The multiplayer shooter Star Wars Battlefront must be ready in time for the cinema release of the next Star Wars blockbuster. Or not?
Somehow we are currently receiving “mixed signals”. In an interview with Gamespot, the Game Director of DICE explained what it is like to work against a “hard deadline”. There is a timeframe that absolutely must not be exceeded. Because everyone knows: If the new Star Wars shooter is not ready in time for the film release, that would be pretty dumb.
Developer: Film release is a “hard deadline”
Bach highlights the advantages. A fixed date also motivates to perform at their best. One simply does not want to miss such an “incredible party” but wants to participate. And having more time is also not good. If it takes 3 years to develop a game, the final product will look “old”. Then you get “overtaken on the inside track by competitors”. Anyone with too long development cycles must restart anyway.
This supposed short development time leading up to the movie release had no impact on the removal of the single-player campaign, which some fans suspected. Such a campaign was never planned anyway; instead, solo missions are offered.
Publisher: No, it’s not that strict
The day before, another interview on the topic with Electronic Arts appeared on MCV. They wanted to avoid giving the impression that “Star Wars Battlefront” needs to hurry. They are ready to postpone the game if it’s not finished, said Peter Moore of EA: “You can’t deliver something that doesn’t work or whose quality you’re not satisfied with.”
Both interviews took place at E3. It remains open whether anyone at DICE was aware that the “hard deadline” is not that hard after all. Perhaps no one at DICE thought about actually exceeding it.
You can read more about Star Wars Battlefront on our topic page.
