Vidya game nerd-down at the OK Corral here on Spirit's resting place.
I have a bit of insight into the world of video games and Star Wars, so I'll chime in with a few thoughts. I have friends in LucasFilm, friends that use to work for LucasArts, and friends that work for various parts of EA.
The venom to the pay-to-play system I feel is being inadvertently being attributed to Star Wars Battlefront. It's become the poster child for something that started long before its release. Expansion packs, deluxe editions, exclusive editions, DLC content have been part of the video game distribution timeline since the dawn of online gaming. Once the ability to "give you more content" after the game released became possible (with online connectivity and modifiable local storage - like hard drives), the opportunity to "sell you more" became a realistic objective. Star Wars Battlefront isn't doing anything new in this regards.
What I think the real underlying venom with Battlefront is the perception that what is being launched isn't a "complete" game. While I can certainly understand some of where those thoughts come from (limited maps, limited modes, etc.), I don't see anything completely different here than what was in previous Battlefront titles or more precisely - the Call of Duty/Battlefield franchise model that the new game is tapping into. The one real difference is the lack of any viable single player experience.
Something that everyone needs to factor into any "current generation" title release is the complexity of what goes into a modern title. The video game industry wasn't ready for 3D HD graphics back when the PS3/XBox360 launched and they aren't in a much better place with the XBone/PS4 either. The reach of game developers has always exceeded the technological grasp. Development tools are just now making life a bit easier for those that make current gen games; but, regardless of what tools are created - making a 3D world at HD resolutions takes significantly more man hours than anything that has come before.
That is why the afore mentioned ability "give you more content" after launch has become so vital to the game industry. Game studios simply aren't given enough time to "bake" a project to completion. Countless games get launched in a broken or less than ideal state with the intention of finishing them with patches down the line. Scores of games are victims of this and never reach the goal that the developer had in mind. (That's why at the annual E3 hoedown, you never should get excited about any game that isn't either in a playable state or at least from a developer that you know can historically follow-through on their ambitions). Very few games meet their original release dates with everything intact.
For everything that Battlefront is not (cheap or deep), it's important to note what it is and what it does well.
It's exactly what DICE advertised it to be when the title was first shown off. It was never expected to have as much depth as people want to project into it. It launched exactly like the developer said. So, by that standard - it's inappropriate to use Shigeru Miyamoto's axiom about "a delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever". Battlefront wasn't really delayed significantly and it's certainly not a bad game.
Technically, it's a masterpiece. On the PS4 and a decent gaming PC, it's pure 60fps brilliance. Endor especially is amazing in the level of detail on display. Truly a taste of what a real next generation experience can be. Running through Echo Base on Hoth and heading out into the open plains in front of the shield generator is impressive.
For even a casual fan of the Star Wars franchise, it's an unbelievable experience. The audio quality especially stands out as being immersive as you move through the environments.
The game play is an improvement over previous installments in the Battlefront franchise - which were never as deep as Battlefield.
I know that I've gotten my $60 bucks worth out of it in the few hours I've played thus far. It's more of a Quake/arcade-y style of gameplay that is a welcome relief from the more serious tactical genre that first person shooters have fallen victim to. It's easy to jump in and have fun and come back for more later.
I would encourage anyone with an interest into seeing a technological masterpiece, or someone who wants to have a "fun" experience to check it out. Any fan of the Star Wars universe needs to try it.
That said, I'm still an old school gamer. I spend far more time playing my pinball machines than video games these days.
*BTW - if you are critical about the state of game development today and the costs, wait a few years until the reality of VR sets in. Games will no longer be able to be evaluated by pictures, or movies of gameplay. The real measurement will be only based on how well it works inside your head and there is a huge delta of what will work for everyone when it comes to the technical requirements of it. When it's done right, it's amazing and is the future. When it's not, it will make you sick. VR will either bring in another golden age of gaming or usher it to its second great crash.
