2-year dev cycle the minimum for big Battlefield titles

DICE won't accept anything less than a two year development cycle for any major Battlefield title, studio general manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson has told VideoGamer.com.

It's all down to ensuring each game meets three core principles set out at the studio.

"The plan for the franchise is not set in stone in any way. The things that are set in stone are the core values within DICE, which are quality, innovation and fun," explained Troedsson.

"So one of the key things that is very important for us is that each Battlefield title, at least the bigger ones, should get a full two-year development cycle so we can hit those three core values."

[rabidpancakeburglar]

That's good, it'll at least stop it becoming like cod

[aviator189]

I really do hope so, but don't call of duty titles also have 2-year dev cycles since treyarch and infinity ward [ a shell of its former self] respectively release CoD titles two years after each developer's title?

[WolfLeBlack]

Indeed, they do.

My view is that a 2-year dev cycle stops the game becoming over-saturated, a problem that Call of Duty has been encountering lately with a game coming out ever year. People begin to tire of the constant stream. Of course, Call of duty has a two year dev cycle and still releases a game every year, which means it still feels over-saturated compared to the Battlefield or even Halo series

[rabidpancakeburglar]

Not really as they are still call of duty titles, different developers but the same franchise. I don't see the difference between titles like MW2 and black ops, I just see them as call of duty.

[RedDead]

Cod 3 had 9 months :)

Sorry it was 8 months

[PhantomT1412]

@rabidpancakeburglar
There's still a risk that EA would saturate its military FPS releases with a Medal of Honor/Battlefield cycle every 2 years. They are not the same series, but when you look at Battlefield 3 and Medal of Honor (2010), you can see they're VERY similar in terms of approach and play (authentic and documentary style campaign + multiplayer developed by DICE which felt very much like Battlefield).
And things could get worse in that perspective with the real Infinity Ward now at EA as "Respawn" hinting at the development of another modern military shooter franchise.

I would rather have Medal of Honor go back to WWII, WWI, or whatever, unless it's not modern warfare. It's actually with the latter that's the market is crowded right now.

[DeadlyFire]

Two years with a break in the middle though. Same flavor every year can't taste it anymore.

Even my favorite foods I need to break away from now and then.

[Pixel_Pusher]

the sucky part is having to wait two years for another BF title. *sigh* :' (

[Shackdaddy836]

@Phantom Ya but I think they will also put in Bad Company to switch it up a bit. Plus DICE doesn't only make modern warfare type games. There next Battlefield game will probably be a sequel to BF:2142.

And ya, I want MoH to go back to WWII espionage. I want to sneak aboard a U-boat again and pwn everyone with a one-shot silenced pistol. I want pass through a German bar disguised as a Nazi. Those were the days....

PS It's already confirmed that Respawn is doing a future shooter.

[narutogameking]

COD games also have a 2-year dev cycle.
Treyarch and Infinity Ward take turns each year.

[TruthSeeker]

You know, I dont mind that cycle as long as they are good. I believe in DICE, they can keep evolving it to keep it fresh

[Wizziokid]

goo to hear, none of this yearly copy and paste crap.

on another note, I would say we will see the next Battlefield game on next gen consoles. in my opinion anyway this is the last this gen

[narutogameking]

COD games also have a 2-year dev cycle.

[Hufandpuf]

But a game still comes out every year regardless of the cycle

[Fishy Fingers]

Think you'll see a game every other year, with big 'expansions' coming inbetween.

Regardless what they say, they'd want to bleed this as much as COD if they could get away with it.

[iamnsuperman]

I agree. There doing what Activison is doing to COD. COD has two year cycles with different developers working on parts of the game. Instead we will get big expansions/badcompany every other year with Medal of honor the alternating years. EA have all ready said they are going to do this to compete with COD

[Convas]

Ummm ... you guys aren't really reading behind the lines here.

Does this not bespeak EA using Medal of Honor/Battlefield in the same way that Activision is using Call of Duty Treyarch/Call of Duty Infinity Ward/and now Call of Duty Sledgehammer?

Medal of Honor 2012
Bad Company 3 2013
Medal of Honor Redux 2014
Battlefield 4 2015

etc, etc.

[iamnsuperman]

EA have all ready said they are going to do that to compete with COD every year.

[radphil]

"AdmiralSnake
Ea looks pathetic doing that in my opinion. "

How is competition pathetic? It's a factor in making companies actually improving themselves, or going home.

[bumnut]

Battlefield is nothing like medal of honour, they are different franchises.

[bumnut]

So are codemasters doing the same thing with:

dirt
grid
dirt2
f1 2010
dirt3
f1 2011

They are all driving games but different franchises.

[theflyindutchman]

lol indeed!
but am i the only one who thinks its a bit to much?
every winter a CoD and BF/MoH.
must quit working i guess?

[JBSleek]

This is exactly what CoD does. I predict that this and Medal of Honor will keep trading spots year after year and this will be just like how CoD is developed just this time people will somehow justify it how it isn't the same or it's different or it doesn't matter. Hypocrites.

[Gamer-Z]

EA is just copying Activision with a 2 year cycle but instead of COD/COD it will be Medal of Honor/Battlefield switching every year. Expect the quality of the BF series to start slipping just like COD =/

[Shackdaddy836]

It's different though. DICE has multiple teams and two different games - BF and BC. Plus, the next BF game will probably be BF:2143(people have been asking for this like crazy).

So it will probably go:
BF:3
next MoH
BC:3
next MoH
BF:2143

This means that the team working on BF will have a full 4 years(more if they decide they want to do another BC game) to work on their game. This will not only give them time to make the game, but allow them to update their frostbite engine to make it nice and pretty.

[iamnsuperman]

You should read up on how many teams actually work on a COD game. There is like 3 big ones and other smaller ones. It crazy. Its is how the can pump out the game.