EA’s wisely been using state of the art PCs to show off Battlefield 3 so far, with the console versions mostly out of the limelight.
Developers DICE have just started discussing the differences between PC and console versions, with head Patrick Bach confirming today that the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will be limited to 24 players online (down from 64 on PC) but that the rest is “more or less” the same.
[drop2]”We use the same engine, the same technology, the same animation system, the same lighting system,” he said to Gamezone. “Our aim is to give the player the exact same experience and not try to dumb down the console version.”He admits though that if players want the “same quality of game” it’s going to be “really, really hard.” Bach says that they tried to add in more players, but were forced to “scale down the graphics” and the destructibility, and in some cases even the size of the maps. “Everything is a compromise on: where do you cut?”
“It’s not that we’re evil or stupid,” he told the German site. “We didn’t choose not to have more players – we would love to do 64 players on console but then we would have to cut away so much; people would get very upset that it looked worse, played worse and wasn’t as fun as the PC version. We would never do that because the fun is always more important.”
At least there’ll be jets in the console versions, even though the maps will be somewhat smaller. “It’s not that we have cut them in half,” he said, “but we tried to compact them slightly to keep the action up. If you compare it to Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the maps weren’t really small on console.”
“We want to create the same experience for PC as for consoles.”
ScottyB
Smaller maps, Faster action? YES =D
afrogeez
Smaller maps, faster action = COD
teflon
Yes, but the thing is that the maps are smaller, the focus of each battle is tighter, there’s also less than half the player count… Simply, it’d be crazy to shove just 24 players onto the same maps that use 64, and equally nuts to shove 64 players onto maps designed for 24.
This doesn’t sound like they’re simply chopping bits off, they’re tailoring to the platforms, and since the PS3 and 360 are now HUGELY underpowered compared to a semi-decent PC, this is the only real way to give a game that’s worthy of each platform.
Kaminari
@Teflon
The 3.2 GHz six-core Cell I have in my PS3 literally trumps the 3.33 GHz quad-core Core2 I have in my PC, on which I run Crysis no sweat. Even a 3.2 GHz triple-core Xenon is better than the average Intel processor. So what do you mean by underpowered?
Console optimization is an ongoing balance between CPU, GPU and RAM. GPU is barely used as a renderer these days, especially with multi-purpose CPUs like the Cell. The real bottleneck is of course RAM, and that always comes as a premium on consoles.
MadJunkBoy
24 players ain’t that bad for being on the console=)
looking forward to it…
XisTG
Wise choices if you ask me.
Bilbo_bobbins
I would prefer larger maps to be honest. I might think about getting this on the PC this time round. Looking at buying a PC anyway. I reckon playing with 64 players would be immense.
Tuffcub
Has anyone seen the 360 version yet?
BIGAL-1992
No, in fact there hasn’t been any footage from the 360 version at all, as far as I know.
Jaffa-the-Cake
In fact 360 gameplay has been shown, albeit only a few seconds of it. It was shown in a gameplay trailer which had gameplay from all three main platforms spliced together. The only way to know was by looking at the tiny “Xbox 360” tag on the lower right hand side of the screen.
But one thing bothers me about EAs strategy with BF3. They admit themselves they are going after COD, however they choose PC as their lead platform? I know BF started as a PC game but times have changed. The PC audience has diminished to insignificance due to the ease of pirating games. The bulk of CODs sales come from consoles, th PC version of the game is just a port of the 360 version. Only by console owners buying BF3 will EA have any hope of reaching or beating COD in sales, so the secrecy and unwillingness of them to show us console gameplay is extremely worrying to me. Especially when we’re only a few months from it’s launch. Am I or anyone else going to not buy cod and buy BF3 instead based on a few minutes of gameplay? I think not.
EA and dice seem to have this all wrong marketing and strategy wise. The console should have been the priority because I don’t having the best looking game that can only run on the highest of high end gaming rigs will bring in the sales *cough* Crysis *cough*
Youles
Er, jets? :)
Foxhound
Looking forward to it….
mrfodder
If it plays like Bad Company 2, I’m happy. I did find that 64 players in Battlefield 2 was chaotic and that 48 was much more enjoyable.
DJ Judas
Feedback from the alpha suggests that the PC version has taken the hit of ‘dumbing down ‘ though unfortunately with issues like 3d spotting still a problem and seemingly faster deaths ala cod.
However it is Alpha of course and its on a small rush map so you can’t really take anything from it until beta, I just hope issues such as 3d spotting are sorted out.
Yersal
I got an invite to the Alpha and I tried to have a go but my poor little MacBook couldn’t handle it, the only hardware requirement it met was the 4GB of RAM :(. This is why I personally like the convenience of console gaming.
razz1909
I got an email last week sayin my place on the bf3 beta is reserved (hell yeah) Its from buying medal of honour last october I think. Hope I can sample some jet action in the beta! Only played the ps3 versions of the battlefield franchise.
DJ Judas
Damn I am extrememly envious!
I’m following the Alpha closely but alas I didn’t get an invite; full veteran status with BF2, 2142, BC2 on PS3 and PC as well as having beta tested the awfulness that was BF Hero’s and played in the early days of 1942. However I don’t think that has any bearing on the invites as I’m not sure what the requirements were, perhaps it went out to those with the beta access through MoH?
e8
moh invites (limited ed, ) are for september.
e8
^edit…
Recently a Medal of Honor: Limited Edition Beta newsletter went out to users. What is that all about? Well, that newsletter says you are entitled to play the beta in September. It is however not a ticket or a code. If you purchased a copy of Medal of Honor with the Battlefield 3 Beta sticker on it, you are eligible for the Beta. If you have not received the newsletter, make sure you opt in on your EA Profile to receive them. Also, if you havent received the newsletter and own a copy of Medal of Honor: Limited edition, you are eligible to play in the beta.*
Yersal
It’s good to see them putting a lot of thought into the console version, I think we all knew that they had to make some sort of compromise when it came down to it. I’m assuming that small maps will be about the size as the ones in BFBC2, otherwise jets, tanks and helicopters won’t make much sense on a CoD sized map.