Electronic Arts has stated that they intend to debut Battlefield 4 in “about 90 days” from now, and hinted that the game could potentially be headed for next-generation consoles.
EA Labels president Frank Gibeau revealed the timeline for the debut of Battlefield 4 during the publisher’s earnings call with investors last night. As part of a response to a question about EA’s stated goal of turning Battlefield into a yearly franchise, Gibeau noted:
“…we’ve already talked a little bit about that we have a Battlefield title coming next year, but we’re not in a position right now to talk about our development plans and our SKU plan long term. That will come in about 90 days when we get to show you some Battlefield stuff.”
The exact release date for Battlefield 4 was not discussed, however, Gibeau stated that they are planning to launch the shooter sometime during their fiscal 2014 year (between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014). Last July the company announced that the beta for Battlefield 4 would take place in “Fall 2013”, which seems to indicate a Holiday 2013 release window.
While the game is certain to be released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, EA also seemed to hint that it could be released on the next generation successors to those consoles. Electronic Arts’ CEO John Riccitiello provided the next-gen hint later in the conference call, stating:
“…We think Battlefield and FIFA are going to help us lead as we move into the next set of technology opportunities and platform opportunities,”
As for Electronic Arts’ other military shooter franchise, the publisher confirmed that the disappointing sales and lackluster reviews for Medal of Honor: Warfighter has caused them to take the series “out of the rotation”. Peter Moore made the announcement during the call, saying:
“Medal of Honor was an obvious miss. The game was solid, but the focus on combat authenticity did not resonate with consumers. Critics were polarized and gave the game scores which were, frankly, lower than it deserved. This one is behind us now. We are taking Medal of Honor out of the rotation and have a plan to bring year-over-year continuity to our shooter offerings.”
We will keep an eye out for any news on Battlefield 4 before the game’s anticipated debut this May, and let you know if anything turns up. Sound out in the comments and let us know if you think EA is planning to split the game’s release between the current and upcoming next-gen systems.