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PSXE Poll Update: Battlefront Outstrips Black Ops III

This fall's first-person shooter battle is clear: Call of Duty: Black Ops III vs. Star Wars: Battlefront .

Both appear to have immense promise but which one piques our reader's interest more? Well, it's Battlefront , although that narrowly beat out the "Neither" option in our latest poll.

Expected to be one of the biggest launches of the generation thus far, DICE's ambitious multiplayer title should be catnip for "Star Wars" aficionados. And besides, despite last year's Advanced Warfare making big strides forward for the aging franchise, Battlefront is an entirely different beast. And clearly, gamers are in the mood for something a little different this holiday season.

Now, as we continue to discover, it seems like all new games being announced are open-world. The true linear adventure appears to be dying out, but are you okay with that? Do you simply see open-world as a natural progress that is superior to linear interactive adventures? Or are you already despairing of the linear loss?

Related Game(s): Star Wars: Battlefront

Should All RPGs Be Sandbox Adventures?

It's the obvious trend these days: Open-world sandbox structure.

Every time you turn around, you see another new game or established franchise leaning more in the direction of open-world formats. The question is, for which genre does this work best? At first glance, one might assume role-playing games.

They were always supposed to be the deepest, most involving virtual experiences on the planet. These have always been the cerebral video games. Those who played them often had little interest in games that required fast reflexes and endless, repetitive practice. They wanted to use their brains more than their fingers and thankfully for the industry, this allowed a lot more individuals (such as myself) to become gamers. I think I would've played games but I never would've gotten into them to the same extent had RPGs not existed.

Given the kind of complexity that could arise from immensely detailed and populated worlds, it would stand to reason that RPGs could benefit most from the sandbox style. Look at The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt , for instance. It could break down all sorts of barriers in the genre, provided CD Projekt Red doesn't hold back (and delivers on their lofty promises). The opportunities are obvious and perhaps endless. It's the kind of world I suppose all RPG fans loved to envision over the years.

However, there's still an old-school RPG contingent that believes story is critical in the genre but the thing is, story always takes a backseat in the sandbox structure. Because we spend the overwhelming majority of our time playing and not following a script, and because the more freedom we have the more it means a cohesive storyline melts away, story can't continue to be a primary staple of the genre. I'm sorry, but I just don't see how it's possible. I guess it just depends on what you value most in the world of role-playing games.

What do you think?

DICE: Sandbox Games Are “Boring” And “Tough To Get Into”

DICE doesn't mind butting heads with mega-blockbuster Call of Duty and in fact, they're looking forward to the challenge.

But they have some interesting things to say about other genres. After confirming to Edge that Battlefield 3 will be "a more focused, scripted experience," DICE executive producer Patrick Bach claimed that most sandbox games are really only for the hardcore and "tough to get into."

"I don’t see it as an absolute goal for all games to be sandbox games. We’ve been building sandbox games for quite some time and we’ve got pretty good at it, but I don’t see that as the only way of building games, because then we wouldn’t build campaigns at all.

In some cases they aren’t, but in most cases sandbox games are hardcore, boring, hard to get into and they are not very popular."

Battlefield 3 will undoubtedly clash with this year's Call of Duty – most assume it'll be Modern Warfare 3 – but let's not forget that Grand Theft Auto lurks in the distance. In fact, the analysts have weighed in by saying GTAV can benefit from the current shooter fascination , and Michael Pachter is predicting "massive" sales . That's sandbox, isn't it? And what about inFamous 2 ?

Well, to each his own. But before CoD ruled the universe, many accused GTA of being too "casual" and "mainstream," so sandbox games aren't necessarily "tough to get into." …are they?

Related Game(s): Battlefield 3