As many Battlefield fans are already aware, Battlefield 4 is coming and DICE isn’t taking their sweet time with this official fourth numbered release in the well-established series of first-person military shooters.
Understandably, many were thrown off by the announcement, considering DICE’s previously established pattern of releasing spin-off Battlefield titles in between major numbered titles. Most were expecting a return to the Bad Company series, as there has now been two Battlefield games (three if you include Battlefield Play4Free), Battlefield: 1943 and Battlefield 3, since the last Bad Company spin-off, Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
So, how has DICE absorbed the rather mixed reaction so far? Executive producer Patrick Bach recently spoke to VG24/7 to answer one of the bigger questions on most Battlefield fans’ minds, why abandon Battlefield 3 so soon?
“Most of the comments so far have been positive, but some of the more avid fans get upset because they think this means we may no longer support Battlefield 3 – which is of course completely wrong,” ensured Bach. “The game is very near and dear to us, we have all the expansion packs coming and we’re showing stuff from them. We have a big team working on it – so we’re not changing any of that. We’re still working on Battlefield 3 and making sure it’s the best game we have on the market right now.
“But we are working on BF4 which is more or less all I can say.”
Bach also commented on the possibility of a much more positive reaction to a Battlefield: Bad Company 3 announcement, had it been the case:
“We’d probably [have gotten] a better reaction [to a Bad Company 3 announcement] within a certain group of our community, but again, we’re getting a lot of good feed back for BF4, and of course there are some people who want something different.” He continued, “No matter what you do, there’s always those who want something different, so it’s a constant struggle.”
Despite the recent controversy, it is important to keep in mind that DICE has, in fact, been releasing Battlefield titles on a yearly basis, more or less:
- 2002 – Battlefield: 1942
- 2004 – Battlefield: Vietnam
- 2005 – Battlefield 2
- 2006 – Battlefield: 2142
- 2008 – Battlefield: Bad Company
- 2009 – Battlefield: Heroes
- 2009 – Battlefield: 1943
- 2010 – Battlefield: Bad Company 2
- 2011 – Battlefield: Play4Free
- 2011 – Battlefield 3
Bach comments, “the other thing is, we’ve been releasing Battlefield games in a constant stream. If you look at all the Battlefield versions we’ve had – the Bad Company series, Battlefield 1943 – there’s a lot of Battlefield between Battlefield 2 and Battlefield3 – so it’s not as if we’re only working on one thing at a time. We’ve had several piplelines going in parallel, so people shouldn’t worry too much about those things.”
This isn’t the first time DICE has come under fire. Previously, global community manager Daniel Matros had his hands tied answering the question, why not Battlefield: Bad Company 3?
So, are you still unconvinced over the longevity of Battlefield 3? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Remember, pre-ordering the limited edition of Medal of Honor: Warfighter releasing this October 23rd will grant you access to the Battlefield 4 beta coming up this fall.