EA announces
Battlefield Labs for its Battlefield military first-person
shooter franchise, saying it is "the most ambitious community testing program in
franchise history." The post on the
Battlefield Website refines
this message further, calling it a "community collaboration." This is set to
launch in the coming weeks, giving testers access to the "pre-alpha" of the next
installment in the series. A pre-alpha is technically unplayable by the
strictest definition of the term, so we take this to mean things are still early
yet. Word is after more than 20 years, EA is set to explore the series'
potential. "I’ve been playing Battlefield long before I joined the team," says
Vince Zampella, Head of Respawn & Group GM for EA Studios Organization. "This
game has so much potential. To find that potential, with us being pre-alpha, now
is the time to test the experiences our teams have been building for our
upcoming launch. Battlefield Labs empowers our teams to do that." Word is this
will be informative even for players who are not selected to participate, and
that the process will play an important role in the game's
development:
Players can stay up to date on the latest public testing
information by keeping an eye on
battlefield.com/labs. Our community will receive published updates from the
team throughout testing, so that even those who are not selected for Battlefield
Labs can still come along for the ride. All the feedback provided during
Battlefield Labs tests will influence the development of the next Battlefield
title and beyond.
Battlefield Labs plays a significant role in the development that Battlefield
Studios is doing for the series. Battlefield Studios is comprised of DICE,
creators of the Battlefield franchise; Ripple Effect, a studio led by franchise
veterans working on an all-new experience for the series; Motive, the developers
of the critically acclaimed Star Wars Squadrons and Dead Space; and Criterion,
known for world-class racing franchises and playing a key role in several
Battlefield entries.