No DICE bashing from me.

[Mattsville]

I've been noticing a big increase in grumbling about DICE but I'm wondering if it is all DICE's fault?

I have a feeling that the problem isn't with DICE at all but may have more to do with EA (Who owns DICE).

I'd be willing to bet that DICE loves BF 2142 (and BF 2, Vietnam, 1942, etc) just as much as you or I do. And that the stuff we have been angry about lately is not their fault and is probably out of their control. They would probably love to go on creating patches, maps, weapons, etc for all of the Battlefield games. But from an earnings standpoint it wouldn't earn any more money for EA if DICE were to do so and that is where the decision is made - How DICE can make EA more money.

EA is pushing to have 30 titles published in the next year for the next-gen consoles (XBox 360 and PS3) and one of those titles is Battlefield: Bad Company. I've worked in software development for a while and I'd be willing to bet that EA is applying a fair bit of pressure on DICE to make sure that Bad Company will ship by some arbitrary deadline so that EA can meet their earnings target for fiscal year 2008.

Of course you will never see a DICE employee on this site (or any other site for that matter) saying that the 1.4 patch is being delayed because all but 1 or 2 of all of the available programers working at DICE are currently working on getting Bad Company out the door and that is why the patch is delayed.

In any case I just want to say that I love 2142 and have had a lot of fun with it, personally. If the game is slowly dying and there aren't going to be any more patches, booster packs or add-ons, I still want to say to the guys at DICE "Good job! Thanks for all of your hard work".

Sure the game isn't perfect and there are still problems with glitches and crashes.

But it's still been a fun ride and I've had a blast playing it... So thanks DICE

[ojkilledthemfolk]

I think what bothers people is the lack of communication on the part of DICE and EA. BF2 and 2142 are the first and only online games I have ever played and like you have enjoyed them both. Lots of fun for the money spent on 2 quality games for the most part.

[Raidyr]

While I agree in principle, DICE has had its fair share of screw-ups, I am willing to bet. EA is always a problem, always will be a problem for developers. However, taking months to release a patch is inexcusable.

Not to mention nigh-complete drop of support.

[Mattsville]

I think what bothers people is the lack of communication on the part of DICE and EA.

I guess that's what I'm trying to say really...

If DICE has had the software team that codes for 2142 cut from 50 people down to 3 or 4, they may not have the resources to properly work on the 1.4 patch. And they can't really come on to a public forum here or elsewhere and tell us "Geeze guys, I'd really like to work on the 1.4 patch but my stupid project manager cut my development team from 15 people down to 2 because we are under a lot of pressure to get Bad Company out the door."

All they can really do is tow the company line and say that yes they are working on the patch and they expect it soon. But what they can't say is that it is taking so long because they don't have enough programmers working on it at the moment.

I'm just saying that yes we are frustrated and we have every right to be. But there is a good chance that it isn't DICE's fault.

My bet is that it is EA's.

EA used to be a really cool little company back in the day (early 1980's) but now it seems all they care about is money.

[iQue]

Yeah I've hated EA since the day they announced that there weren't going to be any more expansions for SimCity 4 in favor for The Sims 2, which is a much more stupid game.

And now they've made 6 expansion packs for it just to make money.

[Lotek19]

I just think about it this way.

DICE/EA has been putting of BF 2142 for Bad Company to be put on shelves, so they put them selves away from 2142 gamers, then because of the long delay and no attention from DICE toward the gamers simply equals in the gamers lack of attention toward the game and they stop playing it, then DICE/EA state there wont be expansions because the game is dying. But Hey, DICE/EA look at why the game is dying, your putting yourself away from that community simply making people not wanting to play because of Dice/EA lack of attention towarrrdddd the gamers.

Sum it up, big companies should pay attention to at least all their games they make, in an issue of game informer i happened to look at the TOP 10 PC games of the month, and lookey who was number 10, your very own Battlefield 2142....so i would like more boosters and expansions (but now i doubt that will happen) but really Dice/EA put them selves in a little hole that just grows bigger, but we all do understand that EA is a big company, but they have been criticized more and more in the past year if you noticed.

Sorry for my English if its kinda bad, i'm not native to English.

[Mattsville]

Yeah I've hated EA since the day they announced that there weren't going to be any more expansions for SimCity 4 in favor for The Sims 2, which is a much more stupid game.

And now they've made 6 expansion packs for it just to make money.

Yeah completely agreed here. SimCity 4 was awesome IMO! I loved the fact that you now had a whole metropolis to work with. You had many cities that were interdependant and a much more robust economy model to work with.

But I felt it had it's rough spots as well... I was really looking forward to the inevitable SimCity 5 to see some of the ideas that were hinted at with Simcity 4 to be more developed.

But now SimCity is going to be completely re-designed to be more like SimCity meets The Sims (i.e. a dumbed down version of SimCity that will have broad appeal to the masses. Sounds amazingly like The Sims model to me.)

I mean I can't totally blame EA, they are in the business to make money... I just wish that sometimes they would spend a little more money and time taking care of some of the other franchises they have as well (Like the Battlefield series).

Not every title has to be a blockbuster smash hit (as in the Sims) for them to be able to make money. They can make money from titles like Battlefield as well if they just put a little bit more effort into it. Maybe not as much money but money nonetheless.

***************

Sum it up, big companies should pay attention to at least all their games they make

I couldn't have said it better myself!


****************

[Wizrdwarts]

qft. After EA bought DICE they started to go downhill. Just read the patchnotes from BF'42 and BF:V.

[b14ze]

You will see a patch. This patch will come out a day after the next booster is released for 9.99 on the EA downloader.

[-Shifty-]

I think what bothers people is the lack of communication on the part of DICE and EA. BF2 and 2142 are the first and only online games I have ever played and like you have enjoyed them both. Lots of fun for the money spent on 2 quality games for the most part.

Yes same here, the only thing I realy don't like is the communication between "customers" and EA/DICE, I mean you enevr get a response...

[Namakan]

i agree to all

[Micster]

Makes sense to me.

[Fingulfin]

I think DICE bashing is retarded. Seriously, its not the programmers who decide when the next patch comes out, how many patches are needed, Boosters, expansions etc... Its EA's decision. EA Commands, DICE Programs. You CAN bash DICE for sloppy coding though, the bugs in the game ARE their fault. You CAN'T bash DICE for lack of communication, I believe it is EA who dictates when info is allowed to be released.

Just my opinion!

[TheLeper]

cheer up emo kids

[Salad Snake]

I've been noticing a big increase in grumbling about DICE but I'm wondering if it is all DICE's fault?

I have a feeling that the problem isn't with DICE at all but may have more to do with EA (Who owns DICE).

I'd be willing to bet that DICE loves BF 2142 (and BF 2, Vietnam, 1942, etc) just as much as you or I do. And that the stuff we have been angry about lately is not their fault and is probably out of their control. They would probably love to go on creating patches, maps, weapons, etc for all of the Battlefield games. But from an earnings standpoint it wouldn't earn any more money for EA if DICE were to do so and that is where the decision is made - How DICE can make EA more money.

EA is pushing to have 30 titles published in the next year for the next-gen consoles (XBox 360 and PS3) and one of those titles is Battlefield: Bad Company. I've worked in software development for a while and I'd be willing to bet that EA is applying a fair bit of pressure on DICE to make sure that Bad Company will ship by some arbitrary deadline so that EA can meet their earnings target for fiscal year 2008.

Of course you will never see a DICE employee on this site (or any other site for that matter) saying that the 1.4 patch is being delayed because all but 1 or 2 of all of the available programers working at DICE are currently working on getting Bad Company out the door and that is why the patch is delayed.

I love 2142 and have had lot's of fun with it, personally. If the game is slowly dying and there aren't going to be any more patches, booster packs or add-ons, I still want to say to the guys at DICE "Good job! Thanks for all of your hard work".

It's been a fun ride and I've had a blast with it...

"Soldier, you deserve an award"

Like post of the month or something.

I cannot say it enough, qft.