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DICE 'investigating' Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on Mac
Okay, Mac gamers, take a deep breath. It's been a busy day. Steam is coming to the Mac. The Left 4 Dead games will even support multiplayer across PC and Mac platforms. You're just not used to all this attention, we understand. Bear with it though, because there's more on the way. In a recent tweet, DICE's Karl Magnus Troedsson stated, "We like it!" in reference to Valve's Mac Steam announcement. When asked by UGDB.com whether the company had plans for a Mac version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Troedsson responded, "We're currently investigating the possibility of making BFBC2 available on Mac." It wouldn't be the first time a Battlefield game was ported to Mac -- the most recent being Battlefield: 2142 -- but it could be the first Battlefield released on Mac via Steam. Again, Mac gamers, it's a lot to take in. Try to get some sleep and we'll start fresh tomorrow.
Facebook nabbing its first FPS: Brave Arms
Our biggest gripe with Facebook "games" most times is the lack of actual gameplay involved in them. Things like Mafia Wars seem much more like stat management spreadsheets couched in a social networking medium rather than games with a social media component. That said, it seems that 3G Studios is bringing a full on 3D shooter to the website in Brave Arms, announced this week and set for a March launch. As the screenshot above corroborates, Brave Arms puts players in the first-person perspective for a Team Fortress 2-eque cartoony death match. CEO James Kosta says in the press release announcing the game that, "Our new title, Brave Arms, will bring first-person shooter games to the masses." Snarkier, meaner bloggers might mention games like Doom, Quake, Halo, or Call of Duty at this point, but we wouldn't do that. Nope. No sir. We'd just say something like, "How has EA not jumped on Facebook with Battlefield Heroes, nonetheless id Software/Bethesda with Quake Live?" As you might imagine with this type of free-to-play fare, there will be some form of microtransactions, though nothing has been explicitly detailed just yet. %Gallery-84846%[Via Games.com]
Battlefield Heroes going all Twilighty for month-long monster mash
Things are going to look pretty different in the world of Battlefield Heroes during the month of February. Soldiers from both factions will soon find themselves embroiled in the "Vampires vs. Werewolves" event, which allows players to purchase costumes based on the two monstrous archetypes. Unfortunately, there's no room for crossovers -- Nationalists are strictly Team Edward, and Loyalists are strictly Team Jacob, and oh man we can't believe we just said that. In addition to the costumes, both factions will unlock "claw swipe" attacks, and three of the game's maps will be given a new nighttime aesthetic. Check out this battle for Bella's affection cryptozoological dominance in the trailer above.
Dr Pepper giving away free EA DLC with every purchase
We can only imagine the planning meeting at Dr Pepper HQ, during which someone shouts "We must garner that critical gaming demographic! How will we ever best something as inimitable as Game Fuel?! It's got 'game' right there in the title!" Instead of copycatting the naming idea, though, Dr Pepper recently detailed an already announced partnership with EA to give away codes for downloadable content. The promotion details lists a handful of games -- Mass Effect 2, Battlefield Heroes, The Sims 3, Spore, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 -- which have "unique DLC" tied to them. Rather than forcing an unknown amount of soda purchases out of its customers, we were told this afternoon by a customer service rep that "Every bottle wins." More specifically, each bottle contains a code that can then be redeemed on the Dr Pepper website, thus allowing participants to choose their system and DLC from an available list. We flatfooted to the local AM/PM and didn't spot the prize-bearing bottles, but we'll update this post with more information as we get it.
3 million Battlefield Heroes have been registered, new 'Sunset Showdown' map to celebrate
click to admire the sunset We can see calling yourself a hero if you jump into a burning building to save the mayor's newborn son. That's heroism. But what if you're just one in a group of 3 million, as is now the case with EA's free-to-play (but not necessarily free-to-be-good-at) shooter, Battlefield Heroes? Can you really still be a "hero" then? Aren't you just more of a brave dude? Actual hero or not, everyone will get to enjoy a brand new, single-control-point map, "Sunset Showdown," released to mark the occasion. Semantics aside, we'll be interested to see if the game can continue to grow after the afore-linked-to pricing changes, or if this is the last peak before a downward slide, into sunset. %Gallery-80449%
The catch point of the free-to-play model
With the successful transition of Dungeons and Dragons Online to the free-to-play model, there's a lot of talk about why other games don't move over to the same model, with Warhammer Online frequently being cited as a game that would enjoy a great benefit from the switch. It would bring in more players, certainly, but there's more to the business than just bringing in new blood. The Ancient Gaming Noob makes an excellent point in a recent entry regarding the inescapable paradox of any game offering a free-to-play model -- that razor-edge split between giving the game away for free and making it entirely unreasonable to play it for free. The obvious idea is that more people will try the game if they don't think they have to commit, and if they feel they can keep playing without having to pay money they're more likely to stick with it. However, every player that isn't paying money is essentially a cost - and as the entry points out, your paying playerbase will frequently be a small percentage of your overall subscribers. The entry uses Battlefield Heroes as an example of a game where the equillibrium needed to shift to make it profitable, which is causing serious rumbling in the gaming community, but the example can apply for any free-to-play game. As the model becomes more and more popular, it's important to remember that it's not a certain hit -- and can turn what could have been a moderately-successful subscription game into a failed game if done wrong.
Battlefield Heroes store updated, offers advantage to microtransacting users
It's difficult to explain the current controversy surrounding Battlefield Heroes without talking a whole lot of inside baseball, so we'll keep it simple. Players of the game are up in arms due to a recent update to the title's in-game store. Though EA and DICE had worked up a balance between the game's two forms of currency -- Valor Points, which you unlock from playing, and Battlefunds, which you purchase with real-life money -- this patch heavily depreciates the value of the former while making the latter a near necessity for those who wish to stay competitive in the game. Items have had their Valor Point costs increased across the board -- what's more, some of these items can no longer be permanently purchased with Valor Points, but can only be taken on a one or three-day test drive. However, these same items have had their Battlefund costs reduced, and allow purchasers to keep them indefinitely. If the items being purchased were merely cosmetic, we wouldn't think twice about this shift in fungible value -- however, the torch-wielding mob now moving through the Battlefield Heroes forums seem to think that the shooter's developer has forsaken the more frugal members of its community, giving the wealthy playboys among them an unfair advantage.
Battlefield Heroes update 'Heroes of the Fall' now live
It may seem like a contradiction, but it is possible to make "free" an even better value. Just look at Battlefield Heroes; the game just added a boatload of new content (we've got a full list after the break) as part of its "Heroes of the Fall" update, and it's still all delectably free. If you can't be troubled to read a whole list, some of the most notable changes include a new map called "Riverside Rush" and some improved social networking functionality. And, as you can see above, the update features a guest appearance by the Sepia-Toned Village People, who we hear are huge in the Netherlands.
Battlefield Heroes enlists two million recruits
DICE's free-to-play FPS, Battlefield Heroes, just had its two millionth soldier signed up for duty, EA announced. It's an impressive accomplishment considering the game only opened its doors in June and netted its first million users back in July. And as a reward for all of the players' hard work gaming, EA has dated the title's Heroes of the Fall update for September 30. We already knew about the proposed changes to the game's social networking functions and the class updates, but there's also the prospect of a new map to be excited about. EA is taking name ideas for the new locale right now at the game's official site, so head on over and suggest one. If you're looking for a bit of inspiration, may we suggest The Joystiq Map of Joystiqing Joystiq: Joystiq?
Battlefield Heroes updates coming in 'Heroes of the Fall'
EA and DICE's free-to-play online shooter Battlefield Heroes is getting some TLC in the form of "Heroes of the Fall," a series of updates and changes that will presumably be released this ... fall. The game's official blog has news about the update coming in a slow drip -- for now, we know the Gunner class will be getting some major improvements, and all players will receive military rankings to go along with their current levels. Also getting a revamp is the game's social networking functions, making it easier to keep track of your in-game friends. Just make sure you don't befriend any of those dastardly Nationals. They simply cannot be trusted! [Via Big Download]
Battlefield Heroes stats: free-to-play, but plenty will pay
With its hands on some stats from EA, IGN estimates that Battlefield Heroes -- the free-to-play microtransaction-based online shooter -- has brought in almost $30 million, with the average "buyer" spending about $20 on the game. The most popular purchased items are the sleek Kommendant's Coat, Special Forces Officer Cap and Maverik's Sunglasses. A healthy 76 percent of "Battlefunds" (the game's currency) are spent on clothing, with a majority of the rest going to XP boosts. The piece is packed with neat statistics on the game. Did you know that there are 1.5 million players across 133 countries, though 75% of users are from just ten countries (none of which are in Asia), including Brazil and Poland? %Gallery-17121%
Drawing you in, one freemium at a time
It seems the general media has gotten a whiff of the freemium cocktails that developers have been cooking up, as USA Today reports on some of the new freemium MMO games to hit the streets. The article also offers some insight into how these games support themselves -- namely through the use of item shops and microtransactions.While their reporting offers nothing huge and shocking to well-read gamers, the whole fact that this article has appeared in the lifestyle section of USA Today shows that our genre is beginning to reach out past the average gamer and draw in the new initiates to gaming. As much as we like to think its our masterpieces that truly shape our genre, it's games like this that get the majority of our population interested in the things we do.
Battlefield Heroes registers over 1 million players
The growth of Battlefield Heroes has been slow and steady -- a natural side-effect of EA and DICE's slow trickle release of beta codes for the free-to-play shooter. However, on June 25, Heroes' floodgates were flung wide open, letting every would-be cartoon soldier access to the title. Now, about 19 days since that fateful event, EA has revealed some impressive statistics: Over one million players have registered for the online battle.That's quite a few digital soldiers, but we're curious to know how many of those decided to purchase fancy hats for their militaristic avatars, and whether EA is turning a profit thanks to the sale of said chapeaus. We've emailed EA to try and find out.[Via Big Download]
(Another) Michael Jackson video game on the way, scheduled for a 'holiday release'
After the King of Pop's passing last week, Joystiq has had an inordinately high volume of Michael Jackson-related stories. Day after day, the video game industry honored his passing -- free "Thriller" downloads on Xbox Live, Battlefield Heroes costumes, and a full on recreation of "Smooth Criminal" using Rag Doll Kung Fu's engine. Today, less than a full week after the singer's death, his production company (MJJ Productions) confirmed to MCVUK that a game starring Jackson and featuring his music has been in production at MJJ for "several months" and is purportedly on schedule to release "this holiday season." Though no definitive "yes" or "no" has been given on the game's release (or any info on the developer, publisher, or the game itself), reports say the game contains recent voice recordings by the singer. The closest we get to actual information on the game's release window is, "I am sure it will still be released ... Michael loved games," by way of an MJJ Productions rep. Here's hoping it's more Moonwalker and less Space Channel 5 -- but then, that's just how we get down.[Via Industry Gamers]
Michael Jackson honored in Battlefield Heroes, kind of [update: Costumes will be free]
Update: Electronic Arts has contacted us to let us know that the outfits will be free. Multiplayer has updated its own story, noting that the prices mentioned were seen on the Battlefield Heroes test servers. Upon release to the actual public, they will be offered at the consumer-friendly price of no dollars. Original post is below.In a touching display of respect for the recently deceased King of Pop, Electronic Arts has uploaded a pair of the music legend's iconic outfits to Battlefield Heroes -- one for each of the game's two factions. Members of the Royal Army can now drape themselves in the white suit worn by Michael Jackson in the "Smooth Criminal" music video, while National Army recruits can don the black leather apparel featured in "Bad." This is a really neat way for EA to show -- wait a sec, you have to pay for them?You're telling us that EA is charging 420 Battlefunds (about $3) for these outfits? Well, surely, they're donating the money to sick kids or something, right? No? They're just ... keeping it? That's sorta messed up, guys.
Battlefield Heroes now open to the masses
We're so excited that we can finally share our love of Battlefield Heroes with the whole world. The casual, free-to-play shooter has (finally) gone live, and you can start outfitting your soldier right now.While the game itself is free, if you want to level up faster, get special emotes and exclusive weapons, you're going to need to shell out some cash. But there's no need to worry about that at the moment -- just go, start up an account and feel free to swap your usernames below.[Via BD]
Rumorong: Battlefield Heroes not heading to PS3/360 [update]
Though we're running this one under the "likely an error and probably not a hot scoop" category, a listing for Battlefield Heroes on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 has appeared on the EA press site. Pointed out by GOONLINE (their caps, not ours), the listing posits a June 2009 release date -- interesting considering the PC version of the game has been marred by delays. The site also pegs the PC version with a September release, a significantly more solid release date than EA has provided as of late.At this point, however, we'd like to note that the game's developer, DICE, has stated before its lack of interest in console ports of the game, telling Videogamer.com a year ago, "We could port the engine and do it, I just don't know what we would gain from it. Everyone's who's [sic] got a 360 or PS3 also will have a PC that can run this game." We've reached out for comment from EA and will update you when we hear more.Update: As expected, EA's Ben Cousins has shot the rumor down.
Fan-named map 'Coastal Clash' coming to Battlefield Heroes soon
DICE recently opened up the Battlefield Heroes forums to suggestions for the title of the map you see above. The winner, Noobilator, ended up dubbing this particular area Coastal Clash, and it stuck. The map is still in the development process, and needs more play testing before being deployed into battle, but fans of Battlefield Heroes can look forward to destroying this peaceful little village sometime soon.If you're trying to experience Battlefield Heroes for yourself, and don't have a beta invite, hit up the site. DICE is handing out codes to everyone.[Via Big Download]
Battlefield Heroes still isn't out ... so play this Flash game instead
Although EA promised the world would be in the middle of a cartoon-shaded war by now, it looks like Battlefield Heroes isn't going to hit the planned Q1 '09 release. If you're one of the unfortunate many who haven't been invited into the party, EA has a quick game that may hold you over.The official Battlefield Heroes website has released a Flash version of the game to help pass the time before the open beta begins. In the Battlefield Heroes Flash Game players have 60 seconds to shoot as many "Nationals" as they can, who each pop into frame Wack-A-Mole style and await a bullet sandwich. It isn't as sexy as playing the real game, but ... yeah, we got nothing.[Via BigDownload]
DICE's Lars Gustavsson says game industry is at a 'crossroads'
Lars Gustavsson is no stranger to risk. After last year's first-person parkour-based action/platformer Mirror's Edge stumbled off shelves during the holiday season, you'd think DICE's creative director might be dissuaded from continuing to push the envelope. However, speaking at the Design Innovate Communicate Entertertain Summit (conveniently shortened to D.I.C.E.) last week, he told the crowd "the games industry has come to a crossroads." According to him, the situation is multi-faceted -- the poor economy is forcing lower overhead costs on developers and people are less willing to spend their money while consumers are also less likely to invest in new intellectual properties (such as the aforementioned Mirror's Edge). Should developers play it safe with proven IPs or take risks in hopes of breaking in?He pontificates that "more customization offerings, new business models, data-driven development and the active tuning of the games" will drive innovation and allay risk going forward. "It's totally different from anything we've done," Gustavsson noted when referencing upcoming online-only multiplayer shooter Battlefield 1943. And he seems to be putting the development costs where his mouth is, as Battlefield 1943 sticks to his plan (on paper at least) to a tee. It remains to be seen whether they'll work out. After all, we're still waiting on that other Battlefield game.
