Ex-Dice Employee: "Don't Buy Battlefield Hardline at Launch"

"It's not uncommon for ex-employees to voice opinions about their previous employer and the projects they are working on. Via an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit this week, we were able to hear what ex-Dice designer Tim Kjell had to say about the Battlefield franchise. His opinion: don't buy Battlefield Hardline at launch."

[ArchangelMike]

I won't be buying BF:Hardline at all. I'll be getting The Division instead.

[badz149]

why not? the dev said it will work on release. /s

http://n4g.com/news/1594973...

[XBLSkull]

Only reason the "Battlefield" title is attached to this is to help it sell. It is in no way, shape, or form, a Battlefield game. Skipping it for sure. EA needs punishment anyways for the BF4 debacle, and they shouldn't be turning Battlefield into an annual franchise.

[KingKevo]

@badz149: Funny that someone from the devs really felt the need to actually say that the final version of the game that is sold to consumers will work. Just imagine you buy a car and the seller was like "and oh, the best thing about this car is that it comes with an engine, 4 wheels, breaks and, believe it or not, it actually drives!!" I did not read that story you linked, so maybe the headline was just misleading, but it is actually really ridiculous what EA did and keeps doing with BF.

I'm like ArchangelMike, I won't buy the game at all and thus won't have any trouble. I really did not like the Beta, it felt like any other BF and even those games seem to be in constant Beta even when they are 'gold' and released..

[killacal13]

@ prince ali, in my opinion battlefield should be about battlefields with tanks, choppers, etc... Not a bad boys movie.

[dennett316]

The fact that a developer even had to say that is a sign of just how broken the games industry actually is. No other industry gets away with such obvious contempt for the paying customer, yet people are perfectly happy to continue plonking down their $60, sight unseen, practically begging the publishers and devs to take advantage of them by stripping out content and selling it back to them as Day 1 DLC.
Battlefield 4 was a test to see just how sloppy they could get and still have people make the game a success, and worse, openly stick up for the developers in the face of such a broken farce of a game.
Hardline is a test to see whether or not someone will pay $60 for what is an extremely stripped down concept, to the point where I suspect it was actually supposed to be a "Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon" type of expansion to Battlefield 4 instead of a full retail game. And, of course, gamers are drooling and lining up to buy it just because it had a flashy presentation at E3....who cares that Battlefield 4 was a mess, it'll be different next time???
Honestly, it's getting to the point where I think that the majority of gamers are their own worst enemy. They keep falling for the cycle of hype, pre-order, get game, "Oh wait, it's not very good", repeat. They keep buying the same old experiences, except each time, more and more content is stripped out and made into DLC so it costs them more and more each time to experience the exact thing they've already experienced several times before. Look at the delusion people are suffering over Destiny...I see people rushing to defend it in DROVES because they fell for the empty hype machine. "But it's fun to shoot stuff with friends". And? There are lots of games with satisfying FPS mechanics that are far more complete experiences than the empty shell that is Destiny. Anything can be fun with a few friends...throwing stones at a beehive and running away is fun with friends, that doesn't make it any less of a bad idea. Stop settling for less, stop falling for the hype and start speaking up when you're given a game that doesn't live up to the promises they made throughout its development. Demand MORE for your money, not less...make them EARN that $60 instead of bending over and letting them take it.

[LonDonE]

@dennett316
Dude paragraphs are your friend! seriously you should edit it and just put some paragraphs in which makes it easier on the eye to read or else people will find their eyes jiggle and they keep losing what line they were on LOL

On topic i AGREE WITH U 100% just some advice space out your paragraphs and it makes such a big difference for the readers of your comment!

Please dont take offence to my suggestion i dont want to come across as a grammar nazi its just because i often write walls of text lol but i space out my paragraphs so it makes it easier on the eye when some one reads! :)
See how the spaced out paragraphs are easier on the eye? lol

[PONTIAC08G8GT]

After the turd that BF4 was, they really should sell this game at $30 or $40. Charging $60 just doesn't make sense. The BF series needs an over haul and a "I'm sorry" for putting out such a broke a$$ game as BF4 was. BF really didnt do anything to make up for the garbage that was BF4.

[WombBat]

yup, battlefield 4 is one of my only regret buys of the last ten years.

Im never buying one again

[spacedelete]

i'm glad i did buy BF4 so now i never will buy another BF game again. curiosity killed the cat.

[Lwhit6]

With this upcoming patch I feel like BF4 will finally be the game that it was meant to be. Maybe you'll give it another chance like I am?

[princejb134]

I bought bf3 and bf4 at launch. I'll never touch a battlefield game again.

[Matt666]

I rather still play BF over COD any day of the week

[annoyedgamer]

Crysis 2 was my final straw with EA. I learned my lesson long before.

[Dirtnapstor]

I really don't understand the BF hate... Are these issues PC problems? I experienced server drops (PS3) initially (fixed) and rubber banding (PS4) on Naval Strike, that's about it.
If I get Hardline at launch, it'll be for the SP campaign at this point.

[wsoutlaw87]

@matt you dont have to get either

[Kidmyst]

"Kjell’s opinion on why consumers shouldn’t buy Hardline on day one make perfect sense. Don’t reward EA for promises they have yet to deliver on. If they don’t deliver 100%, it wouldn’t be the first time. "

IF EA just finished a game and released it when ready this would get so much better for them. But EA is known for this crap and many gamers are getting smarter and not buying into the BS.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

This!! ^^

[InTheZoneAC]

A battlefield game that's simply cops and robbers, no actual battlefield or heavy military vehicles?

No thanks!

They should've called it something else and either gave us bad company 3, battlefield 5, or a futuristic battlefield.

I don't even know why they veered off like this, almost like they wanted to be a battlefield meets call of duty hybrid.

[psuedo]

They don't want to do futuristic, because they are doing Star Wars Battlefront. They wanted to spin off the battlefield series some how though, and you get what should of been an alternate game mode into a new game. "Hardline" Greed.

[Magicite]

''Don't Buy Any EA game at Launch!''

[UltraNova]

"Buy Activision games at launch instead because the work" ohh, in order for you to play all the game you will have to pay up to 120 bucks 60 for half the game and another 60 for the rest as DLC PLUS the season pass.

:)

[Ninver]

He'll I urge everybody not to buy a BF game until they get their act together.

[ramiuk1]

i will never buy another BF game at launch,regardless of anyone.

Same reason i will bever buy DLC or a season pass.

people bitch and moan about things but then still go and buy.

[DarkOcelet]

Its a shame that Visceral are the one who are in the middle of this . They are really a good devs .

[Crazyglues]

Ex-Dice Employee: "Don't Buy Battlefield Hardline at Launch!"

-Don't worry I won't, I wash my hands with DICE- I really don't care what they make or what's made using there broken game engine..

So you can keep hardline / and I'll just buy anything else instead --> The Division / Assassin Creed / GTA V / Rainbow Six / Call Of Duty AW / No Seriously anything else...

I'm not wasting any money on that crap..

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[daBUSHwhaka]

Maybe pick this up a year down the line when it's bargain bin material.No chance im making that mistake again.

[isa_scout]

Yep, this is a franchise that EA has totally wrecked. I might pick it up used a year down the road, but I'll make sure EA doesn't see any of that money. I don't like buying games that take 10 patches spread out over a year to finally be the game I was promised when it launched.

[HappyWithOneBubble]

I thought about getting it later used from ebay but now I think I'm not getting it at all. The cop theme isn't interesting for a BF game. I'm getting bored of FPS anyway. Rainbow Six might be the last FPS I pick up for awhile til BF5.

[Neixus]

Don't worry, we won't

[JJShredder]

I enjoy the Battlefield series a lot but after 3 and 4, I will most likely be skipping on this and waiting for the new Battlefront instead(hopefully next year).

[sAVAge_bEaST]

" Less guns makes designing the game easier, and allows resources to be used elsewhere. Choose the best, scrap the rest." -Totally Agree. + it's easier to balance.

[Tales RPG addict]

I wasn't planning on buying BF Hardline anyway. Instead i'm getting Bloodborne. To his their own though

[psuedo]

To each their own.

[SoapShoes]

3 was great, 4 was above average. Hardline beta sucked... Well not really, I just didn't like it because it could have been a BF4 expansion/mode and was the same right down to the glitches. Now they may improve from the beta but I doubt the gameplay will be altered.

[Lionsguard]

I pre-ordered BF4+Season Pass, biggest mistake ever. Never again.

[FullmetalRoyale]

The only true mistake is one you do not learn from. I'm with you there, though.

[luis_spartano]

I wasn't pretending to buy it at launch, nor never.

[Omnisonne]

You bet your sweet ass the majority will pre order and buy it day one though, such is the short-sightedness of the modern gaming community

Imean if they really are that stupid, then I say those ppl deserve to be ripped off

[Saryk]

I don't know. We will see. I hope you are wrong though!

[Cherchez La Ghost]

Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me! LoL!!

I think we learned our lesson w/ BF4.

[quenomamen]

Too bad most gamers will never learn this lesson with COD.

[dragon82]

The problem is that the average gamer gets $60 of enjoyment out of each COD release. These people have no problem buying it every year because they probably stick to that game all year with their core group of friends who also buy it every year. For me the most fun thing about BF or COD is playing with the same group of friends every weekend. I personally only buy every other release like with sports games. I have friends who buy every singe release though.

[WeAreLegion]

Poor Visceral. :/ They're a great developer. It's a shame they have to work for EA.

[Der_Kommandant]

Army of Two The Devil's Cartel says otherwise...

[Tru_Blu]

Makes no sense why they took them off Dead Space, I'd love a next gen Dead Space.

[danny818]

The September update will improve bf4 on x1 drastically. Almost a year the game is gonna be working like intended. So no I wont be buying. BF4 is hella fun tho. It has a lot of replay value

[fxa5209]

Never going to buy an EA game after BF4 problems. The game is still broken one year after release.

I am planning to start a campaign to boycott the game before the game is released.

[Tru_Blu]

I'll sign your petition.

[jrshankill]

Good luck with that.

/sarcasm

[Master-H]

Why support EA and buy and beta test Hardline at launch when i can buy the new Rainbow Six.

[NeoGamer232]

I have EA Access. It will eventually show up there...

[ninjahunter]

What if I told you Dice isnt making hardline?

[annoyedgamer]

What if I told you the broken and uninspired games are all EA's fault and Dice is owned by EA just like Visceral?

[SharnOfTheDEAD]

I had fun with BF4 despite the flaws I enjoyed it campaign was fun and the online kept me busy for a while, but Hardline? I'm passing on that all together, rather play the new Rainbow 6 game.

[knickstr]

Battlefield was one of the more balanced and tactical games. Way different experience than most other FPS. EA is trying their best to run the battlefield series into the ground. Doing a pretty good job at it too.

[dragon82]

Same thing happened to SOCOM. :(

[iTechHeads]

Wasn't planning on it.

[Specter229]

I played the beta so of course i wasnt buying it at launch. I do enjoy BF3 and BF4 and hopefully this upcoming patch makes BF4 the game it should of been to start with. Lets keep in mind even with its issues its still better than COD Ghosts, my opinion.

[FalconR289]

I'll probably never buy another Dice developed game at launch again. As for Hardline I'll make my decision after the next beta. I had fun with the first beta and never really had many problems with it.

[PCBOX]

Visceral are bunch of great devs but a little bit skeptical about BFHL.Next Gen Dante's Inferno woul be better option for me!!!

[cfc78]

Going to wait till it drops to the EA vault im in no rush to play it.

[DxTrixterz]

I would only buy it if they gave out premium membership with it for free and that still would be at least 6 months after release.

[windblowsagain]

I actually enjoyed the beta.

The maps need to be bigger imo. But cops and robbers interests me.

Graphics looked good, different vehicle physics.

Not saying get at launch, but it's worth a look.

[Relientk77]

Haha wow

don't worry I'm not buying it ever

[Flames76]

I will be picking up hardline on the X1 and without a doubt it will play just fine.So ill come back to this article in march if its still around to see all the hate from a fact i just stated

[Revengeance]

This BF4 add-on being sold for $60 needs to flop. EA took the easy way out with this one. Shame on them.

[quenomamen]

funny, still with the company COD devs have been saying the same thing for the last 5 years.
I find the hypocrisy with gamers funny. Raging on BF Hardline for being nothing but a re skin clone.
Then getting in line to buy the new COD ! Whoohoo ! Maybe if they just called Hardline BF5, nobody would complain. It not a clone if its got a number next to the title ! Its just a continuation !

[xTheMercenary_]

I wasn't planning on purchasing it anyway, it looks like shit in my opinion.

[Trawwx]

To me it looks like a DLC with a cops and robbers theme

[xTheMercenary_]

That's exactly why im not getting it, its like a copy pasted bf4 but cops and robbers, garbage to the max.

[Trawwx]

I'll past on Hardline. I'll get battlefront 3

[urwifeminder]

Screw the new BF even 3 was not great for me got BBC on pc recently and am loving it max ranked on console but its so much harder on PC also got Quake wars just getting sick of unlocks for weapons and tech trees.

[Liquid696]

I don't understand all the hate for BF3 & 4. BF3 for me was a great game, 4 may not have been as good but they where both some of the most fun I've had playing online. Granted 4 had its bugs but I think people tended to over exaggerate the issues. I just wish people would stop jumping on the hate bandwagon

[Str8Chaos74]

BF3 for me was great as well. I think a lot of the hate comes from the fact that they release DLC, and a lot of it before fixing the core game that they released. Never bought BF4, but from what I heard it was a total mess.

[Tru_Blu]

Anyone who buys this $120 add-on is a fool. I'm sorry but this is a BF4 mod and they will inevitably sell 'premium' for it also.

[Str8Chaos74]

EA is so stupid, they never listen to gamers. I think I can speak for a lot of people on this. WE WANT BAD COMPANY 3! If you can handle it with out screwing it up.

[FreakyFox]

I think we have been flooded with too many Military games over the last ten years, people are getting sick of them and we just buy them for the sake of it now day trying to get that CoD 4 buzz.

Maybe a Star Wars or Unreal Tournament, something with a different genre with the same Leaderboard and Progression system.

Military Shooters and Zombie Massacre have been milked to death.

[Thuggy]

i thought of getting it but i saw u can ride in cars ..i dnt like vehicle usage in games ex destiny them overpowered

[carlingtat]

I have a policy to wait at least 1 week after launch to get EA games. That way I see the reaction both from players and journalists. Like he said if its good I'll reward them by buying it ,if its not then I wont. Still not going to buy Hardline because its a BF4 DLC.

[Father__Merrin]

BF4 is fine on pc now, Il end up getting hardline but much later on. I predict it will be a low selling battlefield

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

This franchise that lacks a severe amount of quality is a plague to the industry & brings nothing new to an already overly crowded genre!

[Dogswithguns]

At $59 "no" to any games at launch..

[Arty84]

if I were EA I would rather pull BF hardlines release and include it in the Ea access subscription service to get a boost in subs maybe add a 6 month commitment to access the game

[gamer7804]

I didn't like th beta at all.

[smellslikeralph]

I dont see anything changing at EA until gamers stop giving EA your money. I stopped buying EA games after crysis 2 and i borrowed BF4 and its a mess.

Unless you stop easily giving your money to EA they will continue to put out half ass games, take your money then laugh behind your back because they knew they once again suckered you in with false claims.

you all will buy hardline then complain later when its all screwed up.

[Jozinho]

If Hardline is like BF4 (September Version) it will be a great game. I don't know if you guys played the BF4 with the new update but it feels like BF3 (Which is great news for BF lovers). However, if us the gamers that spend hard earned cash on games want to send a message to EA. I'm all for it.