Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
According to developer DICE, the multiplayer beta for Battlefield 3 has attracted more than six times as many concurrent players than the Bad Company 2 beta did.
Trying to work out an exact number of gamers simultaneously playing the beta is tricky. Bad Company 2 had a peak of 230,000 simultaneous users once the final game hit stores. That was based on sales of approximately 2.3 million units. The Bad Company 2 beta was downloaded over 3.5 million times, so concurrent players were probably higher than 230,000. If we take 230,000 as a low figure for Bad Company 2 beta players, that equates to an impressive 1.38 million players in the BF3 beta, and in reality the figure could be much higher.
DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson also explained on the Battlefield blog that the beta is a proper beta, and not just a multiplayer demo.
“The Battlefield 3 Open Beta is based on software that is more than one month old,” said Troedsson. “We need to test the new back end dedicated server structure we’ve built. Not only have we built a new game engine, but an entirely new back end system so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of dedicated servers on all platforms.
“Just like normal procedure when releasing a game, the Open Beta has had long lead times due to testing, certification, and setting up. This means that the code you are now playing is actually quite early and not representative of the final game.”
Battlefield 3 is due for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on October 28.
