Editorial: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

[Dronetek]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

keep your eyes open for ARMA2 or Operation Flashpoint 2.

Exactly.

There is a real opening for people with the means, to make a game bigger and better than battlefield. Since they seem to be abandoning it, why not take up where they left off? I'm really hoping Arma2 or OFP2 incorporate some of what made the BF series great.

[Minmaster]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

i'm not complaining about them deviating from the original formula that BF is founded on for a few games. i don't care that they're making TF2-ish COD-ish games. that is as long as there is a game on the PC side that continues the tradition of the epic BF experience. imo, there isn't one right now.

what disturbs me is the trend. since the release of BF 2142 late 2006, their projects consist of:

BF:BC
Mirror's Edge
BF Heroes
BF 1943
BF:BC2
some unannounced micro-transaction based game for the korean market

that is 6 games that they are committed to for the casual/console market. and not a SINGLE title committed to continuing the line of PC epic Battlefield experience. i'm not holding my breath for BC2 to be that game. it's a console centric game that will likely be limited to 24 players.

you can't tell me that they are still interested in the PC hardcore BF development when they chose to do 6 games in a row that resembles very little of what true BF is.

[Fenring]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

Well said Alex98UK and Crandaddy, since bfeditor.org seems to have gone down the drain combined with these shocking announcements I really cant justify myself keep supporting the battlefield series in any other way than continue playing bf1942 and bf2 since they are so good games. I guess everything must come to an end sometime.

[WolfAlmighty]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

To reiterate what many here have said, it's not so much a disdain for the BF1943/BC2 formula, but rather a lack of anything in the forseeable future for the people who have put thousands of hours into BF2/BF2142/BF1942/BF:V. I would be completely surprised if many people accrue 1000 hours in BF1943. Testing the console market is fine, and if it generates revenue, even better. But seeing this happen without any information on the overall future of the 'mainstream' BF titles that we all get hot and bothered about is a bit like watching an out-of-town company buy your favourite childhood sports team and do anything in its power to deface the team. Change the team colours, change the mascot, trade away all the big-name players...basically turn it into a shell of the team you grew up watching, all without mentioning any vision for the future of the franchise.

[theminx]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

*Turns off the torch*

Anyway I think Alex98UK put that in a very mature manner and in a very kind way. The thing is you can't bash them, you need to do constructive critisism, you can't just flame and bash.

Good job Alex, I sure hope they listen to your wise comments! :thumbsup:

that or the blunt way mite work..

Dear dice
get your crap together
we dont want 1943
we want battlefield 3..
thanks
signed, your consumers

[aggies11]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

As a longtime battlefield fan, I'm actually quite interested in this. Certainly not as a full on BF3 sequel, the next flagship product. But I don't think that is how BFf1943 is intended anyway.

BF Heroes is an experiment, a foray into the free to play, microtransaction driven casual market. However that game is very much casual and doesn't really have a lot of appeal to the core BF fan/player. So what 1943 is essentially a "Heroes" for the more core Battlefield player. Especially with the remake of classic maps. It's something to tide you over until the true flagship product is released.

Small download with only 3 maps, a more streamlined experience (hence the 24 player limit), it's relatively inexpensive experiment to see how popular it is, and if it takes off it will be further supported by DLC (new maps etc). It's low risk.

Just because I like a certain type of battlefield experience doesn't mean I have to begrudge anyone else theirs. With the cost of games production going up, especially with the questionable viability of the PC market, I certainly can understand EA/Dice wanting to try new avenues. If this one is successful it will likely help fund the "real" sequel and possibly even generate more interest in the franchise so that even more people will play BF3 when it comes out.

If this was the logical endpoint of the BF franchise, then I too would be upset. But from my view it looks more like a tree, that is branching out. This is another offshoot from the main trunk. And close enough that it could provide a nice diversion until the real deal comes out.

[=98=]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

I think given the feedback in this thread, I should explain my other thinking.

I am in no way trying to slate DICE. I think they are a great development company and combined with EA games have the power to provide some absolutely stunning titles, see Mirrors Edge for example.

My thoughts were directed at the game, not the company in particular, so saying DICE is being lazy and telling them to pull their finger out is just wrong. I was merely trying to express the community feelings to the announcement and present them in a way that may have been noticed by those higher up (which it quite clearly has been!)

I'm not always right, cancel that, i'm hardly ever right, but I feel it's the duty of a gaming forum to report the views of people who play BF titles. I know TGN doesn't make up for the market, but read other forums and you'll see the same thing over and over again. Considering this forum has 70,000 registered members, taking into account the other even larger communities, that is a good chunk of the market.

I thank both TGN members and DICE representatives for their feedback on my article, but it is only fair if the other side of the argument is represented. So, please be sure to keep an eye on Total Battlefield for more editorials coming soon!

[Pirelli]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

A lot of nice comments here.
You are not forgotten :salute:

[BIFF EXPLODER]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

Alex you said it very well, as much as we try to like this game, there are way too many limitations that dont make it a game worthy of the Battlefield name.

we already have BF:H if we want a casual game to have some laughs and get away from all those other competitive games

[Spawndemon]

Re: Reactions of a Franchise Fan

Sorry to kind up chop up the discussion that is going on here, but for all future comments regarding this editorial, please post them in the blog:

http://totalgamingnetwork.com/main/blog.php?b=137

Also as mentioned, this is an editorial that takes one stand in the debate regarding the new Battlefield game. This is a series we're working on and will have another editorial soon with the other side of the debate. Please stay tuned for that.