DICE defends timing of Battlefield 4 beta

The Battlefield 4 beta starts next week, less than a month before the game ships for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Despite the short time between beta and release, developer DICE believes it has time to implement changes in the final game based on feedback from the beta.

"Even if we're doing [a beta] quite late, we still have the opportunity to do some tweaks," executive producer Patrick Bach said in a new video (below). "And of course we want to get feedback not only from the beta, but also from game when it's out on the market. We have a history of following up with the game for months and months after it's been released. So to us, it's an ongoing service."

Battlefield 4 is also coming to next-generation consoles the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as launch titles for those platforms in November. Since these machines won't be available to the public ahead of launch, DICE can't hold beta testing period specific to these platforms.

Bach acknowledged that this is a less-than-optimal scenario, but explained that some of the general feedback from the current-generation console and PC betas can be carried forward to the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Battlefield 4.

"That's of course a problem that we cannot solve," Bach said. "We wish people had the next-gen consoles earlier because then they could participate in the beta as well. But in general, we are collecting feedback from both the current-gen consoles and the PC beta and applying all that data and information onto the next-gen consoles."

Bach also said in the video that Battlefield 4 game updates for the Xbox One and PS4 versions can be downloaded automatically while the systems are in low-power states, if users enable this setting. "We can just push it out to them," he said.

The Battlefield 4 beta features the Siege of Shanghai map in Conquest or Domination mode. New features and elements like Levolution and Amphibious Assault will be featured in the beta.

Gamers who preorder the Battlefield 4 PC Digital Deluxe Edition, Battlefield 3 Premium members, and owners of Medal of Honor: Warfighter Limited or Digital Deluxe Edition can begin playing on October 1.

On October 4, the Battlefield 4 beta will be opened to all Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC players.