Home Gaming Star Wars Battlefront’s nine million beta players probably won’t all be easy sales

Star Wars Battlefront’s nine million beta players probably won’t all be easy sales

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Star Wars Battlefront nabs nine million beta testers

Over the past few days I’ve been neck-deep in work (and the rush that was rAge), but I still managed to squeeze in an unhealthy amount of time in the Battlefront beta. As you probably already know I quite liked it, but not everyone feels that way. In fact Battlefront as a whole has been getting some pretty negative feedback, which somewhat dampens the excitement over an otherwise successful beta.

The good news is that EA broke records of their own with the Battlefront beta. According to the publisher around nine million unique players across all three platforms logged on to their servers to try the game out during the limited period. EA was forced to add more PC servers shortly after launch due to demand, and as a whole, the thing went off with very few hitches. My personal experience online was fantastic, and has made me extremely optimistic about the stability at launch.

However it’s not sever stability that has some fans worried. There’s an overwhelming sense that Battlefront simplifies combat far too much, leading to a shallow puddle of tactical depth that players are already restricted to. The main target of criticism is the near identical basters, the little to no effect that some card abilities have and the widely unbalanced advantages the others give. There’s a lot EA and DICE seemingly need to think about before launch, especially if they want a respectable percentage of beta players to actually turn into sales.

That said, it’s more likely for someone to air negativity over positivity for something, so the general social stance isn’t always accurately indicative of the real picture. One also has to take into account the many other fans who simply couldn’t play during this small window, and how they would’ve reacted to the old-school gameplay.

Regardless though, it’s exceedingly unlikely that these beta statistics will carry over a 1:1 ratio when it comes to raw sales figures, but it does show the power of a name like Star Wars. Battlefront is EAs biggest beta to date, and I foresee similar records being broken at launch. Because at the end of the day, people truly love Star Wars. And there’s an element of rose-tinted glasses that comes along with that – for better or worse.

Last Updated: October 14, 2015

16 Comments

  1. I played the beta a few times and tbh I cant see myself buying it. Id rather wait for a new Battlefield or Overwatch

    Reply

    • Galbedir

      October 14, 2015 at 08:14

      Jeez I cant wait for Overwatch! Pitty they are a year overdue on when they said Beta would be starting.

      Reply

      • SmurFyZA

        October 14, 2015 at 08:20

        Makes 2 of us man. I am literally camping my Bnet to see if there is a download option available. Apparently two Blizz guys will be playing and streaming the game tomorrow. I have a feeling they might announce beta dates

        Reply

      • James Anderton

        October 14, 2015 at 09:53

        Hard to be a year overdue on something that wasn’t even announced a year ago…

        Reply

  2. VampyreSquirrel

    October 14, 2015 at 08:09

    I saw some game play online… and it doesn’t grab me… I watched the beta (quite a lot) and I won’t be an easy sell.

    Reply

  3. Alien Emperor Trevor

    October 14, 2015 at 08:13

    My first impression of the actual pew-pewing was that it was just… too easy. People seemed to be able to point at some distant speck, hold down fire, and the target would die. No real aiming or skill involved.

    I also find the news cycle rather funny – everyone was excited for the beta, everyone was happy about no MTs being confirmed a few days before the beta, people got to play the beta, then the season pass gets announced immediately after the beta.

    Reply

    • Galbedir

      October 14, 2015 at 08:16

      I was honestly considering buying it, looked fairly fun, even if dumbed down. But once I saw that Season Pass announcement, and EA back to there slimy ways. Instant no purchase for me.

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        October 14, 2015 at 08:50

        If I just look at the game itself – it looks great, it sounds great, but it plays like nothing special. It’s just another online shooter in a sea of online shooters, albeit with a Star Wars skin – which is really what gets people excited about it.

        Reply

  4. Hammersteyn

    October 14, 2015 at 08:15

    Wait? The Beta’s done? Damn you Destiny!

    Reply

  5. Greylingad[CNFRMD]

    October 14, 2015 at 08:39

    At R1472 for the game and it’s season pass… There is a large body of water, engulfing the outskirts of continents, that is where Battlefront can go…Deep into it…

    Reply

    • Grand Admiral Chief

      October 14, 2015 at 08:46

      GET IN THE SARLACC

      Reply

  6. James Anderton

    October 14, 2015 at 09:56

    Enjoy paying R1500 for the full experience. Not for me thanks.

    Reply

  7. WitWolfy

    October 14, 2015 at 11:55

    I’m not getting it.. “Why?” you ask… Two words …. Electronic Arts…

    Reply

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