Seeing as how this fall we'll see a major battle between two military-themed first-person shooters, Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the developers of these games have talked about the rivalry created between them, how sales will impact things, and how the games are quite different after all.
Electronic Arts is threatening the dominance of Activision's Call of Duty series with the upcoming Battlefield 3, set to appear on October 26, while Activision is fighting back with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which is going to be released on November 8.
As such, fans and even representatives of the two companies have started criticizing the other camp while proclaiming that their own product is the superior shooter that will appear this fall.
Gaming website Kotaku talked with two representatives from the studios in charge of the games, DICE's Battlefield 3 brand manager Patrick O'Leary, and Infinity Ward's creative strategist Robert Bowling, about their games and the rivalry between them.
Bowling once again emphasized earlier statements that highlighted the differences between the two games, which are quite clear if you take the time to search for them, as Modern Warfare 3 puts players right into the action, while Battlefield 3 showcases the whole war effort during a battle.
"Any game that has two very different audiences, you're going to see it," Bowling said about the rivalry. "It’s what it is. It’s what games have been forever.”
The Infinity Ward man also highlighted that, even if Call of Duty is currently king of the shooters, the studio won't rest on its laurels.
"We may have the number one selling game," he said. "We may have, at times, the number one most played game. So it's very easy to sit back and say. 'We've done our jobs perfectly. We have the best game ever created. Look at the numbers.' But then you can get online and have people kick dirt in your face constantly every day about anything that they may not like about the game. It allows you to have a gut check and a perspective that this is where we still need to go. This is work that we still need to do."
O'Leary also emphasized the different kind of experience in Battlefield 3 and how it doesn't use the same approach as Call of Duty.
"Our game focuses on this battlefield experience. Even if it's not a big map it feels like a big map," O'Leary mentioned. "We give you so many tools; you can choose your vehicles, your weapons, your class."
While the DICE executive is certain Battlefield 3 won't match up to the sales of Modern Warfare 3, he is confident that hardcore gamers will be able to differentiate between the two and choose the more accurate experience offered by EA instead of the one from Activision.
Both games are set to appear within two weeks of each other, so what's your choice? Share your pick in a comment below.
