I'm all for being pessimistic, but Battlefield 2 got stellar reviews back in 2005 and Battlefield 3, from the looks of it, is Battlefield 2 with ridiculously good graphics and fully fleshed out singleplayer and coop campaigns. Plus EA is dumping millions into advertisement and wining and dining half the world's reviewers before launch, and the lead platform is PC. So I'm leaning toward > 9.0 metacritic score.

@Evilmetal said:

If you look at VG charts, their pre-order chart shows barely 150,000 PC pre-orders for BF3. Some say that it is incomplete data. Give it 250,000? 300,000? for PC... that's still nothing compared to the almost 1million for X360 alone. "PC lead" my ass, who gives a shit about PC players today? Small developers. The big players want to diversify. You can't economically diversity if you make a game dedicated for the PC. I guess it's the natural path or something. When you were a kid, you rode a bicycle; you grew up and now you drive a car. It doesn't have to be that way though, you can still ride a bicycle all the time rather than a car. But they chose a car because that's what their business needs require, apparently. ]]]]

The digital download number is probably much higher than the retail preorders. Also, Battlefield 3 isn't a killer app for Xbox 360 or PS3, but it generates BILLIONS of dollars of revenue for PC hardware manufacturers, from which game publishers like EA indirectly receive profits and massive amounts of free advertising.

Plus, I have no idea what you're talking about when you say "you can't economically diversity with a game dedicated to PC." You mean diversify your profits? That's what multiple platform games are for. Nobody is saying DICE should only develop games for the PC. They got a good approach going toward BF3 - impress people with a PC lead game, make the majority of sales on console platforms, rake in lots of money for developing future games. And once a new generation of consoles comes out, DICE will be able to develop console games again that are very similar to PC games.

TEN BANANA CREAM PIES

Also, I am fully expecting that BF3 will get 4 or 5 stars depending on who reviews it. Would be shocked if it scored lower unless it is completely broken.

8.25

@Evilmetal said:

If you look at VG charts, their pre-order chart shows barely 150,000 PC pre-orders for BF3. Some say that it is incomplete data. Give it 250,000? 300,000? for PC... that's still nothing compared to the almost 1million for X360 alone. "PC lead" my ass, who gives a shit about PC players today? Small developers. The big players want to diversify. You can't economically diversity if you make a game dedicated for the PC. I guess it's the natural path or something. When you were a kid, you rode a bicycle; you grew up and now you drive a car. It doesn't have to be that way though, you can still ride a bicycle all the time rather than a car. But they chose a car because that's what their business needs require, apparently. ]]]]

The digital download number is probably much higher than the retail preorders. Also, Battlefield 3 isn't a killer app for Xbox 360 or PS3, but it generates BILLIONS of dollars of revenue for PC hardware manufacturers, from which game publishers like EA indirectly receive profits and massive amounts of free advertising.

Plus, I have no idea what you're talking about when you say "you can't economically diversity with a game dedicated to PC." You mean diversify your profits? That's what multiple platform games are for. Nobody is saying DICE should only develop games for the PC. They got a good approach going toward BF3 - impress people with a PC lead game, make the majority of sales on console platforms, rake in lots of money for developing future games. And once a new generation of consoles comes out, DICE will be able to develop console games again that are very similar to PC games.

May 5, 2011
EA Adopts Games As A Service Model
 
"Over the coming years, we will transform EA from a packaged goods company to a fully integrated digital entertainment company," 

EA will start with its stable IP such as FIFA, Madden, Battlefield, Need for Speed, The Sims, Tetris, Dragon Age. "We fully intend to make these properties into year-round businesses that lead their sectors across a range of platforms," Riccitiello said.
http://www.megagames.com/news/ea-adopts-games-service-model

October 17, 2011  
Battlefield 3 Producer Talks Attention to Detail
 
"Games, especially FPS titles with their deep persistence and team play are no longer just hard-coded discs. They are transforming into a service."
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/battlefield-3-producer-talks-attention-to-detail/

February 19, 2009
The changing face of 'games-as-a-service'
 
Newell says the future will be "providing ongoing value." Once you start thinking from a service perspective, he continues, "It starts to help you understand the phenomenon that's out there." The core of Newell's argument is that a service allows "content creators to have a better relationship with their customers."
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10167502-62.html

I'm feeling a 5-star PC and 4-star consoles.

@nail1080 said:

"Bad Company 2 Battlefield 3 is a terrific multiplayer shooter that offers the scope and strategy that made the Battlefield series so great in the first place. The single-player, however, feels a little flat this time around"

4 Stars

This time around? Compared to the other campaigns for Battlefield games this Campaign rules, but still is mediocre.