Being an older sod and all, I've had the "privilege" of seeing EA pull some crazy stuff over the years but seeing them in a position where they have to swallow their pride and bargain with players to reconsider Battlefield V takes the cake.
Battlefield V producer Andrew Gulotta and community manager Dan Mitre appeared on this weekend's deep dive livestream, where they briefly touched upon the game's initial creative direction. As you're well aware, Battlefield V's first trailer has kicked up serious dust, which hasn't really settled since.
Admitting that they probably went a bit overboard, the two promised that DICE will be dialling down the "crazy" customisations back somewhat. Apparently, they heard the community's concerns and will be meeting them half way so as to ensure that Battlefield V is as authentic as possible. "That's important to us, that's important to our players", they said.
Nevertheless, they pointed out that they'll still be looking at World War II through "DICE's lens". Asked whether this means that their newly found quest for authenticity means no more experimentation with Battlefield V, they pointed out that it's still possible. "Again, we'll watch how the community reacts, maybe we'll try something", they added.
I've nothing personal against Gulotta or Mitre because they really seem like nice guys. However, some of their statements are so mindboggling, infuriating and borderline insulting that I'm not really sure where to begin.
First of all - coming out now, four months after the said controversy sparked, and claiming you've "heard the community", is not a lie - it's retroactive doublethink. Are we to play along and pretend as if Battlefield V's had nothing to do with it?
EA
Moreover, DICE weren't listening to their players when everything was fine and dandy, were they? Neither did they do so when EA's Patrick Soderlund tried to assert his position and proposed some sort of "either-or" ultimatum, did they? How about when he called them uneducated? No? Nothing? So what in the world are these guys on about then?
Gallery of screenshots and memes about Battlefield V
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