Battlefield is a series long renowned for its multiplayer prowess, but for the latest instalment, developers DICE dropped in a fairly slick and expensive singleplayer campaign. Leading many people to wonder, uh, why?
Normally it’s the other way around! Singleplayer games get multiplayer modes added because that’s where the longevity/money supposedly is, but adding singleplayer to a multiplayer game isn’t so common.
EA’s Frank Gibeau says that, while Battlefield is “an online service”, the “single play experience is important”.
“It’s a great way to get fans into the experience, have them train up and get ready for multiplayer. And a lot of fans just enjoy having that single player experience. So I think you have to have both.”
Something EA CEO John Riccitiello agrees with. “Remember as well that single player is often how new players ramp into the game,” he told investors last week.” It’s a way for new players to get exposed to a franchise.”
As Gibeau says, there are lots of people that enjoy a singleplayer experience, even in games like this. Myself included, as despite the over-reliance on hand-holding, I’m loving Battlefield 3’s singleplayer campaign. And I can’t be the only one, otherwise developers like DICE, Infinity Ward and Bungie wouldn’t keep including them!
EA justifies Battlefield 3 single player [Eurogamer]
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