PC Battlefield 3 Lacks Key FPS Feature

[Marshall Honorof]

PC Battlefield 3 Lacks Key FPS Feature

EA thumbs its nose at the PC by restricting in-game server browsing to consoles in its upcoming shooter.

In-game server browsers have been a mainstay of PC first-person shooter games for many years, so it was only logical to expect the upcoming Battlefield 3 to use them as well. That expectation turned out to be incorrect. While the next installment in the hit Battlefield series will allow console players to seek out new games from within the game itself, PC users will be required to exit the game, find a new server with an Internet browser, and then restart it.

Alan Kertz, a game designer with Battlefield 3 developer DICE, confirmed the news earlier today via Twitter. DICE announced only yesterday that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game would get an in-game browser for multiplayer servers. According to Kertz, PC gamers will have to use the browser-based Battlelog service instead.

While Kertz stated that the game "starts up REAL fast," fan blog Battlefield3Blog points out that Battlefield 3 will be the only PC shooter in recent memory to eschew the use of an in-game browser.

When developing the same game for different consoles, it's reasonable to expect a few minor differences between versions. However, EA is risking PC gamers' ire by removing one of the features they've come to expect from almost every other FPS on the market. Both console and PC gamers can see how the in-game server vs. Battlelog debate plays out firsthand when the game arrives on October 25, 2011.

Source: Battlefield3Blog [http://bf3blog.com/2011/08/battlefield-3-pc-version-wont-have-in-game-server-browser/]


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[Dogstile]

Brilliant. As I said before on other forums, every trailer makes me want it, every announcement makes me want to castrate the people who thought whatever the hell they've announced was a good idea.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

What in the hell made DICE think that was a good idea!? Seriously, that's not even a bullshit marketing ploy, it's just insane.

 

[Navenis]

In the alpha the battle log system worked great and is actually much better than the rather awful
bfbc2 in game browser.

Edit: game really does start up fast like 5 seconds less time than the bfbc2 broswer spent time wasting when you tried to join a server.

 

[Scytail]

Really? Thats just stupid. Doesnt matter that your game "starts up REAL fast" its crazy to expect pcs to quit, select a new server, start the game, and repeat when the server ends up being crap.

 

[josemlopes]

Is this supposed to make sense? I dont get it.

EDIT: If they want to do this shit than remove all those Nvidia, EA, Dice intros that appear at the beggining of the game, Im not going to keep pressing Esc multiple times just to join a server (that then may have lag meaning that I´ll have to quit the game)

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

*slow-clap*
Well done EA, well done.
I know consoles are a lucrative market and all, but have you stopped trying to get money out of the PC gaming crowd?
They offer you money, you decline and slap them with your genitals.

Good thing i'm getting this on console i suppose.

 

[KissofKetchup]

I smell another "THEY DIDN'T LET US HAVE DEDICATED SERVERS SO LET''S SHIT ALL OVER THE FLOOR IN PROTEST!!!1!!!!" event happening again

 

[Sevre]

"Starts up REAL fast", when your Gulftown i7 is hooked up to a DeLorean's turbocharger.


Seriously, not cool.

 

[Zaphod65]

The most insane part of this is that the console versions *HAVE* this, I mean... that means they either put in dev time just for the consoles or took it out of the PC version... which idiot thought this was a good idea?

For the record: I have never planned on buying this game. This is just insane anyway.

 

[sir.rutthed]

I don't give a flying fuck how fast the game boots up. They've deliberately made the game less convenient to use. I was on the fence about this game from the start, but this definitely won't increase my odds of getting it. What reason could they possibly have for doing something so bizarre?

 

[Simonism451]

But why would they want to do that?

 

[Fayathon]

I wasn't really interested in this to begin with, and now all thoughts of even picking it up at a later date when the price has dropped are gone. I won't be buying this regardless of how good it is as a game.

 

[Luke5515]

Who decided that this was a good idea?
I wanted to believe that Battlefield 3 would be the cod killer, but it's spending it's time not taking shots a cod, and more time shooting itself in the foot.

 

[Irridium]

Ok, no. This is just too stupid to be real.

The fact that I have to EXIT THE GAME to choose a server, then start it again to play is just fucking stupid. No, stupid isn't the right word... this is a whole new realm of stupidity.

I mean, really, there is no good reason for this.

And I don't fucking care if the game starts up "REAL fast", it would be faster to simply browse servers in-game, and select them that way.

And if this Battlelog thing is really that damn important to you and the game, then why the fuck isn't it integrated into the game?!

 

[wooty]

Meh, its a small grievance really, I'm still going to buy this entertainment software package.

 

[Frapple]

Could you please do some research before posting this sensationalist crap & causing people to react as above?

BF3 doesn't have a server browser because BF3 doesn't have a main menu.

Everything is controlled through the Battlelog website, VoIP, server browser, friends list, community forums, stats...everything.

Battlelog is fucking awesome. Seriously.

PS. You don't need to close the game and open it again to change server, simply alt+tab (which is super quick) to Battlelog & find a new one.

 

[teqrevisited]

Summed up: They are completely incompetent, incomprehensible puddles of arse gravy. What this essentially says is that they couldn't be bothered to code it.

This makes no sense. It's as if Nintendo or Capcom suddenly took over development.

 

[Jonci]

Come to the darkside (read: Xbox 360)