WithStar Wars Battlefrontbeing roundly beaten in terms of daily users by 2013’sBattlefield 4, we investigate exactly why theStar Warsshooter’s user base is dwindling.
It’s fair to say thatStar Wars Battlefrontdid not quite receive the reception that publisher EA expected when it was released in November of last year. Although the game was highly anticipated by the gaming community, the multiplayer shooter came under fire from fans of the franchise and critics alike fora perceived lack of content. All in all, it seemed as though the critical success of the DICE-developed title was not as sure-fire as expected.
In spite of that, gamers still appeared to pick up the game by the bucketload. EA set a fairly conservative estimate of 13 million copies sold, andStar Wars Battlefronthad already gained12 million purchasesby the end of the holiday season. Although GameStop has suggested that the game did not perform quite as expected, there was still a sizeable chunk of FPS fans who took the plunge into the game’s world.
Unfortunately, EA has clearly come across another problem: those players are leaving in droves. Recently, it’s been revealed thatStar Wars Battlefronthas a surprisingly low number of daily users given its release just months ago. In fact, according to Battlefield-centric websiteBF4Central, 2013’sBattlefield 4actually has 50% more users than DICE’sStar Warsshooter.
The recent data mine of statistics from EA’s own servers suggests thatStar Wars Battlefronthas only 80,000 active users on average over 24 hours. That may seem like a strong amount, butBattlefield 4, which was released several years ago now, still gets approximately 125,000 users per day. It is even worse for fellow EA stable mateBattlefield: Hardline, which averages just 25,000 active users.
Battlefrontis far from the only multiplayer-focused game to suffer from a dramatic drop-off in users within a short amount of time. Indeed, the equally highly anticipated asymmetrical shooterEvolvealso hada huge loss of player basewithin a short amount of time. Question is, what exactly has causedStar Wars Battlefrontto lose so many users, and why hasBattlefield 4retained so much of its player base?
The answer perhaps comes from one of the main criticisms of theStar Warsshooter: a lack of varied content. Fans were miffed when the game released with a paltry number of maps, and even though a variety of game modes were available to users at launch, it did not change the fact that only a few locations could be accessed. Although EA and DICE no doubt hoped otherwise, having varied gameplay forms would not make different rounds in Hoth feel like an entirely different experience.
There was, therefore, little to keep players entertained should their enthusiasm for the gameplay dry up. That, unfortunately, seems to be exactly what happened with users, and the obvious lack of depth compounded with the lack of variety when it came to location.Battlefrontmay have been fun, but that was never going to be enough to keep gamers hooked.
In particular,Star Wars Battlefrontlacked much by way of technical ability for gamers to master. The game always felt very relaxed when it came to users, with gameplay much more arcade-like than most other FPS games on the market. A leniency on new players is sometimes welcome, as seen with Nintendo’s acclaimedSplatoon, butStar Wars Battlefrontsimplylacked a high ceiling, or even the ability for users to develop a mastery of the game.
With that in mind, it was very strange that the game was released without a single-player campaign available. The lack of a campaign mode was another huge criticism launched atStar Wars Battlefront, keeping the game apart from its predecessors and evendrawing the ireofThe Force Awakensstar John Boyega. A single-player mode was missed by fans, and no doubt impacted on the game’s longevity.
Although some may feel that the addition of a more fleshed out solo-centric mode would not have helped with long-term users, the inclusion of a campaign is often very helpful for players. After all, there is a reason whyTitanfall 2is due to receive a campaign in its second iteration. Not only can a single-player modehelp provide players with contexton how to play the multiplayer, but it also delivers a stronger tie to the world-building of the multiplayer side of things.
What is perhaps most surprising is that the game came from acclaimed multiplayer shooter dev DICE. When the developer had the reins of theBattlefieldfranchise, the FPS series seemed unstoppable, going toe-to-toe with shooter kingpinCall of Duty. However, DICE was unable to bring this expertise with it into theStar Warsuniverse.
The reasons for this are multiple, but it mainly comes down to the differences between the two franchises, and the way in which DICE handled player expectations.Battlefieldhas always had a campaign tied to its obvious multiplayer focus, and this has helped users take on the slightly different mechanics of each game. When it came to the multiplayer, too, theBattlefieldfranchise has given more variety to users thanBattlefrontmanaged.
That’s whyBattlefield 4still has a much larger number of daily users thanStar Wars Battlefront– and all afterthe astronomical problemsthatBattlefield 4had at launch. DICE combined the lightning-in-a-bottle multiplayer gameplay of previous games in the franchise with a decent campaign and enough intricacies to be perfected to keep FPS fanatics involved. What’s more, DICE tried to continue releasing content forBattlefield 4long after the game’s initial release, even if the developer could never quite remove the tarnish of the game’s dismal launch.
Unfortunately, the same cannot quite be said aboutStar Wars Battlefront, and that has proved to be EA and DICE’s downfall. Sure, the game may still receiveadditional maps and content, but when such a small amount was available when the game was initially released, the availability of more maps feels more likeStar Wars Battlefrontfinally giving players what they expected to have from the get-go. When some of that content is paid-for downloadable expansions, there’s then the added bonus of segmenting the game’s dwindling user base even more.
Star Wars Battlefrontis far from the onlyStar Warsgame that EA is going to release, and fans of the iconic franchise can expect different developers to have their own shots at taking on one of the most well-known properties in the world – particularly now that DICE is once again focused on theBattlefieldseries. However, EA will need to be aware of exactly howStar Wars Battlefrontfailed to provide long-term gaming thrills, and perhaps instead think long and hard aboutthe future ofStar Warsgames.
