One of the worst excuses for the quality of a video game has potentially reached Battlefield 2042, after only two years of eligibility. The poorly received 12th installment in the Battlefield franchise left much to be desired, but according to a senior producer for DICE, the players are the ones partially at fault.
Upon receiving mixed to average reviews by several critics, the developer has chosen not to take complete responsibility for Battlefield 2042 and instead has passed some blame to the gamers. Apparently, based on the studio’s data, the title would have performed at a higher level, had gamers simply understood the mechanics behind specialists.
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The problem with excuses like the one DICE has made for Battlefield 2042, is that they go beyond comprehension over mechanics. While it is a ridiculous assumption to say gamers are the cause of unrealized functionality, even if this were the case, those working on Battlefield 2042 chose to keep those features.
The game was also heavily criticized for being buggy and in a poor technical state. Confusion over specialists is not the only reason some gamers hated Battlefield 2042, it is just the easiest to blame. In reality, the video game studio put out a title that was less than complete when it was marketed as an evolution in the FPS war genre.
Critics felt unsure about Battlefield 2042, but audiences were even more critical of the game. Several gamers were outspoken about their disappointment with the title, which may be why those at DICE are trying to turn the tables now. Unfortunately, in recent years, it has become much more common for developers to blame players and players to blame developers for bugs and mistakes. The solution to these disputes is not always black and white. Developers and players should be working together to prevent problems like those in Battlefield 2042 from ever happening.
What Exactly Did DICE Have to Say About Battlefield 2042 Players?
Ryan McArthur, a Senior Producer on Battlefield 2042, did an exclusive interview with GamesRadar explaining the developer’s thoughts on the title. When discussing specialists in particular, McArthur said the following:
“When we look back at the data, and when we really started moving forward with introducing the class systems, one of the big things we really started to understand was that a lot of our issues came from the fact that players didn’t understand how the Specialists were supposed to work. And if you don’t understand how something is supposed to work, of course you believe that the old way was better. Feedback from players was really good around this. So we had to find a way to give them what they wanted, but still allow us the freedom and flexibility that we originally wanted too.”
DICE considered Battlefield 2042 specialists to be too different from previous games, which made them more difficult for players to comprehend. The studio eventually decided in season 3 to change the system back to more traditional classes, but by then, the damage had be done. McArthur further explained to GamesRadar:
“Each of these Specialists were originally designed to fit within the class structure that we had in previous games. We just didn’t land that communication, or execute it in a way that players understood what role each Specialist was supposed to play…We underestimated the need to make sure that we constantly tie these things back to the original pillars of Battlefield – class gameplay, squadplay, and teamwork. This is one of the big places where we fell.”
Although the Senior Producer does say players did not understand the specialist mechanics, he also acknowledges communication could have been better within the company. While he directs some of the backlash for the game toward consumers, there is also some responsibility taken for the issues that made Battlefield 2042 such a failure.
What do you think of the Battlefield 2042 interview with Ryan McArthur? Does he make a point or is this just an excuse to protect the studio? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Source: GamesRadar
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