, and in a world where people are very much expecting clear and honest answers in how a game is going to be fixed in the short and long term, this sort of silence and staying the course with dripfed content is actively pushing away people from playing the game, on both the high and low end. Nor does it really eliminate the elephant in the room that many of the legacy problems with the franchise have not even been attempted in being fixed, and even if the problems with GT7 in the current time frame are fixed, it's just going to expose those legacy problems and invite further scrutiny.

Everyone agrees that the game isn't perfect, but there is a huge difference between being able to enjoy the game in its current state and review bombing the game and calling Kaz the worst names in existence. There are people on this forum that doesn't play the game but every day will spend time bitching about the game, that is a special dedication!

 

[hardvibes]

I have no idea if this is against the rules, but I feel that this is an important statement made by Rory Alexander (Eerieissss Youtube) to Kaz. It is open and honest about the state pf play, and I personally agree. I do not bash this game, I have played it since GT1, and will continue to do so. I do not hate post anywhere, but this is a statement which should not be ignored, and perhaps this community can get behind it.

Nailed it, it's just frustrating. They sold us a lie. Is it possible to correct the course? It would take a lot of work from their end.
Will they ever see this particular video? Probably not.

 

[kjeldsen]

I thought it was he older video, i didn't know he wrote an "open letter"

For those that don't know, Rory makes a living by streaming himself doing daily races in GT7, he started doing this at the release of GT7

He is on point about the online experience (or lack off) but he is about as far away from my main problems with the game as possible so he really isn't talking for me.

 

[Nielsen]

Everyone agrees that the game isn't perfect, but there is a huge difference between being able to enjoy the game in its current state and review bombing the game and calling Kaz the worst names in existence.

Everyone agrees it isn’t perfect? More like nearly everyone agrees it’s balancing on the edges of mediocrity.

I don’t remember seeing anyone here calling Kaz the worst names in existence. Not to say it never happened, but in general I think this community isn’t overly harsh everything considered.

There are people on this forum that doesn't play the game but every day will spend time bitching about the game, that is a special dedication!

Not unusual when you really want to enjoy something but cannot due to an accumulation of issues that cause more frustration than happiness. At least this is the case for some.

 

[Nuschel01]

It might also be a little bit of a problem that Kaz never bothered to learn English to a level where he doesn't need to rely on trusty Translator-san all the time. However that also shows (to me) that his whole "bubble" is in Japan or at least Japanese-speaking and while they also have their issues with the game I don't think they go as far as review-bombing (or bonging?) the game, question his right of existance within SIE and PD or call him names on social media.

 

[Grimm6Jack]

The biggest problems with GT7 isn't even the online aspect where only like 5% of the playerbase even bother to play actively (probably much less than 5%).
So this video IMO didn't address the key problems with the game. The single player campaign which is where over 90% of us play actively, is the part of the game that needs the most focus right now (and other bug/glitch fixes).

Won't say it's wrong, because the Online Lobbies and also Sport Mode are incredibly flawed, this in comparison to even past titles. But it's way less of a concern to most of the playerbase (most of which don't even post around in social media about the game).

 

[Nagaremono]

The biggest problems with GT7 isn't even the online aspect where only like 5% of the playerbase even bother to play actively (probably much less than 5%).
So this video IMO didn't address the key problems with the game. The single player campaign which is where over 90% of us play actively, is the part of the game that needs the most focus right now (and other bug/glitch fixes).

Won't say it's wrong, because the Online Lobbies and also Sport Mode are incredibly flawed, this in comparison to even past titles. But it's way less of a concern to most of the playerbase (most of which don't even post around in social media about the game).

It’s because all the YouTubers and streamers are online racers first and foremost. They’re wanting to turn this into GTS 2, and as they have the loudest voices that might be what it becomes. Sadly.

I, and probably 90 per cent of people who bought the game, want SP expanded first, prioritised over online. The game was sold as a return to trad SP after all, with very little promised re online.

Of course, what PD should have done is tell online players to stick with GTS for a bit and made sure 7 was a great SP experience. Then, when they were sure everything was working fine, they could’ve expanded 7 with MP and transferred people over from GTS. Or just left 7 as SP and brought out a proper GTS 2 dedicated to PS5 (I’m sure there’s a lot of compromises being made in 7 to make it cross gen).

 

[DeolTheBeast]

Good video but Rory's platform no offence is nowhere near big enough for PD to even bat an eye lid.

The amount of players actively playing Sport Mode is tiny in comparison to the numbers who own the game (and that isn't affected IMO by Sport mode needing serious tweaking / improvements - if you are a keen online sim racer, you will still play the mode for what it is).

The video highlighted issues that are tip of the iceberg.

 

[Voodoovaj]

Mate, its OK to not talk about things when you do not know what you are talking about.

The scapes have elements of 3D, but they are, for all intents and purposes, photo backgrounds. They are not renders that require a massive team. They quote 30 people for it, and that includes the photographers.

I bet every person on this forum that has even the most minor knowledge of a 3D program can mimic the scapes.

Not to mention that it's been a feature of the game for 2 decades.

 

[Jewel Runner]

I remember when one of the PD team began posting on the official SONY forums quite a few years ago. It seemed like a positive step forward. It lasted for a very short period of time.

It's how PD operate, love it or hate it.
I doubt it will ever change, or if it does, it will happen very slowly.
Most of us who have been around long enough know this to be the case.
Expecting change, knowing it will probably never happen, at least not in sudden huge leaps and bounds, is a fools game.

Just telling it like it is.

When I was a beta tester for GTS they didn't listenn to any of us. They just do their own thing.

 

[kjeldsen]

Everyone agrees it isn’t perfect? More like nearly everyone agrees it’s balancing on the edges of mediocrity.

I don’t remember seeing anyone here calling Kaz the worst names in existence. Not to say it never happened, but in general I think this community isn’t overly harsh everything considered.


Not unusual when you really want to enjoy something but cannot due to an accumulation of issues that cause more frustration than happiness. At least this is the case for some.

The game is 3 months old, and the story of how PD does these games is beyond well known, and GT7 is sticking to the same exact pattern. So in other words, those that is complaining here on the 3rd month are wasting their time, they will not be satisfied by GT7.

 

[Mariangello]

The game is 3 months old, and the story of how PD does these games is beyond well known, and GT7 is sticking to the same exact pattern. So in other words, those that is complaining here on the 3rd month are wasting their time, they will not be satisfied by GT7.

Not only time but also money, because I am one of those who believed that GT7 would be the best GT ever. And I was left with only some buggy live service...

 

[GOTMAXPOWER]

I haven't watched the video but had a read through the letter posted on Twitter. It's in the wrong language, the intended recipient won't be able to read it.

 

[HGHTCH]

I haven't watched the video but had a read through the letter posted on Twitter. It's in the wrong language, the intended recipient won't be able to read it.

You're right, he forgot to slip a $50 in there, smh

 

[Nathan88]

It might also be a little bit of a problem that Kaz never bothered to learn English to a level where he doesn't need to rely on trusty Translator-san all the time. However that also shows (to me) that his whole "bubble" is in Japan or at least Japanese-speaking and while they also have their issues with the game I don't think they go as far as review-bombing (or bonging?) the game, question his right of existance within SIE and PD or call him names on social media.

As has been pointed out previously. PD have an English speaking private group chat with daily reports from certain players. Including translations of reports & videos which are presented to PD.

It’s because all the YouTubers and streamers are online racers first and foremost. They’re wanting to turn this into GTS 2, and as they have the loudest voices that might be what it becomes. Sadly. I, and probably 90 per cent of people who bought the game, want SP expanded first, prioritised over online. The game was sold as a return to trad SP after all, with very little promised re online.

Of course, what PD should have done is tell online players to stick with GTS for a bit and made sure 7 was a great SP experience. Then, when they were sure everything was working fine, they could’ve expanded 7 with MP and transferred people over from GTS. Or just left 7 as SP and brought out a proper GTS 2 dedicated to PS5 (I’m sure there’s a lot of compromises being made in 7 to make it cross gen).

I’m eager for PD to address online & lobby issues because:

A/ Those players deserve a functional, feature packed, online experience.

B/ Serious online racing is a small part of the GT7 community. But it’s the community who are on YouTube daily.

I do admire Kie25’s attitude. There has been no stronger critic. But he also acknowledges PD are working on lobby issues and submitted his own reports. He continues to play daily and his channel has seen huge growth since GT7 launched.

Rory’s video/letter is well meaning & polite. But it fails to acknowledge the communication methods already in place. All points relate to server stability. Which PD are well aware of and have been working on. What is lacking is public acknowledgment of this & updates on progress.

The scapes have elements of 3D, but they are, for all intents and purposes, photo backgrounds. They are not renders that require a massive team. They quote 30 people for it, and that includes the photographers.

I bet every person on this forum that has even the most minor knowledge of a 3D program can mimic the scapes.

Not to mention that it's been a feature of the game for 2 decades.

Scapes have become far more comprehensive and interactive in recent titles. GT led the way for photomodes and it’s now considered an essential feature for many AAA titles. Particularly from Sony.

I would assume many of the photographers & teams working on scapes also provide tens of thousands of reference photos for cars, tracks, locations, components etc.

 

[Nuschel01]

As has been pointed out previously. PD have an English speaking private group chat with daily reports from certain players. Including translations of reports & videos which are presented to PD.

I know, but does PD also have some input into that group or are they just the receiving end and say "we look into it, thank you for letting us know" and stuff like that. I want this to work out but they should really open up themselves a bit more towards their community, it's not 1922 anymore Just get the Pit Stop Blog running again, do a weekly/bi-weekly post with some updates and done.

 

[HyperSpeeder]

It’s because all the YouTubers and streamers are online racers first and foremost. They’re wanting to turn this into GTS 2, and as they have the loudest voices that might be what it becomes. Sadly.

I, and probably 90 per cent of people who bought the game, want SP expanded first, prioritised over online. The game was sold as a return to trad SP after all, with very little promised re online.

Of course, what PD should have done is tell online players to stick with GTS for a bit and made sure 7 was a great SP experience. Then, when they were sure everything was working fine, they could’ve expanded 7 with MP and transferred people over from GTS. Or just left 7 as SP and brought out a proper GTS 2 dedicated to PS5 (I’m sure there’s a lot of compromises being made in 7 to make it cross gen).

Not gonna happen in this day and age. Sport Mode players are the only ones generating any traffic.

The single player career of this game is finished. You saw the credits. The Café was aimed at newbies to the franchise, not the few veterans who roam the forums. Everything else is a bonus.

PD could add a collection of GT League events later on as they did with Sport but I don't expect this to come in a random update. If this game follows HFW's update plans, it should get a major update a couple months from now, maybe even after PlayStation Experience. That's where you could see a GT League mode arriving.

If anything it's very important that PD focuses on the online mode, because, while the single player's only issue is a perceived lack of content, which is often exaggerated, Sport Mode players are having to deal with imbalanced gameplay, freezes, crashes and instability. They're having a miserable experience compared to offline players and they're the ones who generate viewer traffic on streaming platforms.

If I was a developer, I know where I would focus. The problems of single player are far easier to fix in comparison and less urgent.

 

[Nathan88]

I know, but does PD also have some input into that group or are they just the receiving end and say "we look into it, thank you for letting us know" and stuff like that. I want this to work out but they should really open up themselves a bit more towards their community, it's not 1922 anymore Just get the Pit Stop Blog running again, do a weekly/bi-weekly post with some updates and done.

Tidgney said a number of his issues where addressed with GT Sport. Too early to really say with GT7. Although I don’t subscribe to the idea they completely ignore everything from the outside. For years GT was the butt of jokes re. engine sound reproduction. Now it’s arguably only behind ACC amongst mainstream titles.

I do agree they need a blog system and checklist to detail progress on known issues.

 

[HyperSpeeder]

Tidgney said a number of his issues where addressed with GT Sport. Too early to really say with GT7. Although I don’t subscribe to the idea they completely ignore everything from the outside. For years GT was the butt of jokes re. engine sound reproduction. Now it’s arguably only behind ACC amongst mainstream titles.

I do agree they need a blog system and checklist to detail progress on known issues.

Mike Caviezel leaving T10 was a huge blow to them. Xbox left Playground in charge of Forza's sounds and, 4 games afterwards, they STILL didn't get it right, although I do think FM6's sounds (Mike's last work for T10) are a tad overrated.

GT7's sounds aren't perfect, and there's a lot of legacy samples which need to be eliminated from the game, but they're much improved. GT6's sounds make me sick, they're that bad. Let's not mention GT4's vacuum cleaners.

 

[watto79]

I, and probably 90 per cent of people who bought the game, want SP expanded first, prioritised over online. The game was sold as a return to trad SP after all, with very little promised re online.

Its not 90% Less than 28% have got to the ending credits.

It's just that it's the 28% are the ones on the forums talking about it.

 

[Nagaremono]

Not gonna happen in this day and age. Sport Mode players are the only ones generating any traffic.

The single player career of this game is finished. You saw the credits. The Café was aimed at newbies to the franchise, not the few veterans who roam the forums. Everything else is a bonus.

PD could add a collection of GT League events later on as they did with Sport but I don't expect this to come in a random update. If this game follows HFW's update plans, it should get a major update a couple months from now, maybe even after PlayStation Experience. That's where you could see a GT League mode arriving.

If anything it's very important that PD focuses on the online mode, because, while the single player's only issue is a perceived lack of content, which is often exaggerated, Sport Mode players are having to deal with imbalanced gameplay, freezes, crashes and instability. They're having a miserable experience compared to offline players and they're the ones who generate viewer traffic on streaming platforms.

If I was a developer, I know where I would focus. The problems of single player are far easier to fix in comparison and less urgent.

You are illustrating my point precisely. That vocal minority thing.

Because you’re interested in online, that’s what really matters, right?

Pity Sony’s marketing department didn’t get the memo. Remember, 7 was promoted as a return to comprehensive trad SP. it’s not. I won’t re-run the reasons because anyone who’s still in denial about it isn’t going to get it however much they hear it.

Most players of GT games (even GTS!) never play online, or, like me, only do so to trigger trophies then get the hell outta there.

You are the tiny minority. Loud, as my OP said, but tiny. I’m interested in this ‘traffic’ you think is being ‘generated’ by online players. If it means what I think you probably mean (tho who knows?...) it’s just you and other online players watching streamers and each others’ races. So what? Woo hoo. How many people, worldwide, make proper living out of it? Where’s the money? What’s in it for Sony or PD, really? I think you’re massively overestimating your own importance.

Online was barely mentioned in pre-release marketing. It’s really not the priority right now, or at least it shouldn’t be. Take a number and get in line...