In our quest to bring you a different outlook on the gaming news and industry, the TGN staff are proud to present our first in our "From the Editors' Desks" series of writings.
This entry is brought to us courtesy of Alex98uk, Network Administrator and Battlefield franchise aficionado. Have you ever wondered where Battlefield Heroes has gone? Perhaps you will gain some insight from Alex's musings:
More on the thoughts behind these new editorials will soon follow. Be sure to keep an eye on the From the Editors' Desks page for more updates.
This entry is brought to us courtesy of Alex98uk, Network Administrator and Battlefield franchise aficionado. Have you ever wondered where Battlefield Heroes has gone? Perhaps you will gain some insight from Alex's musings:
BF:H is, or was, always an experiment, merely testing the waters to see whether a micro-transition style market would prosper in the West. Such a system works in Asia, and with the rising cost of piracy and development costs, DICE’s plan for Battlefield Heroes does look like an attractive way forward.
However, anyone who has taken a peak at the outside world can't have helped but notice the degradation of the world’s economy and the huge profit drops affecting companies such as Creative and Microsoft.
Along with these software giants, EA Games has also been affected by the recession. The BBC reported on both a 500 job cut and the closure of EA's UK development centre.
Many fans have noticed a distinct lack of news regarding Heroes, apart from the odd "meet the developer" articles. It got me thinking, “Could Heroes have been a victim of EA's cost cutting practices?”As stated earlier, it is an experiment and therefore will probably never be a great revenue generator. Perhaps EA games can't afford to fund potentially loss making projects; we've even seen huge games such as Command and Conquer: Tiberium which had been under development for a massive 2 years cancelled!<!--more-->
Has Battlefield Heroes been cancelled by EA, leaving DICE in a lurch with a working product but no publisher? I know a second beta has been released lately, but again, is this merely a time wasting tactic until a final decision is made? It shall be interesting to see what the future holds. A cancellation this late in development is a real sign of a company under pressure and does not bode well for future titles.
EA and DICE are stuck between a rock and hard place. Do they risk releasing a game which could ultimately lead to losses, or is the free to play, micro-transition style market a secret yet to be tapped, a potential saviour in a time when businesses will do anything for profit?
However, anyone who has taken a peak at the outside world can't have helped but notice the degradation of the world’s economy and the huge profit drops affecting companies such as Creative and Microsoft.
Along with these software giants, EA Games has also been affected by the recession. The BBC reported on both a 500 job cut and the closure of EA's UK development centre.
Many fans have noticed a distinct lack of news regarding Heroes, apart from the odd "meet the developer" articles. It got me thinking, “Could Heroes have been a victim of EA's cost cutting practices?”As stated earlier, it is an experiment and therefore will probably never be a great revenue generator. Perhaps EA games can't afford to fund potentially loss making projects; we've even seen huge games such as Command and Conquer: Tiberium which had been under development for a massive 2 years cancelled!<!--more-->
Has Battlefield Heroes been cancelled by EA, leaving DICE in a lurch with a working product but no publisher? I know a second beta has been released lately, but again, is this merely a time wasting tactic until a final decision is made? It shall be interesting to see what the future holds. A cancellation this late in development is a real sign of a company under pressure and does not bode well for future titles.
EA and DICE are stuck between a rock and hard place. Do they risk releasing a game which could ultimately lead to losses, or is the free to play, micro-transition style market a secret yet to be tapped, a potential saviour in a time when businesses will do anything for profit?
More on the thoughts behind these new editorials will soon follow. Be sure to keep an eye on the From the Editors' Desks page for more updates.
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