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Battlefield Heroes stealths into second beta
As of today, February 11th, the second beta test for Battlefield Heroes has tip-toed out into the hands of old and new testers alike. And while there isn't any information about additions to this beta, we're certain that DICE hasn't just been lazing about all these months having tea parties.Now that things are officially back in action, we expect to be hearing more about the game in the coming months. Hopefully, official launch day isn't too far off as spring slowly creeps up behind us draped in ninja garb. Pretty soon we'll be sitting on plane wings and gunning down our cartoony adversaries with unreasonably-sized mini-guns. At least, assuming this version of the beta is the last one.
Battlefield Heroes now aiming for Q1 '09 release
After announcing a delay last Summer (and missing the planned '08 release), then closing and subsequently re-opening the beta, EA has informed us that its ready to bring the online-exclusive Battlefield Heroes to the gaming masses ... relatively soon.According to a supplement (PDF) included in EA's latest investor report, Battlefield Heroes should be released by quarter's end. That means if EA and DICE can keep development on track, we'll be blasting cartoonified soldiers in Heroes by March, at the latest.
Battlefield Heroes beta rolling back into action
Things have been quiet on Battlefield Heroes' front lines since Electronic Arts first called for a ceasefire last November, halting the game's release and sending scores of pastel-colored grunts back to their bunks. Now EA has reopened beta sign-ups, giving the boys in green another chance to enlist.Still, it's unknown how many players will be admitted into the beta, and greenhorns eager to taste the free-to-play shooter's cartoon action could be left in their barracks. Seasoned vets, however, will get first dibs, and do not need to get back in line, as any players who were already in the beta or had previously signed up will automatically receive an invite to report for duty. As for when soldiers can expect the call to action, EA is saying only to watch for more announcements in the "coming weeks."[Via Massively]
Battlefield Heroes beta to restart, sign-ups opened again
It's been a while since we heard from the folks over at Battlefield Heroes, but we assumed that they were busy putting their noses to the grindstone since the game's delay last year. As it turns out, though, the next beta is approaching and sign-ups have been reopened for those who haven't done so yet.As for those who were already in the last beta or had signed themselves up, you need not apply again. Anyone previously accepted will automatically be invited into the new one upon release. Even with the new sign-ups, DICE has promised to give priority on original applications before getting to the new ones. Although the choice to include so many people makes us wonder how much larger this new beta will be compared to the original.So when does this second beta begin? We're told to watch for further announcements in the coming weeks, although that makes it hard to guess on an actual date. We're hoping it'll be sooner rather than later, because our curiosity about the game's progress has become quite insatiable.
Battlefield Heroes beta in ceasefire until early '09
Get back behind the sandbags, soldier! No, not those, they're far too realistic. These, more cartoony bags are much better suited to protect your rounded corners and chiseled jaw while waiting for Electronic Arts to decide when Battlefield Heroes will roll onto the front lines. EA once more postponed the official release of its free-to-play shooter, while the closed beta will soon go dark until sometime next year.James Salt, senior producer on Battlefield Heroes, broke the news on the game's website, writing that the beta will close down Friday night at 6pm CET so the team can focus on "polishing the backend." In the meantime, we expect many brokenhearted, animated grenadiers to keep polishing their oversized rifles until early 2009.[Via Big Download]
The Best of Big Download: October 20-27
What a week. We started with the long awaited BioWare Star Wars MMO announcement, then had the official word on E3 2009 getting big again and ended the week with friggin' NAZI ZOMBIES!. You can't get much better than that.Exclusive features Previews: We got an invite to the big Star Wars: The Old Republic press event and have a full report on what may be the next big MMO game. Reviews: We have the final verdict on the PC version of Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway. Interviews: We have interviews with the dev teams behind Call of Duty: World at War, Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir, Battlefield Heroes and Wanted: Weapons of Fate, plus a chat with MMO dev Turbine on their future expansion plans. E3 Booth Model Retrospective: We look back at over 10 years of E3 booth models in this gallery feature Celebs take over Red Alert 3: So what famous actors and MMA fighters are in the cut scenes in the upcoming RTS game? This gallery feature has the answer. Mac Monday: Our look at Mac games takes a look at the special edition of Hollow Ground. MODMonday: This week our mod column takes a look at the Doomsday Engine which puts some new features in old Doom engine games. Indie Showcase: Our indie games column this week takes a look at four game titles you may want to check out. Boot Disk: Our look at classic PC games is for a true classic title, Doom Big Ideas: Our weekly column about game industry themes looks at the coming of the mature gamer. Freeware Friday: Our look at free games is all about the online multiplayer shooter Continuum Virtual Bargain Bin: Want a cheap game to play? This week our column picks the action-RPG Sacred Gold. BigCast: It's our regular weekly podcast on all things PC gaming. Contests: You like free games? We have three copies of Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 we are giving away to some lucky readers.
WoW Moviewatch: WoW That's Irregular
Ever wonder what happens to your character when the boat or zeppelin goes out of your view as it zips across the ocean? Well, WoW That's Irregular is here to 'splain you, Lucy. The filmmaker, Wizeer, is a pal of Baron Soosdon's and a student of Machinima 101 and his third machinima makes it clear he'll be a force to be reckoned with. The movie is really two separate vignettes which both riff on the theme of unexpected outcomes. The first story shows an Undead Rogue capturing the flag in Warsong Gulch with comedic flair. There is little standing in his way except a rookie Gnome, a surprised Draenei, and a Dwarf Hunter who looks surprisingly like BRK. One of these three offers the rogue his comeuppance, which is amusing, but what actually happens is a bit difficult to follow. According to the film's notes, the rogue overused Sprint, but I'm not entirely sure what occurred. In the second half of the film, a Night Elf boards a boat and gets mobbed by a gang of Horde who apparently don't judge gender very well. The special effects on the boat ride showing us what happens when the boat hits the worm hole are splendid. The voice acting in this segment is also quite amusing. (Did you know that Orcs scream like little girls?) Give it a shot; I think you'll like this one.For those of you interested in the non-WoW music used in this film, Wizeer lists "Concerning Hobbits" (Lord of the Rings), "Lacrimosa" (Immediate Music), and "Ringtone" (Battlefield Heroes).[Via WarcraftMovies]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
The Digital Continuum: Can a space colonization MMO work?
The colonization of space isn't a brand new idea for the realm of MMOs. 2006's Seed was all about the subject, but it unfortunately failed due to a lack of publisher interest. There's no denying that such a game wouldn't be anywhere near a hugely popular title. Still, I'd like to think that with the right design philosophy, platform and business model a game focused on the challenges of discovering another planet and making it a new home would be incredibly worthwhile.
Gamespy's MMO column returns with a look at Battlefield Heroes
Gamespy's excellent ongoing MMO column OnLife has been regrettably on hiatus for some time, but it looks like it is back with a vengeance. Its first column back in the saddle is all about the online free-to-play FPS Battlefield Heroes. While not technically an MMO, author Miguel Lopez notes numerous similarities between Heroes and high-end PvP in MMOs. As he observes, the fact that he can even make these comparisons is bad news for the folks at DICE. The stated purpose of the stylized online shooter has been to offer a simple, fun, low-cost experience for FPS players. Instead, even in the game's extended Beta, the game is already beginning to resemble World of Warcraft's sometimes-arcane PvP build strategy game.Says Lopez, "I'll admit that much of what makes me want to play Heroes' is its promise of varied abilities, full of potential for synergy and experimentation. But I hope that its designers will tread thoughtfully when it comes to implementing them." Check out the article for his full assessment of the game, then click below the cut for a look at the hyper-cartoony graphics and strange sense of humor found in Battlefield Heroes.
The Best of Big Download: August 18-24
Games Convention generated a ton of new HD trailers for upcoming PC games and we have them ready to download, along with a ton of original content and news stories. Indeed, there were a lot of new PC games announcements this week (more than at E3). Take a look at all of them on our site:Exclusive Features Reviews: Check out our reviews of the PC version of Bionic Commando Rearmed and the latest chapter of American McGee's Grimm. Hands-on previews: Check out our hands-on impressions of Aion, Battleforge and Battlefield Heroes BigVersus: Our latest game comparison column takes a look at the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Bionic Commando Rearmed. Big Iron: Our latest PC hardware column takes a look at power . . . power supplies for your rig that is. Big Ideas: Our latest column on themes in gaming takes a look at the so called "new games journalism." Alt-Tab: Our newest column takes a look at RTS gameplay conventions and how Relic could change them with Dawn of War II. Freeware Friday: Our latest look at free PC games is the classic Nethack. BigCast: It's our regular podcast with team members chatting about all things PC gaming.
DICE: Battlefield Heroes 'already out', closed beta to expand
Battlefield Heroes is a fairly unconventional game, especially when measured against other installments in the Battlefield franchise. It's an odd chimeric blend of some of our favorite shooters, with the cartoony style and sense of humor of Team Fortress 2, the character advancement of Call of Duty 4, and the free-ness of America's Army. As such, one couldn't expect the game to be released in a conventional fashion. Were the title gracing store shelves, we'd half expect the discs to come not inside a box, but rather, baked inside of a cake.Unfortunately for pastry fans, the title will only be available via digital distribution upon its release -- though the term "release" seems to have come under scrutiny from Ben Cousins, executive producer for DICE, Battlefield Heroes' developer. According to him, the title, which is currently in closed beta, is already technically "released", and won't have the "big splash release" one expects from an Electronic Arts title. Cousins explained that DICE simply plans to increase the size of the closed beta "to the point where every hardcore gamer in the world will probably be able to get a key if they want to," leading up to a time when the game will eventually "sneak out." We've never known a title to be well-served by a surreptitious launch, but we imagine the rules could be different when your game costs bupkis.
Battlefield Heroes pushed back to late 2008
Visually appealing, free-to-play shooter news now, with EA's post-results conference call revealing a delay for Battlefield Heroes. EA CEO John Riccitiello announced that the game would now launch at the end of 2008, with the developers shifting focus to implementing better "social networking features." Since we won't have to pay for the game's maps, we'll probably be using said "social networking features" to figure out how to complain about something else -- possibly Burger King ads.
The Daily Grind: Is Age of Conan as good as it gets graphically?
One of the newest trends in the PC gaming industry--perhaps best exemplified by Battlefield Heroes--is a re-evaluation of development priorities such that lower minimum system requirements have become more important than raw graphical horsepower. This has the dual effect of improving performance across the board as well as expanding the potential customer base by several orders of magnitude. Consider the number of people playing Team Fortress 2 as opposed to Crysis.With the release of Age of Conan and the considerable hardware it requires in order to run smoothly, we wonder whether we've seen the end of the rig-busting MMO. What do you think: will developers do as NetDevil has done in modeling their own minimum specs after World of Warcraft's, or will there always be room for beefier graphics?
DICE currently working on 5 Battlefield games
Though gravelly voiced soldiers are always keen to point out the many ways in which war has changed, it certainly hasn't ceased being profitable, least of all in the realm of video games. DICE, developer of EA's popular Battlefield franchise, has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that it currently has five related titles in development. Executive producer for DICE, Ben Cousins, was quite right when he said that's "more than you expect."With Battlefield: Bad Company out this week and the free-to-play Battlefield: Heroes already impressing industry pundits, we're left speculating about three (maybe more?) additional titles. According to Cousin's comments made at GDC Paris, one will be a traditional game for consoles, while another will be a joint effort with Neowiz, aimed at Korea. As for the third title? We're predicting Battlefield: Field of Battle, a turn-based card game for the iPhone. What say you?
Sign-ups begin for the Battlefield Heroes beta
This is one of those rare posts that we, in the industry, like to call "easy." When we tell you that sign-ups for the Battlefield Heroes beta are now open, the odds are that you've already beat cheeks down to the "Read" link. And that's just fine with us, because it means we can relax our brain muscle, confident in the fact that only us and the spam spiders are reading the text. It also means we can use the rest of this space to cop to something we otherwise wouldn't with millions of prying eyes around. ... We've completely turned the corner on Uwe Boll. He's out of his mind, he'll fight anyone and he's possibly the greatest self-promoter alive. We love him. And if you're a theater owner who won't show Postal, we think you're a jerk. There, we said it. ... OK, well, good luck with the beta thing, not that you're here any more.[Via Eurogamer] Gallery: Battlefield Heroes
Less is more with Battlefield Heroes
In the wake of such resource-intensive MMOs like Tabula Rasa and the upcoming Age of Conan, it's good to know that every once in awhile, we can get back to the fundamentals of games: having fun. That's exactly what we anticipate with the upcoming Battlefield Heroes.Opening an MMO up to a broader audience is something many newer developers have not yet grasped completely, but could it be as simple as hardware compatibility? EA certainly hopes so, since Battlefield Heroes is said to run "on your grandma's PC". With a download size less than 250MB and rumors of it running on an integrated video system, we're certainly curious to see if this will become a new trend. Less is more, people.
Joystiq hands-on: Battlefield Heroes
click to enlarge Producer Alexander Grondal said the team wants Battlefield Heroes to run on your Grandma's PC and -- with a sub-250MB download and the ability to run on Intel's anemic integrated video offerings -- we're sure it will. But that doesn't mean Grams is going to kick the Pogo crack pipe and be racking up levels in Heroes anytime soon. It's about as simple a shooter as you can imagine -- everything from the cartoon aesthetic to the streamlined controls reinforce the game's message: have fun -- but it's still a shooter at heart. It's a curious message coming from the same team that's been bringing the popular, and complicated, multiplayer Battlefield games to the hardcore shooter fans of the world. Has some of their audience grown up? Run out of free time? Still using the same gaming rig they built to play Battlefield 1942 in 2002?In our brief experience with the game at EA's Spring Break event in San Francisco last night, we were initially disoriented by the third-person perspective. Even though you see your character, Heroes doesn't play like a third-person shooter; it's an FPS through and through. A quick mental adjustment later, and we were running after enemies, grabbing flags, flying planes, and driving tanks.%Gallery-22758%
A Battlefield Heroes closed beta clarification
Some of you may have been patiently (or not so patiently, if you're like us) awaiting the closed beta for Battlefield Heroes. Unfortunately, there seems to have been a bit of miscommunication between developer DICE and the community that has formed around Battlefield Heroes. The closed beta -- that started yesterday, May 6th -- is invite only for the time being.DICE is quick to point out that this is for the first phase of the beta only and that eventually everyone will be able to apply for it. What's a bit surprising is that so many people apparently hit the official site yesterday it actually went down for a while. Seems like DICE may be onto something with Battlefield Heroes, but only time will tell.[via Blues News]
Battlefield Heroes beta sign-ups begin May 6th
Battlefield Heroes is one of those titles that easily crosses a few genres. There's no question, however, that the game has a good chunk of free-to-play MMO shoved within its most gooiest bits.Eurogamer has the news that sign-ups will be handled over on the official website on May 6th for anyone interested in playing this quirky-go-lucky online shooter. If you somehow haven't seen this inspiring trailer, you really need to check it out. The character screen features plenty of hard-points for character clothing options and the required level/experience-to-next-level indicator that completes the MMO addiction trifecta.It goes without saying that we'll be tossing our hats into the beta ring. The gameplay looks exactly how you would imagine a WWII-cartoon-styled persistent online first person shooter -- or WW2CSPOFPS if you love acronyms -- would look like; strangely awesome.
Battlefield Heroes to release with only 2 maps
In a Gamasutra interview with Battlefield Heroes producer Ben Cousins, the news was slipped that the MMO will launch its open beta with only two maps in place. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre, maps are different locales upon which matches can be played, selectable before entering the action. Cousins' reasoning behind only having two maps at launch was the trend for players to typically pick only two or three favorite maps to spend their time on, leaving the rest to go unplayed; why not, then, just release the best two right out of the gate?Of course, it's not the developers who can decide which maps will become popular, and with only two at launch, there's the distinct possibility that players might become bored with the offerings and leave earlier than usual. Perhaps anticipating this reasoning, Cousins went on to say ' ... we already have another map quite far along in development which will be included in an update soon after launch.' The game looks like it could be quite fun, and of course, 'free' is a great price for any endeavor.[Via EvilAvatar]
