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Free Radical!?!?!?!?

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 shukkoku
08-02-2008, 10:35 PM
#1
I have heard rumors that the studio Free Radical is making the Battlefront game. Of course I have done some digging.

What I have found out is that (supposedly) Lucas Arts have said that they're changing the studio from Pandemic to an anonymous studio. Finding other leads I have found links to the studio Free Radical, well known for the Time Splitters series, Second Life and HAZE.

On the Free Radical home page under games there is a "Secret Lucas Arts project" which is believed to be Star Wars Battlefront III. Is this true? no one knows, and only time will tell.

I know that Free Radical has royally screwed up with HAZE, or at least that's what I heard because I do not yet own a PS3. And I am virtually unaware of Time splitters seeing as it never hit main stream gaming up to my knowledge. But, if they make SWBF3 will they ruin the franchise or will they heed to Lucas Arts and make the next best seller.

I personally think that Free Radical would make a good SWBF3. My only fear is that if they don't capture the "idea" of battlefront being a class based game that focuses on the freedom of doing what you want, how you want, where you want. It's a gamble and I'm hoping that they are making it, if not for they're skill as a studio, but as means of knowing that it IS on the way. either way I will be very curious as to the results.

Now I want to hear your opinions. Do you believe Free Radical is making it? what will happen if they do? what do you think of the studio? or any other opinions regarding the subject.
 Bokken
08-02-2008, 11:34 PM
#2
Hmm...I just read about their "top secret project for LucasArts." And how the LucasArts guys stand out a mile because of their clean appearance and lack of acne...but anyway.
It sounds like they're making it, all right. SWBF3 is one of the only new games that people are expecting that hasn't been announced. I hope that they aren't taking this too lightly, which, from the blog, looks like a dangerous possibility. Hopefully they know what the rest of the world is looking for.
 Bs|Rogue52
08-03-2008, 8:16 AM
#3
Yes my life is so lame i had time to go and find this post that sums up what you said, with some other details in case you need a refresher.

Let's examine the evidence we can rest assured is valid: the evidence on FR's website. In the Games section, we can see beside the "Top Secret" picture a title: "Secret LucasArts Project (NextGen Platforms) - TBA" Let's assume (for lack of REAL conflicting information) that the "project" is BFIII.

First of all, we can make a note of several things:

1) The game will be classified as "NextGen"
2) The game will be on more than one "NextGen" console (note the plural "platforms")

Looking at the other games on their list, we realize more things about their game production habits. Firstly, observe the consoles their games have been released on:

PS2 / PS3: TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, Second Sight, TimeSplitters Future Perfect, HAZE
XBOX (none on 360 yet): TimeSplitters 2, Second Sight, TimeSplitters Future Perfect
GC: TimeSplitters 2, Second Sight, TimeSplitters Future Perfect
PC: Second Sight

From the above information, I make these predictions on the unknowns on the page:

TimeSplitters 4: PS3, XBOX 360
Secret Project: PS3, XBOX 360, PC

Now my reasons for the predictions are these. First of all, "NextGen Platforms" must logically include both the PS3 and XBOX 360, so they are given (obvious, I know). If the "Secret Project" is indeed Battlefront III, It will probably be on the PC. The reason I believe this is because PC games are easily moddable and therefore last much longer in the higher ranks than comparable "static" games. I would have lost interest in Empire at War and the Battlefield series long ago if it weren't for the mods available for each.

From a marketing perspective: the PS3 and XBOX 360 are the most powerful NextGen Consoles on the market, and would be the best picks for a FPS with as big a hype as Battlefront III. Both of the other BF, as well a substantial amount of other Star Wars games have come out for the PC if at all on the consoles; this therefore means that many fans of Star Wars games will have a PC, because of the volume of good games for it. I doubt FR would ignore such a large portion of Star Wars gamers.

In short, more gamers for a console = more buyers = more $$$; the vast majority of SW Gamers either have a PC, or a console from Sony or Microsoft (or all three, as some have). The smart thing would be for them to create an easily moddable version for the PC, then give the two console versions a whole bunch of extras that couldn't be duplicated by mods on the PC. This would create double sales from many who own a PC and a Console - the gamer buys the PC version for the mods, and the version for the console of their choice for all the extras. I'm starting to see more games built this way in the attempt to get more sales on the same game, and the people at Free Radical are clearly not stupid; they'll likely attempt the same. The only difference is they'll actually be successful.

Those are my reasons: FR will make BFIII on the PS3 according to FR's production habits, on the 360 (because it's another NextGen console), and the PC because LucasArts / Battlefront tradition dictates it to at least be on PC. Another reason that applies to having all three is so the game is available to a wider range of gamers, and therefore make more money.

To whoever said it above: yes, making video games costs a lot of money in itself, but it would actually be more expensive to make two video games than it would be to make a single game on multiple consoles; why do you think they do it all the time?

To jawathehutt: I think it'll be 4.5m O, but 2.25m O2, depending on whether you wanted the natural diatomic state or not (I think, seeing as how there'd be 1.5m O2 and 3m O in CaCO3). I could be wrong, but I don't have my chemistry teacher on hand to ask, so I'll go with the answer of 2.25m of O2. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

But I digress... oh, and about the LucasArts "dropping" Star Wars? To that I say, "A bigger load of yellow journalism I've never seen." (I could say worse things, but that would be against my religious principles) LucasArts formed a PARTNERSHIP with Free Radical, that's not the same as dropping Star Wars and handing it over to some other company. It'd never happen in the first place though, so why even bring it up?

If I've made any goof-ups, please point them out so that I may correct them. Thank you!
 shukkoku
08-03-2008, 11:49 AM
#4
well that does sum up a lot, but I'm still open for personal opinions if you have any.
 TKT101
08-03-2008, 12:51 PM
#5
I think that they have learned from their lastest screw up(HAZE) that they should go back to the way they made games before. Simply fun games. I think they'll do a great job on SWBF3.
 Bs|Rogue52
08-03-2008, 1:57 PM
#6
TKT101, I like your sig, "acta non verba" don't know about sweetwater, but i got it from the Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy, as its their motto.

On topic, the only way they can really mess up SWBF3 is by not releasing it on PC, Pandemic messed up things well enough, cant do much worse *knocks on wood* but i would never want to test their ability to screw up.
 TKT101
08-03-2008, 2:04 PM
#7
My sig is dialogue from the newest battlefield game- Battlefield: Bad Company

On-Topic: I argee
 GeneralPloKoon
08-03-2008, 4:39 PM
#8
The rumors are VERy heavy that Free Radical is making SWBF3, I would like to think that FR is making it, they are an amazing company(Timesplitters,Second Sight,Haze is good to a certain degree also). But remember these still are rumors!
 Nelson88
08-04-2008, 2:15 AM
#9
Anyone remember Rareware Ltd? They developed Donkey Kong games for the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Goldeneye 007 on the N64, Perfect Dark on the N64, etc.

Well the Goldeneye 007 team that developed that game branched off Rare and formed their own company.

That company is Free Radical.

So expect a really awesome product when it's released, unless LA wants to screw it up like they did with Kotor 2. Lol.
 Relenzo2
08-15-2008, 4:53 PM
#10
Since this site is owned by LS, and there is a thread for BFIII, I think it's fairly safe to assume that it's coming out.

I used to have in my sig "Please Free Radical, FIX THIS GAME!!!!!!! (Star Wars Battlefront.) That pretty much sums it up.
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