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Punkbuster wrongly bans Battlefield 3 players, EA working on solution
Alongside legions of actual cheaters, EA's third-party anti-cheating technology, Punkbuster, has apparently been booting innocents from Battlefield 3, a problem the publisher is currently looking into. "We are investigating an issue of Punkbuster bans that were incorrectly applied to some of our players," reads a statement on EA's official help site. "Please undertstand [sic] that our game advisors are not able to access or overturn Punkbuster bans, but we're working with our partners at Even Balance to get this resolved as quickly as possible." Even Balance is the developer of Punkbuster, a once-popular anti-cheating program that saw widespread use prior to the advent of Steam and Valve's Anti-Cheat (VAC) software. Since that time, many newer games (including EA's own Titanfall) have opted to use Valve's solution over the comparatively dated Punkbuster. Unfortunately, older games, such as Battlefield 3, remain tied to Punkbuster and its banning protocol which makes it very difficult for even the game's publisher to rescind punishment once a ban has been issued. [Image: EA]
Love is a Battlefield 3 that's free for a week on Origin
If you make games free, they will come. Battlefield 3 (of dreams) is next up as Origin's On the House freebie, and you can get it for free right now. DICE's military shooter - remember when Battlefield was a military shooter? - will remain free on the PC portal until June 3. EA's also extending the freedom of Plants vs. Zombies, so you've now got until June 16 to grab Popcap's flower struggle for free. [Image: EA]
EA settles Battlefield 3 and Textron helicopter lawsuit
Electronic Arts has settled a lawsuit between itself and industrial conglomerate Textron, concerning three models of helicopter made by Textron aerospace subsidiary Bell Helicopter: The AH-1Z Viper, UH-1Y Venom and V-22 Osprey. The terms of the private, out-of-court settlement remain unknown, though the case itself has been dismissed with prejudice, Patent Arcade reports. The suit, which has been ongoing since last year, was originally filed by EA as a preventative tactical measure, after Textron sent a cease-and-desist letter over the unlicensed existence of its helicopters in Battlefield 3. EA claimed that its usage of these aircraft was covered by fair use policies and the First Amendment, and therefore did not require any sort of licensing agreement. Later that year, Textron responded with its own counterclaims, alleging that EA was guilty of trademark infringement and various other statutory transgressions under California law. EA then tried to have the suit dismissed, but was unsuccessful.
Humble Origin Bundle launches with Dead Space 3, BF3, Burnout Paradise Ultimate, Mirror's Edge and more
Huh, well would you look at that! It's a Humble Bundle, only it's made entirely out of EA games. Weird! Specifically, a dollar or more will net you Dead Space, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, Crysis 2 Maximum Edition, Mirror's Edge, Dead Space 3 and Medal of Honor. Paying above the average (currently hovering around $5) also unlocks Battlefield 3 and The Sims 3 "+ Starter Pack." Steam keys are available for Dead Space, Burnout Paradise, Crysis 2, Medal of Honor and Mirrors Edge, while the rest of the games on offer can only be delivered as Origin codes. Unlike most Bundles, however, which are split three-ways between a charity, the publisher/developer and the Humble folks, the Humble Origin Bundle is only being split between charities and the Humble Bundle organizers – EA takes no cut. The Humble Bundle folks have already tweeted that this bundle has surpassed $100,000 faster than any other in its history, so things seem like they're off to a good start for a good cause.
Battlefield 3 Premium subscribers over 4 million, Origin exceeds 50 million
EA has dusted off the Numbers Trumpet™ and is celebrating subscriber milestones for both its Battlefield 3 Premium service and its digital distribution platform, Origin. Battlefield 3 Premium subscribers have surpassed four million in total, up from the 2.9 million subscribers reported in January. As of January, EA secured $108 million in revenue from the shooter's content service, though no update on that figure is available in the latest financial report. Over 50 million users have registered accounts on Origin, an increase of over 20 million users since October of last year. EA's DRM and content delivery service was introduced in June of 2011 and, according to comments from EA VP Andrew Wilson earlier this year, is currently shifting away from a means of driving transactions into "a service to gamers."
Battlefield 3 free on PlayStation Plus this week
PlayStation Plus subscribers can download Battlefield 3 for free after tomorrow's store update. Other free PS Plus games set aside for July include Jet Set Radio, Metal Slug XX, Dokuro and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD. PlayStation pals across the pond can add Battlefield 3 to their Instant Game collections sometime during July, though Sony Europe hasn't given a precise date yet. Saints Row: The Third, which wielded its purple dildo against Plus subscribers in North America last month, is also on the way to Europe.
PS Plus in Europe adds Battlefield 3, Saints Row: The Third in July
Battlefield 3 and Saints Row: The Third go marching onto PlayStation Plus in Europe next month, joining the continent's Instant Game Collection along with three others. Yup, marching was the common link we could find between two very different headliners, although we suppose destruction and loud noises would have worked too. The other PS3 game coming to the subscription service next month is Payday: The Heist, while Unit 13 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus are the duo hopping onto Vita. Thankfully, there are no complicated schedules to mull over with July's changeover: all five games are to be added to the service on July 3. As ever, that means five games make their way out, all on July 3 too. Waving their goodbyes are Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, The Cave, Rayman Origins, and Coconut Dodge.
GameStop offering Battlefield 3 unlocks for Battlefield 4 pre-orders
GameStop Power-Up Rewards members who pre-order Battlefield 4 can unlock some vehicle upgrades in Battlefield 3 immediately. The Air Vehicles Shortcut Kit instantly unlocks all 38 upgrades across all airborne vehicles in Battlefield 3. Looking to go through a different retailer with your early commitment? All Battlefield 4 pre-orders will also receive the China Rising expansion: a collection of four maps, weapons and tech. Battlefield 4 is slated for October 29 on PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 and PS3.
EA product manager Kevin Flynn defects, joins Call of Duty team
Kevin Flynn, who's worked for the last two years as a senior product manager for EA's UK arm, has left to join Activision's UK side as a senior brand manager on Call of Duty. Flynn's previous efforts for EA include launching Battlefield 3 and its subsequent Premium DLC campaigns in the region. Flynn enlisted with the Call of Duty squad this month, which we imagine must be the busiest time to sign on for an Activision paycheck. With Call of Duty: Ghosts launching on November 5 and next week's next-generation engine reveal during the Xbox event on May 21, we just hope Mr. Flynn is finding adequate time for his lunch break every day. A hungry worker is not a happy worker!
Battlefield 3 servers see DDOS attack, EA says no user data breached
The Battlefield 3 servers have been under a DDOS attack for the past several days, aimed at interfering with network communication and preventing access to multiplayer, EA says. The barrage has not breached any user data and EA is working to stop the attack, the publisher adds. "The current Battlefield 3 outages are a result of activity that appears to be aimed at overwhelming our back-end infrastructure. We are working on a variety of solutions to address this problem and are focused on resolution as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience and support," EA writes. "We are incredibly disappointed by these activities and the impact they are having on all of our ability to enjoy BF3, thank you for your patience as we work to resolve these issues." EA held rolling restarts of the Battlefield 3 servers to apply updates, and any new information will be posted on BattleLog. [Thanks, Josh!]
Battlefield 3 Premium reached 3.5 million subscribers, generated $120 million
Battlefield 3's Premium service has garnered over 3.5 million subscriptions to date, according to EA's fiscal fourth quarter 2013 financial results. Additionally, the service has earned over $120 million for EA. This compares to the financial results reported by EA for the last quarter, in which the Battlefield 3 Premium service generated $108 million and had 2.9 million subscribers.
Sniping in Battlefield 3: End Game using a helicopter
We're not talking about long-distance dome-capping in Battlefield 3's final DLC, End Game, while using a helicopter – actually, that's exactly what we're talking about. It's just not accomplished here in the way you're thinking.
Xbox Live's April 1 DLC sale includes Fallout 3, AC3, BF3, Dishonored
Although some may consider this a joke, Xbox Live will hold a downloadable content sale for April Fools' Day. The discounts on recent games include the Assassin's Creed 3 Season Pass for $20 (33 percent off). There's also the Battlefield 3 Aftermath DLC for $7.50 (50 percent off).For those who never picked up any of the DLC for Fallout 3, each of the game's five pieces of additional content are 75 percent off for $2.50 apiece. If you must select only a couple, "Broken Steel" and "Point Lookout" are the way to go. We feel obligated to note that Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, which includes the full game plus all the DLC, retails for $20.The sale does not start until tomorrow, April 1, but head on over to Major Nelson for details on some other discounts.
Do you dream of a World of Warcraft simulator?
Years ago, before vanilla WoW became vanilla WoW, a friend of mine made the passing comment, "If only I ran as much as my night elf. I'd be in amazing shape." I've been dreaming about a World of Warcraft simulator ever since. Mind you, I'd suffer the fate of Pheidippides if I ran a fraction of what my night elf runs (I'm a terrible long-distance runner), but I suppose that's what makes the idea of a WoW simulator so appealing. Of course you'd be awful when you first started, but over time you could expect to get better. In my overly optimistic imagination, I saw hardcore raiders becoming sculpted athletes, sprinting from left to right to avoid boss abilities. But in the absence of a holodeck or some other form of simulated reality, is a WoW simulator even feasible? I got my first look at an answer in 2010, when researchers at the USC Institute of Creative Technologies released a video demonstration of their Flexible Action and Articulate Skeleton Toolkit (FAAST). The middleware toolkit allows motion control to be integrated into games without existing motion control support, by translating gestures into mouse and keyboard inputs. In the demonstration video, a Microsoft Kinect is used to control a mage running around Dustwallow Marsh. Awesome, right?
Editorial: SimCity, Diablo 3 and a review of customer service
I don't like writing game reviews. I'm a news guy, comfortable moving within and reporting on the binary conclusions of business in the video game industry. Reviews are emotional. Always have been. With SimCity and Diablo 3, I think the already tempestuous machine of game reviews in this industry has changed forever, and as a collective we haven't yet determined how to proceed. SimCity and Diablo 3 aren't just games, they are also services. The question: Should these games be reviewed separately from their service elements or should they be reviewed in combination?Comparing this to the restaurant industry, the game is the food and the internet-required connection is the table service. Back of the house and front of the house. What we've seen following the launches of Diablo 3 and SimCity are people paying money to walk into the restaurant on opening day and not being served a meal. In a restaurant there would be immediate and dire consequences for such poor customer service. In the video game industry, there's no shortage of apologists justifying the outcome. Nobody genuflects to poor customer service excuses in a restaurant. Any restaurant review would treat the meal and service as one singular expression of the experience.
One final look at Battlefield 3 'End Game' DLC
With "End Game" the announced conclusion of Battlefield 3's downloadable content schedule, we will hopefully never have to post another one of its cockamamie release schedules again. Here's some new screenshots from the DLC and its release schedule again for clarity.
Battlefield 3's 'End Game' DLC begins staggered deployment next week
DICE has revealed its plan of attack, announcing on its Battlefield blog the release schedule for End Game, the final piece of downloadable content for Battlefield 3.PlayStation 3 players with 'Battlefield Premium' accounts will see the content on Tuesday, March 5, as part of the subscription. For premium users on Xbox 360 and PC, End Game will arrive on Tuesday, March 12. PlayStation 3 users without Battlefield Premium accounts can purchase the content on March 19, while Xbox 360 and PC users will have to wait until March 26 to gain access to the DLC.Pricing for non-Premium users has not yet been revealed, though previous Battlefield 3 content releases launched for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points).
Origin deploys sale on all things Battlefield
Soldiers, sweep your sectors – discounts are creeping in the brush. Select Battlefield games are up to 75% off until February 27 on EA's Origin online store, with discounts applying to both digital and physical products.Highlights include Battlefield 3 for $10 as a download on PC or $20 for a physical copy on all platforms. A Battlefield 3 Premium subscription is also on sale for $30, a discount of $20 – Battlefield 3: Premium Edition physical copies are on sale for $40; $35 for a PC download. Bad Company 2 is also on sale for $5, with its Vietnam expansion's price tag a hot $5 compared to its usual $15 asking price.
First Battlefield 3 End Game screenshots get dirty
EA has released the first official screens of Battlefield 3's next piece of DLC, End Game. The screens highlight the dirt bike, one of End Game's new vehicles, riding off in dirty, explosion-filled glory. You can also glimpse one of the four new maps, Operation Riverside. End Game arrives in March.%Gallery-178406%
Battlefield 3's 'End Game' captures the flag
Battlefield 3's downloadable content morphine drip is about to conclude with "End Game" sometime in March. This trailer for the final DLC pack shows off some exciting capture the flag gameplay, along with the all-new dirtbikes.Near the end of the clip, there's also a quick glimpse at the air superiority mode. The all-airplane mode was a highlight of Battlefield 1943, now making its return in a modern context.
