EA teases single-player campaign for Star Wars Battlefront 2

Why? Because the first game scored an aggregate review in the 70s, that's why.

2

At EA's Investor Day event, executive VP Patrick Soderlund explained why 2015's Star Wars Battlefront omitted a campaign, and hinted that future entries in the series (which will be set in locations featured in new Star Wars movies) would most likely include one.

Soderlund admitted that EA intentionally decided against designing a campaign for last year's game so that Battlefront would be ready in time for the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens. Pragmatic, but EA caught flak for the decision, and Soderlund understands perfectly.

"I think the team created a really good game based on the premise that we had," he said to investors (per GameSpot). "I would say the game has done very well for us and reached a very different demographic than a traditional EA game. So from that perspective, it's a success."

Fans and critics disagreed, and as a result, Battlefront drew an aggregate score in the 70s on Metacritic—dangerous ground to publishers.

"Are we happy with the 75 rating? No. Is that something we're going to cure going forward? Absolutely."

Soderlund went on to say that Battlefront's middling reception has impacted EA in ways beyond how it will design future installments in the series. Depth and breadth, he said, are paramount in a world where consumers are expected to pay $60 for a game, and where publishers want them to stick around beyond a few hours.

"The depth and breadth is something that's proving to be more and more important."

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.

From The Chatty
Hello, Meet Lola