EA delays required, puts criteria on Battlefield 6

Electronic Arts will postpone the next need for speed games for a year and employ its studio – Criterion Games – to support EA Dice on the Battlefield series, which will debut on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X this fall. In an interview, EA’s top executive for the studio insisted that neither the franchise is in trouble, nor the criteria being taken from the motion project to require it.

Ira’s chief studio officer, Laura Miley, told Reporter Door that epidemic working conditions, and the Codemasters takeover are already distributing at least one racing game for EA later this year, made the criteria a Rational call made.

“[Battlefield] Is shaping up great, the team is working incredibly hard, they worked hard last year, and yes, we are working from home, ”Miley told Reporter Door. “And it’s tough; Making games from home is difficult, and [EA DICE] The team is a bit tired.

“We have a great game and have some incredible abilities with this game,” Miele added. “We are playing to win; We are playing to put one of the best battlefield games on the market. “

Electronic Arts told investors in November that the need for Speed ​​and Battlefield would be met by March 2022, with the new generation getting into the new generation of consoles. Battlefield’s next game, which was not yet titled, was first mentioned (in a call with investors)) back in 2019. The most recent battlefield was 2018 Battlefield 5, Founded in World War II.

A year ago, EA sent Criteria to the Need for Speed ​​series after three lacking entries by Ghost Games, which were reorganized into studios supporting Frostbite development. Last fall, Criterion, the creators of the Burnout series remake the 2010 considered version need for Speed ​​Hot Pursuit (Whose origins they also developed).

Miley acknowledges that players and fans may expect Monday’s news – especially after last week’s announcement that bioware would give up disappointing growth Anthem – As a sign the studio system for one of gaming’s biggest publishers is having trouble with its assignment. Not so, Miele insisted.

He said, “There is no way that we would have included this without taking such a decision.” [Criterion] And discuss it with them first, and the effect it could have on them [Battlefield], ”Said Miley. “They have worked [Star Wars] Battlefront, they have worked on Battlefields, and they have a really tight, close collaborative partnership with DICE. I am really convinced that it will be a very positive win for him. “

Criterion supported DICE Star wars battlefront (2015) more Battlefield 2 (2017), and developed the Firestorm Battle Royal Mode for Battlefield 5.

In a sense, Meule said, EA bought motorsports specialists Codemasters (that deal would close by the end of the spring) giving the company the bandwidth needed to make the move. Codmasters shipped Dirt 5 And F1 2020 Last year, and three titles in 2019. This is due to at least one more game on Formula One’s annual license this year.

Image: Criterion Games, Stellar Entertainment / Electronic Arts

Miele said that Criterion’s ability would be better when it could be released or lost by Codemaster, rather than fussy to accelerate the next requirement outside the door. But, she emphasized, Criterion will return to work to speed on the game requirement – the series is not being discontinued, taken from Guildford, England studios, nor given to Kodmasters, which two hours into Southamp is far. The next need for Speed ​​will also launch on current and previous generations of PlayStation and Xbox, Miley said.

“They own the need for speed franchise; That is why they manage the remaster, ”said Miley. “Whatever is happening within the Need for Speed ​​brand, they are responsible for it, or things come through them to make sure they are on board with it.”

Miley said that a year of working from home, and DICE is likely to be built in Battlefront with EA’s Top Brass.

“Making games is more sophisticated and complex, there are forms of media that exist, and this requires creative energy and connections to team members,” he said. “I think working from home, you know, is fatigue and some jealousy. There is a lot that people just have to do with their families; some people are taking care of their children at home [while they work]. So our productivity is not that high, and creative relationships and creative energy are not as high when they are working from home. “

Miley said DICE Los Angeles, which now responds to Respina Entertainment founder Vince Zampella, is also involved with development on the battlefield, primarily the game’s live service component. “They have been at it for over a year, and they are doing some extraordinary things in live service.”

Last summer, rumors suggested that Battlefield 4 – EA has not yet announced the title of the game – will return to the modern-day installation, which will support multiplayer maps, with 128 players. Miele would not comment on specific features or innovations that EA expects to deliver next Battlefield, except to call the game “a love letter to our fans”, and we “want to be great.”

“We’re going to put all the resources we have on this,” Miley said.