Battlefield 3 Will 'Absolutely Blow Everyone Away'

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 hasn't even hit retail shelves yet, but already there's been sparse talk of the inevitable release of Battlefield 3. In an interview with Fredrik Liliegren, the CEO of DICE from 1988 to 2000, and Studio Manager of DICE Canada from 2001 to 2006, Liliegren told GamingUnion.net what he could about Battlefield 3.

Gaming Union: How do you think the Battlefield series has developed since you left DICE?

Liliegren: Well I knew that they were going to the console route because the numbers on the PC where dwindling. I know what they were talking about on the PC side for [the next] Battlefield, and they haven't announced any of that yet, after three years, so I know what's coming, and I still can't talk about it because I'm still under NDA (non-disclosure agreement).

I mean Battlefield Heroes is something that we talked about back when even Jeff [Evans] was working at DICE, in regards of taking Battlefield into a micro-transaction type model. We actually worked on that initial prototype for that here in Canada, just to see how we would split it up from a design standpoint.

I think for the console side, the first outing on [Xbox] 360 and PS2 and Xbox was really weak because we didn't have a single player experience. I think that Bad Company 2 is going to be really good because I think these guys are really smart and they learned the lesson. What the PC version is going to be, Battlefield 3, I think it's going to absolutely blow everyone away, but I can't tell you what it is, but it will blow people away.

GU: Even after 3 years?

Liliegren: That's why it's going to blow people away, because it's not Modern Warfare 2 PC, it's not that experience.

Considering Liliegren no long works for DICE, his opinion of the game is likely a lot more honest than you'd hear from any current executive. DICE has themselves confirmed that they've been developing Battlefield 3 for some years.

After the purchase of DICE by Electronic Arts in 2006, EA closed the DICE Canada studio. Instead of moving back to Sweden to once again helm DICE, Liliegren formed a new studio, Antic Entertainment. Make sure to check out our interview with Liliegren and his team about their new studio.

Source: http://www.gaminguni...away--1075.html

[Growled Member]

I guess we'll see. I'm not going to hold my breath.

[Vice]

I think with Battlefield 3 they will go for an ultra realistic approach. I get the sense that a lot of the games they release they do so simply to monetize their toolsets as fast as possible like tank models, objects, ai, weapons, skins and the game engines and that it is all building to something which could be Battlefield 3.

[LingeringSoul]

That's why it's going to blow people away, because it's not Modern Warfare 2 PC, it's not that experience.

I like how the DICE guys (and ex-DICE, from this article) take a shot at Modern Warfare 2 with every chance they get. I've lost count of all the times they've dissed MW2 (whether it's implicit or explicit). I love it.

As for BF3, I didn't even know they were serious about making BF3. Like Liliegren said, the numbers on the PC are dwindling, and I didn't think that a PC-centric Battlefield game was still in the cards for a company like EA. I had resigned myself to the belief that the best we can hope for are well-made PC versions of console-centric games (which BF:BC2 seems to be judging from my time with the beta).

[Master Shake]

:woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot:

[Green_Eye]

I guess we'll see. I'm not going to hold my breath.

I will hold my breath. I will absolutely hold it. BF3 is my most anticipated game by FAR!

[Sethos]

I think with Battlefield 3 they will go for an ultra realistic approach. I get the sense that a lot of the games they release they do so simply to monetize their toolsets as fast as possible like tank models, objects, ai, weapons, skins and the game engines and that it is all building to something which could be Battlefield 3.

Ultra realistic? No way in hell - It's going to be arcade all the way, as every other Battlefield game ever.

Realism scares most people.

[Emn1ty]

Honestly all I want is for BF3 to be another WWII game. I am really tired of these modern day shooters. I have always preferred WWII gameplay over modern gameplay. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that if I wanted to be in the US Military right now, I'd be in it and not playing a game. However, I can't so easily go and fight in WWII now can I?

[mokthraka]

its funny how before we started making all these modern day shooters. EVERYONE hated WWII games and now that we dont have as many of those WWII games, everyone wants them back.

cant wait for BF3

[Sethos]

its funny how before we started making all these modern day shooters. EVERYONE hated WWII games and now that we dont have as many of those WWII games, everyone wants them back.

cant wait for BF3

Not everyone wanted World War II shooters gone.

[Fubar]

Cant wait for this been a huge fan of the battlefield series from day one :) bring it on :)

[Vice]

Ultra realistic? No way in hell - It's going to be arcade all the way, as every other Battlefield game ever.

Realism scares most people.

I'm talking detail wise. Realistic tanks, realistic particle effects, realistic models. Ultra-realism in the portrayal of a battlefield whilst making the actual gameplay arcade. For example I believe they will realistically render weapons, ammo speeds, penetration depth of ammo whilst continuing to not include things like guns breaking, jamming etc

[Hedon]

I think with Battlefield 3 they will go for an ultra realistic approach. I get the sense that a lot of the games they release they do so simply to monetize their toolsets as fast as possible like tank models, objects, ai, weapons, skins and the game engines and that it is all building to something which could be Battlefield 3.

I would love to see ultra realism "added" to the ingredients. Pepper in a little ARMA II, Operation Flashpoint and America's Army on top of Battlefield 2's recipe, and I would be pumped. Just don't sprinkle any of the Bad Company crap on it.

[Sethos]

I would love to see ultra realism "added" to the ingredients. Pepper in a little ARMA II, Operation Flashpoint and America's Army on top of Battlefield 2's recipe, and I would be pumped. Just don't sprinkle any of the Bad Company crap on it.

ArmA II is basically a new iteration of Armed Assault which is an iteration of Operation Flashpoint - Just for useless information >.>

And detail wise, most games these days do add military accuracy but real realism they are totally off the road.

[Hedon]

ArmA II is basically a new iteration of Armed Assault which is an iteration of Operation Flashpoint - Just for useless information >.>

Yup...the whole ARMA, AA and OF has been an interesting to development to watch...at least for me. Not sure why I get into that stuff.

[Huleboeren]

I would love to see ultra realism "added" to the ingredients. Pepper in a little ARMA II, Operation Flashpoint and America's Army on top of Battlefield 2's recipe, and I would be pumped. Just don't sprinkle any of the Bad Company crap on it.

+1

Except the soundpart of the engine Bad Company uses

It is absolutely amazing :D

[Sethos]

Yup...the whole ARMA, AA and OF has been an interesting to development to watch...at least for me. Not sure why I get into that stuff.

Then you just need to play ArmA II, then we're 2 players on Neowin :rofl:

[ZombieFly]

Not everyone wanted World War II shooters gone.

so true. i love ww2 shooters. But then i became addicted to 1942 back in the day and nothing has ever beaten it [however most of the draw to the game was the teamplay aspect with work colleagues on a friday night. What fun we had] :)

i'm also disappointed we still haven't seen 1943 on the pc yet. Not that disappointed though as i've been "with" dice since the early days, so i've already learnt to disregard everything they say. Shame....

[SMELTN]

I can't wait for BF3. BF:BC2 is shaping up to be pretty awesome though. You know I agree with some of you guys, we all wanted to play a bunch of WWII games, then the market got flooded with them and none of us wanted to play them anymore, so we wanted Modern games, now the market is flooded with those and we want our WWII games back again.

I think it would be cool to add both in 1 game. Have it where we start in WWII and move forward, and in multiplayer you have the option to play in WWII mode or in Modern Combat mode.. Now that would be hawt!!

[Sethos]

Have it where we start in WWII and move forward, and in multiplayer you have the option to play in WWII mode or in Modern Combat mode.. Now that would be hawt!!

You start out in WWII in BC2 ...

[ZombieFly]

bf3 - so good, its like nothing we've ever seen, even though it was started 3 yrs ago. maybe you have to play it with real guns in afganistan and actually di©e :p

[NienorGT]

Wait... the guy left DICE in 2006 and they interview him on a game not even announced... ~_~

I'm missing something?

[SimplySchizo]

you strip bf2 of its strategic commander/squad structure. implement it in bfbc2, some minor graphical enhancements, more classes, maybe even up the scale a bit and you got a recipe for one badass, unstoppable fps war experience in a console. that would be bf3 for me. anything less would be uncivilized! :P

requesting ammo/vehicle drops along with destructable uav stations and artillery guns is something much needed in the console versions.

in retrospect, man theres nothing to date that tops bf2 imo. come on dice, lets get this all in...

[Vice]

Wait... the guy left DICE in 2006 and they interview him on a game not even announced... ~_~

I'm missing something?

Games are usually in development for 1-3 years. So its conceivable that he was involved in preliminary discussions about the game before production began. But I agree he probably doesn't have a great deal of insight on how the game looks currently.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

I'm excited! :woot:

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will keep me busy until Battlefield 3 is released. Heck, I'd be happy with Battlefield 2 ported to the Frostbite engine plus new maps.