For all those who dispute the longeivty of a game...you are missing out a key component....ONLINE.
All the COD games have a short story...people finish it in less than a week. Yet all the COD games are still being played even after the next installment comes out. Quite simply....ONLINE is what makes a game last longer...great online play is what people want.
There has NEVER been an EA online union game......ever. Yet still a lot of people bought and played their games. So you can imagine how hardout online is gonna be for this game.It will be like releasing a beast.
Those who have played the Fifa series would tell you....if you decide to WAIT until an online game becomes cheaper to buy....you will always be behind the play and it is very difficult to catch up to the top levels. To be an online god you basically have to get the game before release day and play like a nut for the first 3 weeks EVERY DAY, trying to learn the ropes whilst clambering for the early spots on the leaderboards. Then if you manage to get in to the top 100 you have to keep playing everyday and winning. You cannot afford to lose to any low ranked opponents.
Those who wait till Christmas to get the game will be resigned to being a casual online gamer....the types who go on forums and boast about how good they are even though they are ranked online outside the top 100,000.
Playing a millions hours offline against the computer doesn't cut it. Even playing a million hours offline against a friend doesn't mean you will succeed online. The game online is often slower due to lag and you have to play very differently because of your ping.