Their Executive producer, within Bad Company 2 they underestimated how many unlocks to provide in BC2 but are keen to make amends with this year’s release of BF3.

He explains “I think the learning we’ve done is that if you make a good game, people spend a lot of time with it. If you make a great game, they will never leave,” he explained.

“I think we may of miscalculated with, for instance, Battlefield: Bad Company, with a year. It’s been out for a year and a half, and we thought people would spend probably half a year playing it and then it would start to trend down. We’re actually at the same number of people playing today as we had three months after shipping.

“So of course we miscalculated that, because we thought people would stop playing. And then people rank out and they unlock everything, and they start to feel fatigue for not getting more stuff.”

Bach added that it’s a difficult balancing act – make the unlock tree too short and players will feel short-changed, but make it too long and they’ll lose interest.

“I think the challenge is to figure out how long people will play this game for, and then make sure you have enough stuff to unlock. It’s not fun to have to play for ten years to unlock the last thing – that doesn’t make the game better, it makes it seem that there’s no point to continue. But then again, you still want that carrot dangling in front of you.

“For Battlefield 3, we known that people play even more than Battlefield Bad Company 2, so we’re planning for even longer unlocks, a bigger unlock tree.”

He went on to offer a little detail on how Battlefield 3′s refined unlock system will work.

“So what we’re doing, for instance, is deepening the game, but also broadening the game. Depending on your play style, you can actually unlock stuff based on a specific weapon or a specific class, rather than have everyone unlock everything.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Bach also spoke up for planning long-term support and regular updates for a game, rather than churning out annual sequels. A thinly-veiled dig at Call of Duty perhaps?

“Maybe you don’t have to build the new game, do you? If people like the old one, then keep fixing that one, update it and make it even better,” he argued.

“I think sometimes it turns too mechanical when people release new games every year, and just focus on ‘how can I sell another copy, another copy, another copy?’

“Of course companies need to make money to survive, but you can actually provide for the title you already have out on the market. You don’t have to leave it, just because you’ve shipped it. You can go back to it and think ‘can we add something to this, can we change something, what do people want’

“And then if you keep doing for a longer period of time, why start building something new? Of course you can always plan for the big next step, but if that’s in two years, or three years, five years…”

• OS: Windows 7 or Vista (SP1)
• Installed: Origin
• CPU: Quadcore @ 2.0 GHz or faster
• RAM: 4 GB or more
• Hard Drive: 7.25 GB free disk space
• Video: 512 MB or greater
• DirectX 10 or 11 compatible card with latest drivers (AMD 11.5 or later, nVidia 275.33 or later)
• Sound: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible card
• Internet: broadband connection

October 25, 2011
USA, Canada, Singapore

October 27, 2011
Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Sweden

October 28, 2011
UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy

Asian release dates for the game are unknown, but we would expect the digital version to be released on 25th of October in these countries: India, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia. Given Portugal’s proximity to Spain, it may be likely it will be released on the 27th there. Mexico may get it on the 25th and Brazil may get it on the 27th. Hungarian fans of Battlefield 3 should expect an October 28th release date.

Dates sourced from official EA Battlefield 3 websites.

Physical Warfare Pack
What it is: A set of three time-based exclusive items and one early weapon unlock for Battlefield 3.
Where to get: At select retailers all over the world when you pre-order Battlefield 3: Limited Edition.
Available: Day 1 if you pre-order. If you do not pre-order, you will get access to this content at no extra charge at a later date.
Value: At no extra charge with your pre-order at select retailers.
More info: In this blog post.

SPECACT Kit Upgrade
What it is: A set of 8 multiplayer skins, one for each class and side in Battlefield 3.
Where to get: At select retailers all over the world when you pre-order Battlefield 3: Limited Edition.
Available: Day 1.
Value: At no extra charge with your pre-order at select retailers.

Dog Tag Pack
What it is: A set of 5 unique in-game dog tags to choose from. Dog tags in Battlefield 3 serve as your in-game signature, displayed on screen every time you defeat an enemy. You can also claim the dog tag of your enemies via skillful stealth knife takedowns. This pre-order exclusive pack gives you 5 unique dog tag designs to complement the standard range in the game.
Where to get: At select retailers all over the world when you pre-order Battlefield 3: Limited Edition.
Available: Day 1.
Value: At no extra charge with your pre-order at select retailers.

Avatar Battlefield 3 Gear
What it is: Battlefield 3 gear for your Xbox 360 avatar.
Where to get: At select retailers all over the world when you pre-order Battlefield 3: Limited Edition.
Available: Day 1.
Value: At no extra charge with your pre-order at select retailers.

Battlefield 3 has earned over 20 E3 awards, including:

X-Play – Best Shooter
Digital Trends – Best FPS
Digital Trends – Best Graphics
Game Informer – Best Shooter
GameSpy – Best First-Person Shooter
GameSpy – Best Graphics
GameSpy – Best Audio
GameSpy – Best MP
Machinima – Best Shooter
1UP.com – Best PC Game
1UP.com – Best Shooter
Big Picture Big Sound – Top 10 Best Games of E3 2011, 1st
Shortlist (UK) – Best Game
Zoo (UK) – Best in Show
Jeuxvideo.com (France) – Best PC Game of E3
Spaziogames.it (Italy) – Best Shooter
Spaziogames.it (Italy) – Best Multiplayer
Meristation (Spain) – Best PC Game
Realidad 2.0 (Spain) – Best Shooter
Realidad 2.0 (Spain) – Best Graphics
FPS Guru – Best Multiplayer

Battlefield 3 has earned over 40 Best of E3 nominations, including:

IGN – Best Overall Game
IGN – Best Xbox Game
IGN – Best PS3 Game
IGN – Best PC Game
IGN – Best Shooter
IGN – Most Anticipated Game Award
GameSpot – Most Anticipated Games of E3 2011
GamePro – Best First-Person Shooter
GameSpy – Best Shooter
GameSpy – Best MP
GameSpy – Best Audio
GameSpy – Best of Show
GameSpy – Best Shooter
Game Informer – Best of E3 2011
PC Gamer – Most Valuable Game Award
PlayStation: The Official Magazine – Most Valuable
1up.com – Best Shooting
1up.com – Best PC Game
1up.com – Best of Show
1up.com – Best Xbox 360 Game
Machinima – Best Shooter
Machinima – Best of Show
Machinima – Best PC
GameTrailers – Best Graphics
G4 TV Xplay –Game of the Show
G4 TV Xplay – Best Shooter
G4 TV Xplay – Best Multiplayer
Xbox Magazine – Most Valuable Game Award
Games Radar – Most Valuable Game Award
Game Rant – Best Shooter
Game Rant – Best Multiplayer
Game Rant – Best in Show
Digital Trends – Best of Show
Digital Trends – Best FPS
Digital Trends – Best Graphics
Gameblog.fr – Best of Show
Multiplayer.it – Best of E3 2011
Shortlist.com – Best Shooter
Shortlist.com – Best Game
Gamingexcellence.com – Best Shooter
Gamingexcellence.com – Best Console
Gamingexcellence.com – Best Graphics
Gamingexcellence.com – Best of Show