Star Wars: Battlefront Coming in 2015

[StewShearerOld]

Star Wars: Battlefront Coming in 2015

D.I.C.E.'s Star Wars: Battlefront reboot should be landing in summer of 2015.

When Electronic Arts <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123783-Electronic-Arts-Signs-Exclusive-Star-Wars-Game-Deal-With-Disney>took the gaming reins of the Star Wars franchise after Disney dissolved LucasArts, many were left wondering what the publisher, and the many studios under its umbrella, would do with the world famous property. The publisher wasted no time providing answers, <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125155-Star-Wars-Battlefront-In-Good-Hands-At-DICE-Claims-EA>announcing that Battlefield-developer DICE would be using its multiplayer expertise to reboot the long dormant Battlefront series. Now, EA has lifted the curtain on the game a bit higher and revealed that its targeting a 2015 launch window for the new game.

The announcement came during a stockholders call where EA CFO Blake Jorgensen discussed Star Wars and the Battlefront reboot. "We have partnered with Walt Disney and LucasFilm to develop a whole new generation of Star Wars games for the console as well as for mobile and handheld devices," said Jorgensen. "The first game that we're focused on is Battlefront. It's a traditional game that's done extremely well and this will most likely come out around the same time as the Star Wars movies start to come out, probably in the summer of '15."

While Star Wars devotees likely won't be happy with having the wait being that long, meshing Battlefront's launch with that of Star Wars: Episode VII makes some pretty good sense. Just in terms of simple marketing the game will likely be able to rely on hype from the film to move units. Besides, even if the wait is on the long side, fans might do well to just be happy they're getting a new game. We all know what happened <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120884-Battlefront-III-Died-Just-Inches-From-the-Finish-Line>to the last Battlefront, after all.

Source: <a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-07-31-star-wars-battlefront-reboot-due-around-summer-2015>Eurogamer


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[RicoADF]

2 years, that actually sounds good. Hopefully that's given them the time they need to do a good job at it, this will be the game that'll make or break the future of Star Wars gaming for many I believe, if EA screws this one up then well....

 

[Compatriot Block]

Great! That means we won't have to hear people complaining that it was rushed out for almost 2 years!

In truth I am actually glad this isn't coming out for a while. It's been announced, which means they know people will have high expectations considering its development isn't only a rumor. Despite EA's reputation, I trust DICE will do their best.

 

[RicoADF]

They already have the Engine, so all they really have to do is come up with the levels, layout, and mechanics (not to mention the models) and everything should be fine. Assuming this is going to be a primarily online shooter with maybe a slight story to it?

Excited none the less.

Exactly, which is why I said 2 years sounds good as it's enough time to make it off the Frostbite engine. I hope they have the space combat of 2 and the proposed flying from space to ground that 3 had hinted at, that'd be awesome . Battle in space and fly down to drop more troops and attack enemies. Kinda like BF2142 with the titans, just higher up.

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

The second Battlefront had a decent story bit that focused on the 501st stormtrooper brigade. I hope there is something akin to that in BF3. But it doesn't really matter, I'll buy and play it with or without a single player component.

I hate to be optimistic though. It's so counter to EVERYTHING we know about EA and the current state of Star Wars to assume it won't blow goats. So I'll remain cautious and secretly hopeful... well maybe not secretly anymore, but you know what I mean.

 

[Weaver]

Kind of odd we got a teaser for a game 2 years out, but I guess dice just wanted us to know they're working on it.

 

[RJ 17]

I'm still curious how they intend to handle players being hero units. As I mentioned in the last BF new blip, characters like Darth Maul were obscenely overpowered, easily able to win a battle singlehandedly in a matter of seconds. Perhaps AI controlled heroes kinda like in the first game? Bah, speculation's pretty useless at this point. Might as well just wait for more news.

 

[sid]

I really appreciate that they're putting so much time into this, but if they have the engine bits figured out I'd say they're pushing it a little. I do hope the DICE people aren't delaying the game to pair it with star wars 7's release date. Or maybe that's a good thing because it means they need to keep polishing it. I don't know, positive article, lets leave it at that.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

2 years, that actually sounds good. Hopefully that's given them the time they need to do a good job at it, this will be the game that'll make or break the future of Star Wars gaming for many I believer, if EA screws this one up then well....

They already have the Engine, so all they really have to do is come up with the levels, layout, and mechanics (not to mention the models) and everything should be fine. Assuming this is going to be a primarily online shooter with maybe a slight story to it?

Excited none the less.

While Frostbite 3 exists, the 2 year deal is proof that they aren't just reskinning BF4 with Star Wars.

I think the 2 year development is good, but you're understating what they'll have to do. To properly leverage the brand they'll have to make some modifications to the engine, so it'll be running something more akin to Frostbite 3.5, or 3.125. Air vehicles in Star Wars work much differently than traditional planes, spaceships are actually in space, so they have to add that entire shabang, etc...

The DICE guys are REALLY big fans of the entire franchise and actually coerced EA to let them make a new Battlefront in the first place when the IP was originally licensed. They know what made the older games so great and with this new time-frame information I'm really excited to see it's getting the time and respect it deserves.

 

[shintakie10]

Before we get too into this I think we need new acronyms here.

DICE makes both Battlefield and now Battlefront. Callin them both BF is really confusin.

Also fuck yeah. Battlefront!

 

[sid]

I'm still curious how they intend to handle players being hero units. As I mentioned in the last BF new blip, characters like Darth Maul were obscenely overpowered, easily able to win a battle singlehandedly in a matter of seconds. Perhaps AI controlled heroes kinda like in the first game? Bah, speculation's pretty useless at this point. Might as well just wait for more news.

Speculation is fun though.

One way they could fix this, like you more or less said, is to throw in opposing heroes at the same time, that way they become the focal point of the battle but they balance each other out. It was always pretty dickish that the best player of the best team always got dibs on the hero, that's asking for domination.

Another way would be to introduce minibosses. It takes an army to beat down Grievous, or alternatively three or four determined padawans. I don't know if that creates an unwanted layer between low and high tier troops, but it's a method.

What I think will end up happening though, and this is the worst possible scenario, is seeing heroes become a kill streak feature that's about as relevant as an airstrike. If DICE drives this in the FPS route, which I would not put beyond them, it'll be a high-quality title with interesting maps, but it'll also be annoyingly competitive and multiplayer-driven. I'm holding my breath

 

[uchytjes]

First: Its a good thing that it'll take a couple years to come out. Rushed development never pans out in the longrun.

Second: This had better not become a yearly or even every other year type of thing.

Third: I trust DICE. I haven't played any of the BF games, but I hear pretty uniform good opinions about it.

Finally: Hoth map, that turn based multiplayer gamemode-type thing that was in 2, heros, and the all-heros mode. That is all.

 

[Xan Krieger]

Please please please please please don't screw this up, I love the first 2 battlefronts so I'm begging them to do a good job with the 3rd.

 

[Elvaril]

I'm still curious how they intend to handle players being hero units. As I mentioned in the last BF new blip, characters like Darth Maul were obscenely overpowered, easily able to win a battle singlehandedly in a matter of seconds. Perhaps AI controlled heroes kinda like in the first game? Bah, speculation's pretty useless at this point. Might as well just wait for more news.

Hero units were not really that overpowered. They were pretty much glass cannons. Yeah, they were strong, but they also went down incredibly easily from a rocket or two or with a few rounds from the upgraded rifle. I always used to pass them up because I was far more effective with just the upgraded rifle for the basic soldier and people always aim for the hero unit. The upgraded rifle, now that was an overpowered weapon.

OT: I think this actually bodes well, having a two year time frame before release. It's been eight years now since Battlefront II. I can wait two more years if it means getting the best game possible.

 

[unstabLized]

Good. Usually when DICE works on something within a good time schedule, they release a good game along with it. No rush, just make sure it's good when it comes out.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

This is good news IMO. It means that it probably won't be rushed.

 

[Supernova2000]

No, Battlefront came out on the 21st of September 2004!

 

[Bat Vader]

I hope they do that galactic campaign from BF2 where what if endings would happen depending on the faction that was picked. It would cool though if Dice made that the single player for all the factions.

I want to see ship combat like Assassins Creed 3 but for the capital ships like the Star Destroyers or Mon Calamari cruisers. They need to make it though so that it takes more than one or two people to fly the ship. Like have a 12 person crew to pilot them, have a 24 person crew to man the turbolasers, and have around 50 or so pilots for the space battles.