Remember when every year it was a fight between Battlefield and Call of Duty? Fanboys would assemble and battle it out to see which FPS franchise would win for the year. Those days are pretty much over, in part because so many other great shooters have flooded the market, and in part because Battlefield has, in many ways, lost the battle. But will Battlefront help EA and the Battlefield franchise regain relevancy or is it just another example of the decline?
The awesome guys over at Super Data have done some interesting analysis about the upcoming Battlefront game. While Battlefront 4 eventually proved successful, its server issues at the start caused some major issues and might have been the beginning of the end.
Difficulties during the months following its release played a significant role in this—in
particular, the absence of a server browser for its multiplayer component. Rather than being able to
peruse and select servers on their own, players are expected to wait in a lobby before being
matched with other players. EA’s recent confirmation that “Star Wars Battlefront will not offer a
server browser,” will hinder the game from reaching a critical mass of online players quickly and
lessen its appeal. Instead, the publisher is promising “a new skill-based matchmaking system,” but
has yet to explain what that means exactly.
That certainly doesn’t sound favourable for a successful launch of the game if the lobby system and server browser isn’t in place. Sure, they might be using a new system, but most people will just want to team up with friends and be able to find a game quickly and easily. But beyond the possible game and server issues, it’s intriguing to see just how much money the game might bring in as compared to previous EA launches, even with the movie tie-in timing.
While the Star Wars IP is powerful, Super Data is skeptical about how much Battlefront can really do for EA at this point. The mechanics and server systems are still largely based on experiences with Battlefield, and with the decline of that franchise, it doesn’t sound like even the force will be able to save EA when it comes to FPS.
Then again, analysts have been proven wrong time and again, so who knows what the future might hold. I’m sure Battlefront will do well among existing fans of the franchise, but I think Disney Infinity might pull in the more casual Star Wars fans instead.
Last Updated: October 1, 2015
HairyEwok
October 1, 2015 at 10:36
“While battlefront 4 eventually proved successful” was that a intentional error or just to giggle at the rehash of the same system XD.
I was hyped in the beginning for the game due to it being Star Wars, but then I slowly started to remember that this is Battlefield with stormtroopers errr snowtroopers?
Brady miaau
October 1, 2015 at 10:42
Mass Effect or Dues Ex:HR style game play would suit me a lot better.
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 11:00
*Deus
And yes, make it an FPS with story mode and you will have a better game
Pariah
October 1, 2015 at 11:12
You should go home at 4 more often. We had loads of fun on the ION yesterday <3
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 11:17
I saw, will have to get my bot to monitor and blacklist at that time
Viking Of Science
October 1, 2015 at 11:22
Like Wolfenstein: The New Order. Still my top Shooter of 2014.
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 11:29
I need to get that
Viking Of Science
October 1, 2015 at 11:37
You Really Do! in fact: It’s cheaper here than anywhere else I’ve found – http://www.takealot.com/wolfenstein-the-new-order-pc/PLID32847751
(RARU was cheaper, but they’re out of Stock)
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 11:50
R100 too much for me, yeah, Steam has spoiled me
Corrie
October 1, 2015 at 11:54
But it’s a shiny box with 4 discs inside plus it’ll look good with the old blood box
Rock789
October 1, 2015 at 11:29
It was a fantastic shooter, that. Completely agree! Hoping iD learn from that and use that with the new Doom. 🙂
Corrie
October 1, 2015 at 11:53
Agreed really enjoyed it, it’s goes to show you that they managed something that others like EA are failing to achieve
Have a excellent single player campaign and not diverting the team on a cheap MP mode
Brady miaau
October 1, 2015 at 12:26
Why an FPS?
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 12:29
They can make it a side scroller for all I care
Fox1 - Retro
October 1, 2015 at 10:43
What’s a “Battlefront 4” or is this an unintentional announcement leak?
Sageville
October 1, 2015 at 10:50
After playing hardline I was convinced that EA had chosen to opt out of the FPS battle with COD.
I was massively disappointed in the new direction.
I hope battlefront is not just a reskinned hardline.
Nikola
October 1, 2015 at 10:54
I think no single player campaign is really going to hurt them, I know the big market is the pvp multiplayer arena, which I personally hate but you can say what you want about COD they at least give you a pretty fun campaign story every single one of them was pretty good. I was personally excited for the Star Wars game but after hearing no single player I won’t buy it and I know a few people that also won’t for the same exact reason.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 1, 2015 at 10:56
It’s Star Wars. Tons of people will buy it. They’ll hype away all the BF problems.
Marcus
October 1, 2015 at 11:06
I can’t wait for the Beta, this will be the deciding factor for me. Also thanks to a certain someone, I fully support EA and DRM now.
Don’t support criminals.
Pariah
October 1, 2015 at 11:11
Enlighten me?
Marcus
October 1, 2015 at 11:27
Oh dear no, was meant for that Razazzaha… something. You know when a person tries to convince people to do something really pointless so much so that you rebel and fully support a bad idea, yeah I’m there now.
Pariah
October 1, 2015 at 11:30
Yeah ok. I got ya.
SargonTheRebornBatpanda
October 1, 2015 at 13:04
WAIT. WAIT.
Was it *whispers* Ryanza?
*runs
SmurFyZA
October 1, 2015 at 11:24
Enlighten us? Replybait?
The Sten
October 1, 2015 at 11:12
The most frustrating thing for me is that I actually really want to play a Battlefield game again. But I know that after I start playing, the “optional DLC” and yearly release business model will slowly push me out of a game that im enjoying. This is not worth the money i spent on it.
Mark Treloar
October 1, 2015 at 17:45
Interestingly enough Ubisoft is releasing all DLC for Rainbow Seige as free content.
Kervyn Cloete
October 1, 2015 at 11:27
But Battlefield 4 has a server browser. I use it all the time to play games on tons of servers that are still full every single night.
Oh right. I play on PC.
Aries
October 1, 2015 at 12:15
Yep PC rules when it comes to BF4, CoD is more focused on Consoles thats why its so big and everyone is CoD blind,plus CoD is a arena shooter, cant compare to what Battlefield brings to the table
Mossel
October 1, 2015 at 14:00
This. CoD is arcade and BF4 is tactical. Completely different!
Aries
October 1, 2015 at 14:36
So much ways to play BF4 and only one way to play CoD
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 11:30
Scratch this game. Get another company to do it that is not kak. Scratch the Battlefront MP. Make Republic Commando sequel. Profit
Pariah
October 1, 2015 at 11:31
Well they already tried that line of thinking. 1313 ring a bell? 😛
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 11:50
Was not a RC sequel
Pariah
October 1, 2015 at 11:51
Nope. But they scratched one game and planned to do a sequel to another instead. Which is exactly what you asked for.
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 12:05
Well, the main fault there was that they sold the company to Disney
Pariah
October 1, 2015 at 12:07
Which should explain why they’re ruining the franchise. 😛
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 12:24
I think ‘ruining’ is a very light word here
SargonTheRebornBatpanda
October 1, 2015 at 13:03
There is that DRM again. Screwing EVERYTHING we love up. Buying intellectual property LEFT, RIGHT, and OFFLANE.
Don’t support DRM.
(DRM = Disney Rights Monopoly)
Corrie
October 1, 2015 at 11:58
It’s going to fail like hardline did simply because it’s Battlefield 4 reskinned and no matter how many times the developer cries that it isn’t , it is.
No Single player nor Server Browser, I’m not such a big fan of COD but treyarch seems to be doing things right especially them vying for the PC market with server browsers and also split screen on PC.
Aries
October 1, 2015 at 12:13
Its Battlefield for Noobs, they making the game too easy to play
Corrie
October 1, 2015 at 12:39
Theres another thing I just realized with no server browser…means no Hardcore server options like in BF4 -_-
Aries
October 1, 2015 at 14:35
Yep and I mostly play on the Hardcore servers
Pariah
October 1, 2015 at 11:59
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
SargonTheRebornBatpanda
October 1, 2015 at 13:02
Silenced!
Mark Treloar
October 1, 2015 at 17:48
Queue the soundtrack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY278K4ljWs
Marcel
October 1, 2015 at 12:03
I think a comparison needs to be made to Battlefield 3 here also. I would like to see where Total Digital Revenue for BF3 would have placed it compared to what we see in the graph for BF4 and BF Hardline.
I wouldn’t be surprised if BF4’s crappy launch had something to do with Battlefield fans not jumping on Hardline bus.
I know for me it was a factor.
A lot of people have stated that BF4 is, now, a beter game than BF3, but the amount of my friends still playing BF4 compared to how often we played BF3 in the past would call this a lie.
Aries
October 1, 2015 at 12:12
Most of my friends still play BF4, though we mostly compete in DGL and other stuff, the game is still fun and there still lots of people who play, even BF3 is still going there is a Tournament coming soon for it as well
Mossel
October 1, 2015 at 13:59
Yup, first 5-10 servers are almost always full in the evenings. I play almost everyday and I still like it!
Aries
October 1, 2015 at 12:19
All I want is a new KotOR, this game is just lacking way too much for what a Star Wars game should have, give me lore and depth, thats what I expect when I hear Star Wars
Grand Admiral Chief
October 1, 2015 at 12:24
^This
40 Insane Frogs
October 1, 2015 at 13:31
Personally, the lack of single player is potentially a deal breaker for me. I might give Battlefront a try (much later next year), but I seriously doubt that I’ll buy it on launch day or soon thereafter.