Battlefield 3 is a “flat out superior game” to competing shooter Call of Duty, says Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello.
Speaking with investors earlier today, the executive spoke of the publishing behemoth’s intention of taking a substantial bite out of Activision’s dominance in the FPS landscape, and firmly believes Battlefield 3 is more than up to the task.
"We know we have a big competitor," he commented. "But head-to-head with Call of Duty in Q3, we have the superior game engine, a superior development studio, and a flat out superior game. Our goal is to significantly gain share in the huge FPS category and to put the other team on defense."
Furthermore, Riccitiello observed that pre-orders for Battlefield 3 have effortlessly eclipsed those of its predecessor, noting pre-sales for the game are up a whopping 700 percent “versus the same period before the launch of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.”
“A lot of people are telling us they want to play this game on day one,” he added.
Riccitiello said earlier this year that EA and Activision would be splashing out roughly $200 million in combined marketing efforts for Battlefield 3 and the new Call of Duty, the latter of which has yet to see a formal reveal.
Stay tuned.