One more thing, kinda unique to Chinese players I think.
When a new Battlefield game drops at full price, and a new player buys it right away — unless they’re a huge fan — we’ll jokingly make fun of them a bit.
But honestly? We also feel bad for them. It’s not that we’re cheap or looking down on anyone. It’s just that we really care about spending money wisely. Getting burned by a full-price game that flops? That hurts.
So the joke is also a way of looking out for each other.
And yeah, we complain about EA all the time. A lot. But that’s because we genuinely want them to do better. To make something world-changing again. Like they used to.
You might notice no Battlefield 6 there. Truth is, my PC can barely run it smoothly, so I didn’t buy it. That’s the reality for a lot of us.
And yeah, you see all those games? We have a tradition in China: buy first on sale, think about playing later. 😅 It’s a whole thing.
EA has a special pattern in China — either no discount at all, or suddenly 90% off. So we wait. We always wait. That’s the “Pin Hao Bing” (Scrounged-Together Soldier) way.
“Pin Hao Bing” is a joke in the Chinese Battlefield community. It means someone whose rig is barely holding on, but they’re still out there grinding, dying a lot, and telling their squad “I gave it my all.”
I’m 26, born in 1999 in a small Chinese town. You can call me French Fry Noob – or just Fry.
Let me explain the nickname. In China’s Battlefield community, we call new players “French fries.” 🍟
Why? Because you’re fresh, you get eaten alive out there… but you always come in large numbers. It’s a self-deprecating way of saying: “I’m still learning. I’ll probably die a lot. But I’m here to have fun.”
So yeah – I’m a forever French Fry Noob.
A bit about me
I grew up blowing into Famiclone cartridges, sneaking into arcades, renting PS2 time by the hour, and using a PSP as an MP4 player. Just like many of you – just in a different place.
I don’t work in games. I’m just a player.
Recently I wrote a long, personal piece about how my generation in China grew up with games. From the Famiclone era to Steam. It covers the console ban, the grey market, the “Steam tipping point” – and why “piracy” was never the full picture for many Chinese players.
I’ve shared it with Chinese gamers, and the response was warm.
I’m currently working on an English version. It’s a story about why a kid from a small Chinese town ended up buying a physical PS2 copy of Most Wanted years later – just for closure. Not politics. Just games.
I’ll post it here in the coming days. I hope you’ll give it a read.
A quick note
I’m new to Lemmy. Still figuring out the etiquette. If I do something weird, just tell me – I’ll listen and adjust.
Thanks for having me. And if you play Battlefield… I’ll try not to trip on your revive.
The first time I played Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Black Box Studio was already gone. Disbanded.
I wanted to give them my money, but there was no one left to take it.
That hit me hard — missing the chance to pay for a childhood favorite.
See, back in the day in China, most of us played this game as a cracked copy. No other way.
No official retail. No Steam. No way to pay even if you wanted to.
We were kids with dial-up internet and a dream — and a pirated ISO from a local PC café.
So years later, I thought: maybe a physical PS2 import copy would help. A kind of spiritual closure.
Luckily, I didn’t get scammed. Found an old-school seller who knew his stuff. Got it at a fair price.
We talked a bit about why I was buying it — he was genuinely happy for me.
Also grabbed a few titles on Steam during sales. Two bucks each on average. Felt good.
I have mixed feelings about this franchise.
Part of me still hopes it can rise again. Make something world-changing. Like it once did.
Follow me first, I’ll take a look at the forum rules, and I’ll be able to post next week.