DICE Still Supporting Battlefield 3

[Fanghawk]

DICE Still Supporting Battlefield 3

Just because Battlefield 4 has been announced doesn't mean that Battlefield 3 won't be supported.

When it comes to gaming it's very common for critically acclaimed games to get sequels, but that still didn't make it any less surprising when <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118523-Battlefield-4-Announced-in-Medal-of-Honor-Warfighter-Trailer>EA slipped a Battlefield 4 announcement into the trailer for Medal of Honor: Warfighter. Considering that Battlefield 3 isn't even a year old yet, the announcement has raised concerns among the franchise's fans that support for the older game will be phased out to support the new. DICE executive producer Patrick Bach understands the concern, but reminded fans that Battlefield's history alone should prove that DICE supports its games long after release.

"We heard that before with Battlefield 2," Bach told Eurogamer. "It was like, oh, you stopped supporting games! No, we're working like hell, but we haven't announced it yet. We have now announced we are putting a lot of effort into supporting Battlefield 3 and still we get reactions like this. I think it's just sad. We are dedicated to supporting Battlefield 3. People seem to be worried for all the wrong reasons."

According to Bach, developing new games immediately after launch is business as usual, not a sign that the developer and publishing are moving on. "People tend to forget we built three other Battlefield games in between Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 3," Bach said, referring to the Heroes and Bad Company installments. "That's a natural reaction. People then think we won't support Battlefield 3, even though we have the Premium version, people know we're working on future expansion packs and we've been very open in explaining what we are doing."

This certainly isn't the first game announcement in the industry to get this kind of attention. When Valve announced that Left 4 Dead 2 would be released almost exactly a year after the original, <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92174-Valve-Fans-Form-Left-4-Dead-2-Boycott-Group>a very vocal boycott group was formed in protest. While one could argue that L4D2 received more support than L4D in content updates, the argument is a little harder to make for Battlefield 3, whose Premium Edition will contain an additional 20 levels over those in the base game.

"Battlefield doesn't go away," Bach said. "We're starting to understand this after seven years. Oh yeah, people tend to buy Battlefield for quite some time."

Source: <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-08-24-dice-people-worried-about-battlefield-4-announcement-for-all-the-wrong-reasons>Eurogamer

Permalink

 

[FogHornG36]

yes, but after bf2 you made "different games" at least as different as 2142 gets.

 

[Absolutionis]

If they made it moddable it could live for much longer like BF2 did.

Moddable games don't sell DLC too well.
Unless the developer has a reputation like Bethesda (where people are accustomed to bugs), why would people pay money for something when they can get something better (and buggier) for free?

 

[Nightmonger]

I count 5 Battlefield games add Free2play and 2142 to that list ! 2142 being the best one since battlefield 2

 

[elvor0]

C'mon Dice, where's my Battlefield 2142 sequel? Battlefield 3 is a perfectly functional game and it just seems silly to churn out another one that's going to be the same game with some tweaks so soon after BF3 came out. I want mechs and titans and silly apc man cannons!

 

[frobalt]

So what could they possibly add to the new game that wasn't in Battlefield 3?

I don't see the point in constant iterations of games just for the sake of a few minor additions. Yes, there is the obvious point about doing it just for the money, but I really do lose respect in games companies when they do stuff like this.

 

[kajinking]

So what could they possibly add to the new game that wasn't in Battlefield 3?

More DLC

 

[frobalt]

So what could they possibly add to the new game that wasn't in Battlefield 3?

More DLC

Oh, I dunno. It'll probably be the same DLC rehashed.

 

[BBboy20]

Yeah, but that's not really our concern. Because we so enjoy uisng more M4s and AKs for your next magnum opus in the next 2 to 3 years, right?

Ugh, I'm starting wish Bad Company didn't get me into BF for me to care.

 

[NLS]

Hey, they haven't announced anything except the name and launch year 2013 about Battlefield 4. For all we know it's going to be Battlefield 2143. I mean, Battlefield 2 wasn't the sequel to modern shooter Battlefield 1, so who knows what they'll pull off this time. Until they announce more than a name, expect anything.

 

[Absolutionis]

If they made it moddable it could live for much longer like BF2 did.

Moddable games don't sell DLC too well.
Unless the developer has a reputation like Bethesda (where people are accustomed to bugs), why would people pay money for something when they can get something better (and buggier) for free?

Because you know a lot of people will also be playing and it will count for ranking up.

Also, most mods are shit and only a few rise to the top so people will still pay for quality.

There are tons more shit "EA Weapon-skin DLC" packs than there are Counterstrikes and DayZs, but the awful and the amazing exist in both mods and DLC.

Mods are just really easy to make so most of it ends up being junky fanservice; of course there's shitty stuff out there.
However, there are more amazing mods out there than any DLC that has ever been worth the price.

 

[oliver.begg]

Hey, they haven't announced anything except the name and launch year 2013 about Battlefield 4. For all we know it's going to be Battlefield 2143. I mean, Battlefield 2 wasn't the sequel to modern shooter Battlefield 1, so who knows what they'll pull off this time. Until they announce more than a name, expect anything.

nope its already been said by the EA cheif its another modern shooter

 

[ElPatron]

Ugh, I'm starting wish Bad Company didn't get me into BF for me to care.

I started with BF much sooner, the Bad Company-era was already the start of the downward spiral to me.

I count 5 Battlefield games add Free2play and 2142 to that list ! 2142 being the best one since battlefield 2

F2P was not entirely made by DICE, that's why he probably forgot about it.

 

[Pharsalus]

Isn't it just like the military to keep fighting the previous war.

That sir, is actually pretty clever, but then a military smart enough to to prepare for a future war would hopefully be paired with a government smart enough to avoid it.

 

[thethird0611]

Glad to hear that DICE will continue to support 3, but I think the big reason why theres an outcry is that it was release less than a year after the release of both 3 and Premium. People who bought day 1 and premium effectivly bought the game for $110 dollars (and possibly 15 dollars more if you bought Karkland first.

With that much investment, we want it to LAST. Not just for you to announce another game after we spent another 50 dollars on the predesesor (sp?) game.

 

[Nooners]

Glad to hear that DICE will continue to support 3, but I think the big reason why theres an outcry is that it was release less than a year after the release of both 3 and Premium. People who bought day 1 and premium effectivly bought the game for $110 dollars (and possibly 15 dollars more if you bought Karkland first.

With that much investment, we want it to LAST. Not just for you to announce another game after we spent another 50 dollars on the predesesor (sp?) game.

Exactly. I actually LIKE what's happening with BF3. I only have the base game, not even Back to Karkand, and I'm having a blast. The idea of all these "differently themed" expansion packs is one I really approve of. It's kind of like episodic multiplayer. Kind of. By the time all those expansions come around (and I plan on getting Premium at SOME point) the content available for multiplayer will have likely doubled in size.

 

[Slayer_2]

The problem Mr. EA man is that you are starting to look a lot like another game development company that releases episodic games every two years. That series also includes many DLC's to milk as much cash as possible, and lacks modding tools.

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

According to Bach, developing new games immediately after launch is business as usual, not a sign that the developer and publishing are moving on. "People tend to forget we built three other Battlefield games in between Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 3," Bach said, referring to the Heroes and Bad Company installments.

I count 5 Battlefield games add Free2play and 2142 to that list ! 2142 being the best one since battlefield 2

Does nobody remember BF1943? I know it was small and console-exclusive, but that game got me into BF and imho is much better than BC2 and BF3 (the only other BF games I played.)

ON TOPIC: BF4 coming out so soon is a clear-cut sign that BF as a whole is dying. There's simply no way they'll be able to adequately support both games with any degree of quality, especially if BF does become a yearly franchise ala CoD. The sheer size of these games combined with the history of yearly franchises will see to that.

 

[JWAN]

Battlefield 5 is right around the corner. I'm saving up for my new PC build.

 

[Evil Smurf]

good thing they will support older games still, I don't buy them but good for those who do.