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Battlefield Beta to ensure EA is on message

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Cops and robbers

Recently, a bunch of people got into the Battlefield Hardline Beta. In general, these types of semi-open Betas are to help developers find bugs, fix balancing or deal with server issues. But this video from Visceral Games says it’s also about staying on message and using feedback.

I find it hard to believe anything that developers say about Battlefield. Remember how Battlefield 4 had a Beta, and people pointed out all the problems with the game, and then when it shipped all those problems were still there? Yeah, it’s hard to believe that they actually use Betas to fix things, although that’s almost exactly what a very tired-looking Steve Papoutsis (executive producer for BF Hardline) says in this video:

For those who don’t watch videos, he asks for feedback from the Beta, saying that the Beta is still so early that changes can still be made to the game. Obviously, they won’t be able to address all the feedback, but Papoutsis assures us that the feedback will be used to make sure the game is as good as it can be,

…not only from a fun perspective but from a messaging perspective and just an overall experience.

Does that mean it’s still early enough to make it seem like a real game of cops and robbers instead of a re-skinned version of Battlefield 4? How early is it, really, and what kind of messaging, fun or experience can actually be changed at this point? I’m glad that they’re thanking people for playing – they should be thanking people for Beta testing their game. However, I’m very hesitant about jumping at this as a sign of good things to come.

Last Updated: July 8, 2014

No Comments

  1. Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

    July 8, 2014 at 13:45

    Please. They use these open betas to lure people. These people play the game and invest their feedback. These people are guarenteed to buy the game on launch day as they believe all their hours of testing has led to all the problems being gone.

    Little do they know.

    Reply

  2. Admiral Chief Fairburne

    July 8, 2014 at 13:46

    *yawn*

    Reply

  3. Admiral Chief Fairburne

    July 8, 2014 at 13:48

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

      July 8, 2014 at 13:50

      Hehehehehehehehehee

      Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      July 8, 2014 at 13:51

      Just add Benny Hill music.

      Reply

    • Spaffy

      July 8, 2014 at 13:52

      Wow. I am stuck watching this. My brain has gone into a loop

      Reply

    • CAE9872

      July 8, 2014 at 14:00

      You Spin Me Right Round Baby, Right Round…

      Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

        July 8, 2014 at 14:11

        aaaaand now I’ve got the song stuck in my head 🙁

        Reply

        • CAE9872

          July 8, 2014 at 14:23

          You’re welcome

          Reply

      • HvR - Still dislikes Random.or

        July 8, 2014 at 14:13

      • MakeItLegal

        July 8, 2014 at 14:40

        Ha ha ha made my day thank you

        Reply

  4. Spaffy

    July 8, 2014 at 13:49

    Isn’t BF4 also still in beta?

    Reply

    • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

      July 8, 2014 at 13:49

      BOOM

      Reply

      • Spaffy

        July 8, 2014 at 14:08

        They should fix one game at a time please

        Reply

    • iAmWeasel

      July 8, 2014 at 14:28

      Still in beta like your sense of humor?

      Reply

      • Spaffy

        July 8, 2014 at 14:41

        Yea, I like the lighter side of life thank you

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 8, 2014 at 15:07

          Keep it like that 🙂

          Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 8, 2014 at 15:07

      • Jonah Cash

        July 8, 2014 at 16:33

        I cant’ stop watching this!!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 8, 2014 at 16:50

          That poor kids forehead is going to smell like ass the rest of her life

          Reply

      • Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

        July 8, 2014 at 17:43

        whahahahahahaha

        Reply

    • Mark Treloar

      July 8, 2014 at 18:22

      Just like practically anything else from any other developer.

      Reply

  5. Rince&pop

    July 8, 2014 at 13:50

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Cough… HAHAHAHAHAH! Right.. Sure… Okay…

    Reply

  6. Alien Emperor Trevor

    July 8, 2014 at 13:50

    Yes everyone, remember to give good, constructive feedback during the beta. Otherwise if (hahahaha IF!) the game is broken when it ships, well then you’ve got no one to blame but yourselves.

    Reply

  7. Alien Emperor Trevor

    July 8, 2014 at 13:54

    Seeing as the cynicism here makes me think this might be a hard lime to sell.

    Reply

    • CAE9872

      July 8, 2014 at 14:10

      *ROFL pointing at Trev* he said lime…haha

      Reply

  8. Sith JJ

    July 8, 2014 at 13:57

    People must be smarter than this to be able to see that it’s not a Battlefield game, but rather something else that they’re just branding Battlefield to get the sales.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Fairburne

      July 8, 2014 at 13:59

      Should have dropped the BF nomenclature

      Reply

      • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

        July 8, 2014 at 14:28

        Looks like a mod, sounds like a mod….

        Reply

    • Spaffy

      July 8, 2014 at 14:00

      Actually, I think it looks like a mod or new game mode for BF4

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        July 8, 2014 at 14:02

        I have PayDay, which isn’t EA or Battlefield. So I won’t be getting Hardline anyway.
        Besides, it’s not just another Bombtrack.

        Reply

  9. Ragnar Lothbrok

    July 8, 2014 at 14:04

    BF4 beta was only a month or so before release and was intended by DICE to test server stability. The hardline beta was actually way before release and Visceral intends to fix major gameplay issues before release. If nothing else, Visceral Games do not want to release the game in the same horrible state BF4 was released. Please note that I use “intend” and “want” on purpose since the main issue is the netcode problems that all games being developed with the Frostbite 3 engine have.

    Reply

    • Spaffy

      July 8, 2014 at 14:19

      Ah, you should never have left Lagertha. Shits gonna go down for you lol

      Reply

      • Ragnar Lothbrok

        July 8, 2014 at 16:01

        But when it does I’ll sail west.

        Reply

  10. CAE9872

    July 8, 2014 at 14:05

    I REALLY REALLY wish the world’s gamers would now tell EA, in their own words (read = money), NO. You messed up last time and we simply refuse to try it out now and get burnt again. And show them (EA) that yes their brand is most definitely tarnished despite what one of their dickheaded execs had to say otherwise.

    YOU prove to US that the game is finished and maybe we will bite again…

    But alas that is wishful thinking.

    Reply

  11. Hammersteyn

    July 8, 2014 at 14:08

    Stop toying EA. Rename the series from Battlefield to BetaField already

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 8, 2014 at 14:28

      $winning

      Reply

  12. iAmWeasel

    July 8, 2014 at 14:26

    The author of this piece has very strong views for someone who has probably never played a Battlefield game, nor played the Hardline beta… just saying.

    Reply

    • Spaffy

      July 8, 2014 at 14:34

      Seriously? From your comment I take it you haven’t either

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Fairburne

        July 8, 2014 at 14:34

        Hahaha, spot on

        Reply

      • iAmWeasel

        July 8, 2014 at 14:38

        150+ hours on BF3.
        110+ hours on BF4 (and still counting).
        350+ hours on BF2142.

        Lots and lots of time on every other BF game ever made.

        You seem to know a lot about BF4.. how many hours are you at?

        Reply

        • Spaffy

          July 8, 2014 at 14:41

          Eish, I play for fun. Not to prove a point.

          Reply

  13. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    July 8, 2014 at 14:26

    Lol EA, they’ve truly gone full retard with the Molyneux cycle. Not touching this, not even with my banana….

    Reply

    • Spaffy

      July 8, 2014 at 14:50

      I dunno, I like the idea of playing a cop. I just don’t know if doing a cop game battlefield style is the way to go.

      Reply

      • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

        July 8, 2014 at 15:40

        Do you remember True Crime? Now that was an awesome title. Would be nice if they revisited that series (granted Sleeping Dogs is supposed to be “inspired” by True Crime)

        Reply

        • Spaffy

          July 8, 2014 at 15:43

          Was awesome yes. Loved TC
          Sleeping Dogs was originally True Crime: Hong Kong, but got cancelled by Activision. Square Enix picked it up later and released it as Sleeping Dogs because of copyright shit.

          Reply

  14. MakeItLegal

    July 8, 2014 at 14:39

    What the featured comment said , I keep playing on local severs “rubber banding ” is fucking huge , huge I tell u ! I am getting rarther upset these days , still half of the maps load with no sound ? How ? What ? Yes no sound when u load in …. The sounds comes , late ….

    Reply

  15. Alex in Malabar

    July 8, 2014 at 19:04

    More to the point regarding “Remember how Battlefield 4 had a Beta, and people pointed out all the problems with the game, and then when it shipped all those problems were still there? ” Battlefield 4 Beta was *months old* and the Beta feedback was dismissed as “objectively wrong.”

    I’m quoting Lead Producer Patrick Bach: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-10-17-bach-to-the-frontlines-battlefield-4s-lead-producer-opens-up

    So … bug reports regarding a months old build — which existed in the *shipped* version of BF4 — were, and I quote Lead Producer Patrick Back, “objectively wrong”.

    Reply

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