BFBC2 NEW Onslaught mode NOT happening for the PC

[Source: Shacknews -Xav be Matos]

The four-player co-op “Onslaught” mode currently available on consoles in DICE’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is no longer confirmed for release on PC. Last week, PC Gamer reported they had confirmed with EA UK PR that the mode would come to PC; however, today the outlet says otherwise. “We announced that Battlefield: Bad Company 2′s Onslaught mode was coming to PC, just like it had to the consoles,” PC Gamer’s Jaz McDougall wrote. “This took DICE’s community manager by surprise.” Following the original story on PC Gamer, the DICE community manager tweeted “The article published by PC-Gamer is not accurate. We are currently researching if Onslaught will be available for PC. No release date.”According to PC Gamer the error was due to “a miscommunication from EA UK PR.” PC Gamer has since deleted its original story claiming confirmation of the mode. When contacted for a comment regarding the DLC appearing on PC, EA told Shacknews, “We have not made any formal announcements regarding Onslaught for PC at this time.” Ed. Note: Added comment from EA.

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Commentary:
The repeated situations occurring in game development and it’s publishers continues to see a trend towards creating exclusive content for consoles and always rolling out new features to the consoles first, if they are to happen for the PC as well.  The industry is going for the apparent largest pool of money.  Despite the well known stance of long time adult PC gamers preference, supported by their continued purchase of new hardware, which is KEY to helping sell games.  The life-cycle of hardware stems largely from the game technology, and selling games on a fixed platform limits new technology more than they care to admit I would guess.

Having a unified hardware platform makes it easier to dev games, sure, and they can sell ALL their games for $50-65 bucks, but I can’t imagine CryEngine 3 looking the same on a console VS a high end PC.  It’s as if consoles dumb down things (PS3 and XBox360 BOTH use DirectX9 even though DX11 is out and video cards support it on the PC).  But I wonder if the quality of games has suffered because of the consolidation, and new tech like DX11 gets hindered in adoption, so new tech development slows down and caters to the consoles.

I’m sure publishers would rather turn out new games more frequently instead of make games that last 3 years by continuing support and expansion (BF2 for example).  Just some personal opinions on my part, but it HAS effected my enthusiasm for gaming in general.

When companies like DICE who have a game like BF2, which help DEFINE the Squad Based Tactics and made adult gamers set the tone for proper team based game-play, roll out BFBC2 and don’t even have in game VOIP working and NEVER address it with Patches, make me feel like they are not there to support the game but rather promote their next game.   BFBC2 already has lost its momentum based largely on the lack of dev support and its not even a year old.  I think that says a lot.

Kids grew up playing FPS’s on consoles and don’t think much of it, even though aim assist occurs because the controllers are not as accurate as  mouse+keyboard.  I wonder if publishers will just keep pushing this until the kids outnumber the adult base.  I hope not.  I know of plenty of adults who, like myself, will NEVER play FPS on a console. Period.

Seems like the current state of BFBC2 is all we are going to get from DICE/EA.  Looks like they are pushing for their Vietnam roll out for the Holiday season.  Sad DICE/EA doesn’t get behind their apps like Valve does with Team Fortress.

- Killa J