Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown players offered compensation after server issues

Players who paid to unlock Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown early saw their virtual travel itinerary to Hong Kong hit a hitch yesterday when the game’s servers fell over, preventing 55 per cent of players from logging in.

As launch strategies go, it’s a bold one. Scarcity creates demand and all that, but players and developer KT Racing were in agreement on this occasion that the server issues were more than a bit annoying. So KT’s coughing up “in-game compensation” to all players affected once the issues are fixed.

To KT’s credit, the problems have been swiftly addressed. While only 45 per cent of Gold Edition players who’d paid for early unlock access could actually, you know, access the game three hours after it unlocked, within 24 hours it was up to 96 per cent.

That Gold Edition costs £80, by the way. Not an insignificant sum. But the wording of KT’s statement suggests that it’s not issuing refunds, but more likely offering in-game currency to players who couldn’t log in at launch. The exact details will be made clear “at a later date”, reads the statement (via PCGamesN).

It’s an inglorious start for TDU: Solar Crown, the first new release in the series since 2011’s TDU 2. Like its forefathers, it offers a mix of open-world racing and MMO elements, and a decent car collection including Bugatti Chirons, Lamborghini Centenarios and – of course – a Citroen 2CV. Spoiler: it might feel a bit down on power compared to the rest of your garage.