Thank you for playing the Open Beta and making the final game better!
We are very excited to see so many gamers join our Battlefield 3 Open Beta. Here’s an update on the Open Beta from DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson.
I want to give you an overview of how the Open Beta is helping us shape a fantastic final game, what we are implementing based on your feedback, and how the Open Beta will help us deliver a robust gaming environment from day one.
The Open Beta is a true Beta
The Battlefield 3 Open Beta is based on software that is more than one month old. We need to test the new back end dedicated server structure we’ve built. Not only have we built a new game engine, but an entirely new back end system so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of dedicated servers on all platforms.
Just like normal procedure when releasing a game, the Open Beta has had long lead times due to testing, certification, and setting up. This means that the code you are now playing is actually quite early and not representative of the final game.
We had to do this in order to have as many people testing as possible, in order to ensure a top quality experience when the game is released. However, we’re confident in the Battlefield formula and confident that our fans will support us in order to make Battlefield 3 better.
Dedicated servers require dedicated testing
The biggest reason for running the Open Beta is to stress test our servers and back end. Already, we are seeing 6 times the number of simultaneous players in the Battlefield 3 Open Beta compared to the Beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2! The fact that Battlefield 3 is clearly our biggest game launch ever by a magnitude of 6 makes it doubly important to test everything.
We are constantly updating the News section on Battlelog with information on what we are fixing from Open Beta to final. We appreciate your time and your feedback. The data and feedback from the Open Beta will not only directly affect the final game of Battlefield 3, but its future development and support.
We’re heading out on the road this week to let journalists experience all aspects of Battlefield 3. Stay tuned for their previews, and stay tuned for the final game on October 25th. The final game will look, play and sound better than the Open Beta. You have helped making sure of that.
Karl Magnus Troedsson
General Manager, DICE