Brothers in Arms Next-Gen Details – What Platform?

Gearbox Software, the developer behind the acclaimed Brothers in Arms series, held an open forum IRC chat today to share their thoughts on the state of the series and where it might be headed in the future. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford made it clear that a Brothers in Arms title was in the works for the next generation. It should be said that the title Brothers in Arms 3 was thrown around a lot, but never confirmed as a title.

Mr. Pitchford commented on the storylines in Brothers in Arms. “If you play Earned in Blood after Road to Hill 30, you can see a clear step that was taken there [in regards to the story]. I can tell you that the step we’re taking with the next generation is a much, much bigger step,” he said. “Understanding the step from RTH30 to EIB can help you understand the steps we’re taking in the future.”

He went on to mention that there is more storyline involving Sgt. Baker and Sgt. Hartsock than has been revealed so far in the current games. This seemed to indicate that the next title will in fact involve one or the other, or even both as a backdrop for a new character. Mr. Pitchford continued, “Having said that, there are many, many compelling stories. True stories we want to cover.”

In an interesting development, Mr. Pitchford mentioned some other units that might be given attention in the next Brothers in Arms title. “We’ve talked about the 4th infantry. We’ve talked about some of the German units,” he said. “We’ve talked about different theaters and different wars. One of the advantages of having Colonel John Antal on our staff full time is that there is never a shortage of information about the biggest, most amazing war stories.”

The discussion moved on with Mr. Pitchford’s comments regarding future multiplayer options. “The team for BiA 3 is really committed to making the decisions that are best for the users,” he said. “I think the ubi.com stuff is functional for how we’re using it. But our ambitions for the future will probably require some new decisions.”

Finally, the command ring gameplay system was discussed. “The system is really innovative – of course we’re pushing it forward in the future!” said Mr. Pitchford. Exactly how it will change was unclear, however. A few preliminary models were mentioned. “We did a prototype where we had the camera up in the sky and a bunch of “plays” would come up,” said Mr. Pitchford. “You could call the plays – like John Madden football. It sucked.”

What exactly the official title could be in the next Brothers in Arms, when it and for what platforms will release are still unanswered questions at this point. Though the term next generation was frequently mentioned, it was never specified whether they meant consoles or PC.

Gearbox Software, the developer behind the acclaimed Brothers in Arms series, held an open forum IRC chat today to share their thoughts on the state of the series and where it might be headed in the future. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford made it clear that a Brothers in Arms title was in the works for the next generation. It should be said that the title Brothers in Arms 3 was thrown around a lot, but never confirmed as a title.

Mr. Pitchford commented on the storylines in Brothers in Arms. “If you play Earned in Blood after Road to Hill 30, you can see a clear step that was taken there [in regards to the story]. I can tell you that the step we’re taking with the next generation is a much, much bigger step,” he said. “Understanding the step from RTH30 to EIB can help you understand the steps we’re taking in the future.”

He went on to mention that there is more storyline involving Sgt. Baker and Sgt. Hartsock than has been revealed so far in the current games. This seemed to indicate that the next title will in fact involve one or the other, or even both as a backdrop for a new character. Mr. Pitchford continued, “Having said that, there are many, many compelling stories. True stories we want to cover.”

In an interesting development, Mr. Pitchford mentioned some other units that might be given attention in the next Brothers in Arms title. “We’ve talked about the 4th infantry. We’ve talked about some of the German units,” he said. “We’ve talked about different theaters and different wars. One of the advantages of having Colonel John Antal on our staff full time is that there is never a shortage of information about the biggest, most amazing war stories.”

The discussion moved on with Mr. Pitchford’s comments regarding future multiplayer options. “The team for BiA 3 is really committed to making the decisions that are best for the users,” he said. “I think the ubi.com stuff is functional for how we’re using it. But our ambitions for the future will probably require some new decisions.”

Finally, the command ring gameplay system was discussed. “The system is really innovative – of course we’re pushing it forward in the future!” said Mr. Pitchford. Exactly how it will change was unclear, however. A few preliminary models were mentioned. “We did a prototype where we had the camera up in the sky and a bunch of “plays” would come up,” said Mr. Pitchford. “You could call the plays – like John Madden football. It sucked.”

What exactly the official title could be in the next Brothers in Arms, when it and for what platforms will release are still unanswered questions at this point. Though the term next generation was frequently mentioned, it was never specified whether they meant consoles or PC.