It has been revealed that Battlefield 3 is getting an in-game server browser, something that is usually obligatory with PC games. Except ... the feature is exclusive to consoles. The PC version has to use the Battlelog home page, with no in-game browsing allowed.
Senior gameplay designer Alan Kertz has gone so far as to say that there won't be an in-game menu at all on PC, with everything done through a Web browser. He says that it acts as the in-game menu and that you can jump straight from the service into a game with no inconvenience.
The problem people have with this arrangement is that you won't be able to look for new servers while playing an existing game. You'll have to quit out, go to your browser, pick a new server on the Battlelog page, and re-enter. As you might expect, this is getting a fair bit of criticism from fans.
While it's not the end of the world, it does seem like an overly complicated, roundabout way of doing things. A simple in-game browser would be so much more convenient. Still, EA hasn't really been about consumer convenience lately, not when there are proprietary services to force down our throats.
Battlefield 3 PC version won’t have in-game server browser [BF3Blog]
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Contest:
11:15 AM on 08.19.2011 | 
my mind is blown...
also...
fuck you EA.
The preceding Egregious Anti Origin Comment was brought to you by Kix Brand puffed corn breakfast cereal. Kix! Kid tested, mother approved.
Common sense should have flung that idea out the window the first time it was brought up.
Anyway, for anyone curious it's the Jan 1st 2002 comic. >.>
Hell the PC pioneered the convenient in-game browser .....
If they could add the option for both, then it would be real good.
None of you?
Then shut the fuck up about it. Everybody in the Alpha had no complaints about it, and I'd take their word over someone who hasn't even touched the game yet.
Good god I don't even want to defend EA this much, but it's like browsing the Bioware forums all over again, completely filled with people who don't bother to see how it works out.
to bad you have to climb a mountain of shit to get to it.
PS3!
Polish a turd all you want, it's still a turd. UMAD?
Fuck me, I'm off my game today. I'm not even using my phone, I'm on a keyboard...
Course BF3 will still sell million of PC copies from all the people who don't pay attention. Those people will be pissed off, and skip the next Battlefield game. EA will then blame everything but themselves, and kill off the series.
Looks like I'll be waiting this one out until they fix the amounts of bullshit they seem to be heaping upon a game that previously looked appealing.
and you dont have to close the game you just have to use alt+tab to switch to the browser which is faster than going back to the server browser via a menu.
I have lost count of how many utterly terrible and pointless decisions EA has made with BF3. Four months ago I was really excited for it, and I usually don't get hyped for modern war shooters (I'm sick to death of COD). Now, I couldn't possibly care less about this game.
So glad there will also be RAGE to satisfy my shooter thirst. You know, that one made by people who are programming GODS and don't shit on us gamers?
And then all of this.
I might be more angry if I was an FPS-er. As it is, meh, that sucks for you guys.
And the irony is that, after making all this effort to make playing BF3 on the PC as unappealing as possible, you bet they will blame piracy and "difficult market conditions" if the game fails on PC.
Can't wait for Rage. Shit's gonna be awesome.
Additionally, I can't wait to get my grubby hands on the toolkit either. I've already made a load of 3D assets primed and ready to get into idTech5.
I'm more impressed on the amount of nerd rage coming from this thing. I mean seriously, it's at worst mildly inconvenient. Jim, didn't you just post a video advocating us to reserve our outrage for _important_ things? I don't think this is important.