Man, Online has been jumping!

[greenymac]

People havent even started downloading it from the ps store because they can't yet, but the servers have been usually busy the last few days...Definitely alot more than before PSN went down. Looks like SONY is gonna breathe new life into this game... But I believe this is a prelude...No beter way to get people into a new wipeout game than to give the predecessor out and let people try it...Just saying that would be a smartb thing to do before you announce a new game i the series.

[Colonel]

I can't wait so see how busy it's gonna be in a month's time. I mean there could be hundreds of thousands of people playing, and this site should see a massive influx of new members :eek

Personally I'm really excited about it. Since I've been playing HD - just under a year - it's always been a minority game with a small community of players, often under 100 people playing online at once. Now it seems it really is going to explode, 3 years after release.

So I'm just wondering what you all think about it. Are you excited, or apprehensive about an explosion of proles who never would have played the game were it not free? Or am I being naive, and will it be a much smaller, temporary increase in traffic?

[Oryx Crake]

I think that probably the hype around HD becoming a free download is probably a little to discreet to see an influx of thousands of new regulars, But any influx of new players is good if you ask me. Partly because it reinvigorates the community and shows sony that there is still life in the franchise (and partly because that means there will be more people that I can beat on a regular basis XD)

I'm hoping for an explosion of new pilots though and I will be doing my best to direct them here, when I do find new players :g

[greenymac]

A ton of my old school mkwii prolounge friends will be getting wipeout hd/fuery so I'm slap happy with it. Gonna get to race with some old friends I havent raced with in awhile...:rock

[Colonel]

I think that probably the hype around HD becoming a free download is probably a little to discreet to see an influx of thousands of new regulars

I have to disagree with you there Oryx. The PSN outage has been the biggest gaming story of the year to my knowledge, and Sony's "Welcome Back" package has been covered by news sites all over the World. I honestly think this is going to be huge!

[greenymac]

I agree with Gaddafi....Theres aboard that I used to go to for all my gaming msg boards and their board for wipeout hd/fury was dead and I found this place not soon after...I went there to check for any new activity there since the outage. Heres the link...Look at the age of the closed threads and look what just popped up as an open and active thread...
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/961763-wipeout-hd-fury

Tons of people are gonna get this game...Also you have to believe that alot of people have infamous and LBP so that essentially leaves 3 choices. I expect that SL is improving their servers to handle the influx of new gamers and I hope that is why the leaderboards are down...Note that i say "I expect"...at least thats what they SHOULD be doing..

[Oryx Crake]

Hehe ok sounds like I shoulda checked my info before I spoke there XD either way if you are right then I'm happy :)

[blackwiggle]

I read the welcome back promo as you only get these games for a month,

Quote from the email.
"Access to the free games and exclusive features finishes at the end of the 30-day subscription period. Anything you buy with exclusive discounts, dynamic themes and premium avatars are yours to keep forever."

I imagine it will be REALLY busy when this promo goes active, much like when the +Plus service first started with a Wipeout promo.

Oh man, I can see it now.
Newbies crashing into everything, people in front of you at the start grid missing the start so you rear end them, watching the new players craft do the "pilot assist bounce" all over the place, people flying around the track the wrong way firing at you in a race, getting messages accusing you of cheating...:nod

Just like the old days :lol

Should be some laughs.

[mic-dk]

Indeed. I just checked the small print in the DK version of the mail, and the wording is quite clear. After 30 days it's all gone again.

No free lunch I guess - well screw you Sony...

OTOH, on-line will quite something in those 30 days. Imagine all those Bling Brigades that'll need to be done :eek :lol

[KGB]

You get to keep the free games from the choices they give you from the list, you don't keep the free games that are on offer from psn+. Two different things entirely.

[Dark_Phantom_89]

KGB sounds right to me. :nod

[Colonel]

Yeah I read the Playstation blog a few days ago and the Moderator was quite clear when he stated the two free games (from the list of 5) are yours forever.

I know most people will play it once and can it, or play a few times then can it, but it will stick with some people, and the sheer number of potential players is immense.

Just think, there may be another Yeldar out there ;)

[JFthebestJan]

let's say 50% of the 77million accounts re real players and not just 2nd or 3rd accounts.
38.5million real users, maybe 10%'ll get wipEout hd.
3.85million new wipEout players, maybe 10%'ll stay longer then just 2 races.
385000 new "good" (more or less) players means: we'll get not just a new yeldar, we'll get many new yeldars! :)
with a little luck, we'll get a new A.Senna of wipEout, or a new S.Vettel.
there's even a chance of getting a S.Bellof, that would be really great :rock

[Frailavi]

They should have only gave out WipEout HD and Fury. Because after you have WipEout, you're set for life.

[Colonel]

Damn right, Frailavi :P

[greenymac]

Or they could be foolish like me and have the game downloaded since July of last year and never play it until March of this year.... Yeah, I did that and man did I wish I had picked it up and started playing earlier. But either way, I'm glad I'll at least be a little ahead of the curve when all the new players start filtering in.