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So, Do Xboxers Play CoD While PS3 Fans Stick To Battlefield?

Ben-Dutka 22 Comments

It's an interesting question.

In my personal experience, it does seem like those who prefer the PlayStation 3 aren't so big on Call of Duty , while they are Battlefield fans. In contrast, most hardcore Xbox 360 fans I know will invariably choose CoD over Battlefield . …but why?

That's merely anecdotal evidence but perhaps some statistics support the theory. It's no secret that the 360 version of every new CoD iteration sells a lot more than the PS3 version. That's all the more telling, as the worldwide tally for the two systems is almost identical these days (although shooters are certainly more popular in the US, where the 360 is most prevalent). Furthermore, new stats from Battlelog show that the PS3 userbase is quite a bit bigger than the 360 userbase for Battlefield 3 .

Do you believe that the majority of 360 fans opt for CoD while the majority of PS3 fans go with Battlefield ? And if so, how do you explain this split?

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DICE On Console BF3: “We’ve Passed The Competition”

Ben-Dutka 26 Comments

Much has been made about the PC version of Battlefield 3 outstripping the console versions.

But as most will tell you – including the developers – only the monster PCs will be able to exhibit a significant difference. And DICE maintains that console gamers won't be disappointed in the slightest; in fact, they'll be blown away.

In speaking to GameSpy , Lead Multiplayer Designer Lars Gustavsson was asked if those playing on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will receive a lesser experience. And while he admits the monster PC owners will get a little "something extra," the game will definitely impress:

"Most gamers do realize that the consoles are five years old, and if someone buys new SLI cards for their monster PC, there will be something extra for the PC. If we kept everything on console level for those PC players, then they would rightfully strangle us! I do think we have managed to push the boundaries of the consoles to a level where I feel we've passed the competition. That's all you can ask out of the team at this point."

Furthermore, when asked if building for the PC first gives the developer a head start for designing an engine for next-gen consoles, Gustavsson replied as follows:

"The main focus has been to build a game. Of course we have the technical thinking behind it, but we've been leading with console for quite some time now and it was time to turn it around to refresh all of our knowledge on previous titles. But yeah, the Frostbite 2.0 engine has been built to – as far as we possibly can – prepare for a modular approach to whatever may come in the future."

The more you push in one generation, the better off you'll be in the next. But if the new Xbox comes out long before the new PlayStation, developers may be left thinking: what sort of complex machinery will Sony throw at us…? It seems intimidating.

Related Game(s): Battlefield 3

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DICE’s Andersson Goes Silent Due To “Troll Journalists”

Ben-Dutka 42 Comments

And we don't blame him even a little bit.

For some time now, various eye-catching headlines have been produced based on new Battlefield 3 details from developer DICE. Some of those headlines have come from Rendering Architect Johan Andersson's Twitter page , and after several articles were made that either twisted Andersson's words or made rash assumptions, the DICE employee is through dishing on BF3 details. He did have a few parting messages, though:

"To reaffirm, we are optimizing #bf3 for _all_ platforms to take advantage of their resp. strengths & create an awesome shooter experience."

"I love talking directly to gamers, but too many troll journalists out there so think I’ll have to shut up about #bf3 details for now, bye."

The last might've been due to a particularly scathing Examiner headline that read, "DICE Favoring Xbox on Consoles After Cursing Out PS3 Fans." Andersson was annoyed at the source taking what he said a little out of context, and replied on his Twitter feed- "Omg, he didn’t even post the tweet I was replying to. sigh." You know, we sort of saw this coming.

In order to get attention and traffic, game journalists have taken to "spicing up" their headlines. The actual content doesn't always reflect the headline and sometimes, the information is grossly exaggerated or there's 99% assumptions and very little actual news. We could say that we saw all those headlines, that we compared them to what DICE has said in the past month, and knew that all we could do was create more sensationalistic headlines…and we didn't.

But once again, the culture of online gaming journalism is making us all look bad. 🙁

Related Game(s): Battlefield 3

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DICE: Battlefield 3 At 720p On Consoles…You’re Surprised?

John-Shepard 53 Comments

Battlefield 3 will be rendered in 720p high definition on consoles. …why so disappointed?

DICE rendering architect Johan Andersson doesn't quite understand why people are getting all bent out of shape over this unsurprising fact. As Andersoon replied to a distressed fan at his Twitter page :

"Yes, just as 99% of all games for those platforms."

And then:

"How is [720p] a shame? Name a single FPS game that runs at 1080p on any of the consoles? Would have to do huge gameplay cuts."

"We think huge levels, lots of players, great fx, destruction, vehicles & varied gameplay is more important than 1080p."

Well, that's probably true. It's just that these days, more and more consumers have access to full 1080p high definition and with Blu-Ray movies taking full advantage, you can't blame certain people for having expectations. Furthermore, let's not forget that what we've seen of Battlefield 3 so far has been amazing…but much of it has also been on PC, which is a different matter.

In truth, very few games are rendered in full 1080p on consoles these days, but if you want them, you basically need a PS3. You know, MGS4, GT5, etc.

Related Game(s): Battlefield 3

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“No Difference” Between PS3 And 360 Versions Of Battlefield 3

Ben-Dutka 69 Comments

It's a common question amongst gamers these days: "Will the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions be the same?"

When it comes to Battlefield 3 , most all the footage we've seen thus far has been taken from the PC version. Then there was one little tidbit from the developer, who said the PS3 version "has a lead by offloading GPU w/SPUs." But in speaking to MSXBOX-World , DICE boss Patrick Bach seeks to reassure everyone by saying the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the highly anticipated shooter will be the same.

"Our philosophy is to not to talk about things we cannot prove and this is true also when it comes to the quality of the Xbox 360 version of the game. All of the core game systems (animation, destruction, rendering, audio etc.) are the same on all platforms so there will not be a difference when it comes to the general experience of the game. Some technicalities will of course be different due to larger memory and the graphics cards you can have on the PC. We are trying to push the envelope of FPS games in general and this will be obvious in all versions of the game. Looking back to what quality we achieved with Battlefield Bad Company 2 last year we do know how to make high quality games on all platforms."

Now, there's little doubt that Battlefield 3 will look fantastic on every platform; it's really only a matter of small things that may excel due to hardware differences. Currently, it seems the graphical benchmark for multiplatform FPSs has been set by Crytek's Crysis 2 , but from what we've seen of DICE's project, the bar could be raised yet again by the end of the year.  And all gamers on all platforms should be happy.

Related Game(s): Battlefield 3

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DICE: Battlefield 3 Will Look Amazing On Any Platform

Ben-Dutka 49 Comments

Battlefield has always been a great-looking series on both PC and consoles, and just because Battlefield 3 uses the fancy new Frostbite 2 engine doesn't mean any particular fanbase is going to suffer.

DICE Art Director Gustav Tilleby spoke during EA's press event at GDC, and ended up telling X360 magazine (as noted by NowGamer ) that their Frostbite 2.0 engine allows them to be "a step beyond" their competitors." That much is obvious from the first few pieces of footage we've seen, but as those were rendered on high-end PCs, some were wondering if console gamers would get a slightly inferior version this time around. But nobody has to worry, says Tilleby:

"The positive thing is that the new rendering technique allows us to do more complex calculations at no extra cost. That’s the magic. The game will look very good, even on 360."

That last bit is going to prompt even more speculation; the gossip-hungry forums during GDC might want to interpret it two ways: 1. the 360 is less powerful (which of course it is, but most developers don't mention it specifically), and/or 2. for some reason, the PS3 version might actually be better than the 360 version. But we aren't going to read anything into that comment; the bottom line is that Battlefield 3 should look amazing, regardless of platform.

Related Game(s): Battlefield 3

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