Games

Genres Are Merging Says EA

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11 May 2016

By Alex Khalil

While many shooters are moving forward in time with their games, EA property Battlefield is heading to WW1.

EA top bosses have said that being distinctive is important, as gaming genres are blending together.

Patrick Soderlund says there are fewer driving, puzzle and shooting games, due to a “convergence” of games in the last few years. There are games like Call of Duty which stick to the same meta each game, but then you get things like Battleborn which blend a number of genres, including MOBA and FPS combat.

Visually the games engine is far beyond that o Call of Duty. Lets hope it does the same with its gameplay.
Visually, the game engine is far beyond that of Call of Duty. Let’s hope the same can be said for its gameplay.

Modern shooters follow a certain formula now, and Patrick from EA believes that should change.

“In Battlefield 1 there are lots of RPG-type elements, in terms of un-lockable items or in the ways you can progress in the game, even though it’s a shooter. If you look back a few years, you were either in the action space, the shooter space or the driver space. You’re seeing a lot of genre blending now.”

The game looks to be taking on a grittier tone, given the setting.
The game looks to be taking on a grittier tone, given the setting.

Battlefield 1 is technically the fifth game in the series, and is going back to its routes in WW1 and older warfare. This comes as a welcome change given the slew of futuristic shooters being released in the coming months. These include Doom (which has received less than positive beta reviews) and Infinite Warfare. 

Patrick went on to say:

“I think it’s exciting that as gamers we can now play multiple types of experiences in one given game. I think as game developers we have to challenge ourselves and push the boundaries a little bit.”

The trailer for the newest EA title was released a few days ago, and honestly, it looks rather good. Short, snappy, but no gameplay, so let’s not get too excited.

When asked about how EA’s title would clash with the newest Call of Duty, Patrick said:

“I have a lot of respect for what they’ve done [COD developers] with the brand and I think they have a lot of respect for what we’re doing. I think it’s a healthy competition and that should be part of business.”

Battlefield 1 will be released in October this year.

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