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- United Kingdom
The problem with the "Sony is so big" argument is that it cuts both ways. You could argue that Sony is so big that they could afford to spend more on GT7. You could equally argue that Sony is so big that they know what the majority of their customers want. They have been making this game since the 1990s.That makes a few bold assumptions:
1. That they developed the game the players wanted
2. That they think this game isn't finished and in need of fixing, and not actually a released product that they're giving the serviceable minimum number of regular content updates
3. That Sony Corporation, the THIRD LARGEST JAPANESE COMPANY by market capitalization and a consistent top 20 performer by earnings, doesn't have the millions to allocate to Polyphony Digital towards game development.
Before assuming anything along the lines of "What circumstances forced Sony/PD's hands into this situation," I think better questions to ask are "Who didn't do their jobs correctly?" and "What executive strategies and decisions got in the way of game development this time?"
Even if we don't ever get concrete answers, and we may never get them, there's one thing Sony definitely isn't: deprived of the means to make it happen. I'm far more inclined to believe this is a profitability/monetization problem getting in the way more than a lack of budget.
The assumptions are not all that bold:
1. GT7 as released was geared more towards reviewers and casual players than experienced players. This could be incompetence or or it could be Sony/PD deliberately playing the numbers. There are far more new or casual players than there are experienced players.
2. Unfinished? Well, we have the constant tinkering with damage, PP and physics. We have courses with only one race. Licences that you don't actually need. Cars that don't have races. I'd call that unfinished.
3. Yes, Sony have funds but they are not GT7 fanboys. They have other projects, all of which need funds.
Is it profitability or a lack of budget? Both.