Joystiq

EA: DICE doesn't want to be a 'Battlefield factory'

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:15:00 EST

DICE's Stockholm studio has 300 people and no, not all of them are working on Battlefield content, EA Games Vice President Patrick Soderlund tells OXM. DICE launched Mirror's Edge in 2008, but since then it's been all Battlefield, all the time, with Battlefield 4 scheduled for beta next fall.

Asked whether taking a risk on a Mirror's Edge-type game is worth it when Battlefield is so lucrative, Soderlund responds, "Well it depends, right? Maybe it is and maybe it isn't. It's also important for us - the DICE guys are roughly 300 people in the Stockholm studio; not all of them are working on Battlefield things, and that's intentional, because we don't want to become a Battlefield factory."

One way to circumvent the transition to "Battlefield factory" is to develop a sequel to Mirror's Edge - which is exactly what former Battlefield executive producer Ben Cousins says DICE is doing. "It is general knowledge in the Stockholm dev scene that Mirror's Edge 2 is in production at DICE," he tweets.

It's worth noting that Cousins isn't with EA anymore, but he is based in Sweden.

EA: DICE doesn't want to be a 'Battlefield factory' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battlefield 3 and Bad Company 2 lead designer David Goldfarb exits DICE

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:20:00 EST

Having worked on mostly Battlefield games for the past five years, the man who lead design on both Battlefield 3 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, David Goldfarb, has left EA's DICE studio. "5 years, 4 games. Grateful to have worked with such awesome people on awesome games. Farewell + Onward," he tweeted yesterday afternoon.

Goldfarb told Joystiq of his exit, "I was ready to move onto new things and do something different." He wouldn't tell us where he's headed next.

Goldfarb's not the first high profile DICE dev to leave the company in the past few years. Gordon Van Dyke left back in 2010; he's now with Paradox Interactive working on a Battlefield-flavored third-person action game from developer FatShark, War of the Roses. The other third of Battlefield's recent dev leadership, Patrick Bach, is currently serving as company CEO while Karl Magnus Troedsson takes paternity leave.

Beyond various DLC plans for Battlefield 3, it's unknown what DICE is currently working on. The studio's Frostbite 2.0 game engine is used in several EA properties (including the other first-person shooter from EA, Medal of Honor: Warfighter), and the only other game it has made outside of Battlefield in recent years is Mirror's Edge. Troedsson told us during GDC that DICE has "ongoing plans" to differentiate its game portfolio, but we've yet to see that promise play out. EA Studios president Frank Gibeau has repeatedly noted his interest in a sequel to ME, but we've yet to hear anything more official than that.

EA reps didn't respond to request for comment regarding Goldfarb's exit as of publishing.

[Image credit: 'jontintinjordan']

Battlefield 3 and Bad Company 2 lead designer David Goldfarb exits DICE originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mirror's Edge 2 isn't not a possibility more than ever

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EST

DICE knows its Mirror's Edge fans want a sequel with a desperate, craven passion, but with the focus on launching Battlefield 3, we haven't gotten more than vague hints that a second isn't impossible. With Battlefield 3's release around the corner, now DICE is offering slightly less vague comments about continuing the Mirror's Edge story.

"I think it's something that people are ready to get into again," producer Patrick Liu said. "We see that there's a huge fan following -- it's almost like a cult. And we know what strengths we had, and what weaknesses we had in that game. If we were to release a new game, we'd know what to improve and how to reach a broader audience. So I definitely think there's a market there."

The story here is what Liu isn't saying -- he isn't saying that DICE has given up on Mirror's Edge; he isn't saying a sequel will never happen; he isn't saying Faith will return as a 7-foot male cyborg with tribal tattoos and a pot belly. Not that that's something he would say, but still, he didn't say it.

Mirror's Edge 2 isn't not a possibility more than ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: A Mirror's Edge sequel could get cooler with Frostbite 2 engine

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST

The Mirror's Edge and Battlefield franchises are related through more than developer-publisher relations -- they're poised to share digital DNA. If it is made, a sequel to Mirror's Edge may use Battlefield 3's Frostbite 2 engine, according to Official PlayStation Magazine, which writes, "The Frostbite 2 engine will pave the way for Mirror's Edge to make a free-running return."

We don't know much more about the potential sequel or OPM's "inside whispers," besides the fact that Mirror's Edge is an "important franchise" to EA. We may have to wait until EA and DICE stop coddling Battlefield 3 for confirmation of another game or details about its engine. For now, dreaming about free-running on Frostbite 2 will have to tide us over. Mmmm...

Rumor: A Mirror's Edge sequel could get cooler with Frostbite 2 engine originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA 'figuring out' how to continue Mirror's Edge

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST

Like the Gap and cargo shorts, EA is "trying to figure out how to bring Mirror's Edge back."

EA Games label president Frank Gibeau told CVG that the Mirror's Edge franchise is unequivocally not dead. "I greenlight the games. I did not kill it -- as God is my witness," he swore. According to Gibeau, the publisher is looking for ways to bring back the franchise in "a way that fans will be excited," while still reaching a larger audience. "We need to go from version one to version two so that it sells two to three times as many, it finds a much bigger audience."

DICE, developer of the first game, is currently working on Battlefield 3. According to earlier reports, EA requested that the developer focus exclusively on that game, instead of a Mirror's Edge sequel. A EA spokesperson later commented that Mirror's Edge is an "important franchise," but there was "nothing further to announce."

EA 'figuring out' how to continue Mirror's Edge originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mirror's Edge 2 rejected by EA (oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!)

Christopher Grant — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

In late 2008, EA released two new intellectual properties; while both failed to break sales records the world over, they went a long way towards proving to the world that EA was serious about changing its image. The more successful of the two games just saw a sequel released: Dead Space 2 opened to strong reviews and is outselling its predecessor two to one. The other game, however, hasn't had such an easy time of things. According to a Press 2 Play TV report - translated by Eurogamer - "EA was shown a prototype" of a Mirror's Edge sequel but "declined" to pursue it, ostensibly opting to focus all of developer DICE's efforts on the upcoming Battlefield 3, as previously reported.

Nearly two years ago, EA's Patrick Soderlund said, "You will see another Mirror's Edge for sure. It's just a matter of when that time is and what we do with it. We have a small team on it and I'm excited about what we do." While Soderlund could have been talking about EA Mobile's better-than-it-should-be Mirror's Edge for iOS, the name Mirror's Edge 2 popped up on a DICE lighting artist's portfolio a few month's later. EA CEO John Riccitiello even said "it's a game that deserves to come back," and we don't think he was referring to mobile.

So has Mirror's Edge 2 been rejected by EA? We'll have to wait for EA to get back to us before we know anything for sure but, if it has, we just wanted to say thanks, EA. For breaking our hearts. On Valentine's Day.

[Update 3:05pm:An EA spokesperson got back to us with this: "Mirror's Edge is an important franchise built by the DICE studio in Stockholm. DICE is currently producing Battlefield 3. Nothing further to announce." With just one full title under that name, and the aforementioned mobile game, franchise sounds like an awfully strong word for Mirror's Edge. With that in mind, we'll try to keep our hopes up.]

Report: Mirror's Edge 2 rejected by EA (oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Riccitiello: Mirror's Edge deserves second chance, EA still pushing new IP

JC Fletcher — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:47:00 EST

EA CEO John Riccitiello told IndustryGamers that the company has no intention of reducing its reliance on new IP. "Does this mean EA is backing away from investing in quality and innovation?" Riccitiello asked. "Absolutely not. It's religion for me; I believe quality and innovation is what works."

EA faces a difficult task now: finding room in EA's now-reduced slate for the new content Riccitiello promises and the sequels the company must produce. But it's a task Riccitiello seems to believe is worth undertaking. "I believe there are publishers out there that are milking franchises at their peril," he said. "I do think you can sort of stop innovating and do well while you coast for a couple of editions before a product starts to fall apart or a sector starts to fall apart."

The juggle involves sequels like Mirror's Edge 2, perhaps. "There are some things we learned about that [first] game," Riccitiello told Kotaku. "It was, I think, a massively innovative product. To be honest with you, I think it's a game that deserves to come back." The CEO said he's "had several very lively debates" with the dev team about the design of a future game. "And they are working on it."

Riccitiello: Mirror's Edge deserves second chance, EA still pushing new IP originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DICE lighting artist lists Mirror's Edge 2 on portfolio

JC Fletcher — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:40:00 EST

Oscar Carlén, a lighting artist at EA's DICE studio, lists two "2009-present" projects in his portfolio: Battlefield 3 and Mirror's Edge 2. Not only do those games possibly exist, you'll be able to see what's going on in them.

Battlefield 3 was first mentioned in June at a conference by EA COO John Pleasants. At that time, Pleasants also revealed a Criterion-developed Need for Speed game, which was announced again during EA's latest financial conference call -- so Battlefield 3 is somewhat of an expected property, lending credence to the existence of Mirror's Edge 2 by association. The last we heard about a follow-up to Mirror's Edge was that a "small team" was working on something back in June. Carlén could be part of that small team.

It's possible, given EA's recent layoffs and turn toward more surefire franchises, that Mirror's Edge 2 did exist but no longer does. We're checking with EA to verify the information found on this portfolio and to determine the current state of the franchise.

[Thanks, Tim]

DICE lighting artist lists Mirror's Edge 2 on portfolio originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA VP: 'Small team' working on more Mirror's Edge

David Hinkle — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST

Joy be thine, as EA has confirmed Joystiq GOTY Mirror's Edge won't be the last we see of Faith. In speaking with Videogamer back at E3, EA's senior VP of EA Games Europe, Patrick Soderlund, stated, "You will see another Mirror's Edge for sure. It's just a matter of when that time is and what we do with it. We have a small team on it and I'm excited about what we do."

Of course, one mustn't jump to conclusions and automatically label this as a sequel. Soderlund could've meant anything based on that comment. EA could be working on a full-fledged sequel (something we desperately need), sure, or could be adapting a port for some other system. Or, the company could be making a spiffy new Flash game for all we know. Only time will tell, but the important thing is that no matter what this project turns out to be, we all have more parkour-based gameplay to look forward to down the line. And that's a very good thing.

[Via VG247]

EA VP: 'Small team' working on more Mirror's Edge originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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