In the multiplayer shooter Star Wars Battlefront, the developers at DICE feel the pressure that comes with the name “Star Wars”. The publishers at Electronic Arts are excited about extremely strong pre-orders.
At Electronic Arts, there is a good mood: Star Wars Battlefront is being well received, it was said during the announcement of the quarterly figures. After the presentation of Star Wars Battlefront at E3, pre-orders exploded. The numbers are “extremely strong.” Electronic Arts seems to have already planned Battlefront as a hit.
Now similar results are expected from Gamescom. They look forward to Gamescom, consider the public fair an important moment, and anticipate overwhelming reactions.
Meanwhile, the developers at DICE remain humble in every interview: It is not about making a DICE game with Star Wars Battlefront, but rather it has to be a Star Wars game with the qualities of a DICE game, said General Manager Patrick Bach to GameIndustry.
A lot is at stake for the Swedish developer studio, it is clear. With success, they could soar, no longer regarded as just a Battlefield studio, but as a Star Wars studio. However, Bach dismisses this notion, stating that at DICE they do not try to plan too far ahead, as that could lead to a loss of passion. When you plan big and then have to change those plans, it can cost creativity.
It is probably better to be prepared for everything and then to respond spontaneously to events.
