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Battlefield 3 gets intimate with 'Close Quarters' screens, trailer
Battlefield 3 gets an overdue expansion with the "Close Quarters" map pack, available this June.As previously announced, it'll be followed by a more traditional outing this autumn with the "Armored Kill" pack. The fall pack will feature "all-out vehicle warfare on huge maps," the biggest map in Battlefield history, and new vehicles, tanks and artillery.Finally, "End Game" is still under wraps, but should hit this winter. In an interview with DICE execs last week, we learned that the aim is to get it out in 2012, but "winter" leaves some breathing room into next year.%Gallery-150552%
Battlefield 3's rendering architect details his dream specs for the next generation of consoles
During the Game Developer's Choice awards, DICE took home the prize of "Best Technology" for its Frostbite 2 engine. After accepting the award on behalf of his team, we asked DICE rendering architect Johan Andersson what the next generation of consoles would need to include for Frostbite 2 to work 'perfectly and as intended on high-end PCs.' To Andersson, the answer is "pretty easy to answer." "There's two things: memory and processing power," he said. "We need lots and lots of processing power. The more you can cram into a machine, we'll take advantage of that." While 'more power' is the obvious answer -- both on the CPU and GPU side -- we wondered what wouldn't be 'enough' to work with."Two gigabytes would not be enough when it comes to RAM [random access memory]" Andersson said. "Four gigabytes would work. Eight gigabytes? Yeah. I think that would be perfect when it comes to memory." Recommended system specifications for Battlefield 3 call for 4GB of RAM.
Battlefield 3 DLC trio coming in June, fall, winter this year
Expanding on our knowledge base from the earlier Battlefield 3 expansion reveal, EA has confirmed that "Close Quarters" will launch in June, followed by "Armored Kill" in the fall and "End Game" this winter.Hit the break for more details on the punch these DLC packs are ... well, packing.
Battlefield 3: Close Quarters announced for June, two more packs incoming
Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, the first major paid piece of DLC for the game since last December's "Back to Karkand," is coming this June. The expansion includes four maps, 10 weapons and no vehicles -- it's about close quarters, after all.There will be two more expansions for the game following the June expansion. "Armored Kill" will focus on additional weapons, larger maps, and new drivable vehicles. The second pack, called "End Game," features cover art depicting a lunatic holding a knife. That's the extent of what we know about that one so far.The news of this expansion comes at a critical time. Frustrations in the Battlefield 3 community has been bubbling into potential action, and EA has maintained radio silence until now.
Battlefield 3 customizable servers coming to consoles
Karl-Magnus Troedsson, CEO of Battlefield developer DICE, announced at an Electronic Arts event last night that customizable servers would be available for consoles in the future."All active players out there playing on consoles today will now have the opportunity to customize their servers and set them up exactly how they want them to play," said Troedsson. "Now this is a feature that in Battlefield on PC we've had for some time, but it's an absolute first on console. So, we're pretty excited about this."The developer did not share details on pricing or a release timetable. In the meantime, start saying your prayers, Operation Metro.
Medal of Honor Warfighter powered by Frostbite 2.0
Medal of Honor Warfighter executive producer Greg Goodrich told Joystiq this evening that October's Danger Close game is being built using EA DICE's in-house Battlefield engine, Frostbite 2.0. This marks the second use of Frostbite 2.0 outside of its origin studio, following last year's Need for Speed: The Run.After a brief on-stage presentation of the game in action, Goodrich spoke to us about how Danger Close is attempting to distinguish the game visually, despite it being built in the same engine that powers EA's other big shooter. To us, the game didn't look dramatically different from what we've seen in DICE's work with Frostbite 2.0, via BF3."I don't think the engine dictates on what it's gonna look like," Goodrich said. "We have a wonderful art director who has a very clear vision of the type of lens he wants to tell our story through. The tech is just a canvas, and that canvas is much larger than it's ever been before."MoH Warfighter is being developed entirely in-house at Danger Close this time around, with DICE offering little more than engine support (and perhaps the occasional hearty back pat). Goodrich confirmed to us that he and his team aren't growing the same impressive beards during Warfighter's dev cycle."My wife won't let me this time," Goodrich said with a smile. "Same guys, less beard."%Gallery-149880%
DICE details next big Battlefield 3 fix list
With frustrations in the Battlefield 3 community bubbling into possible action, DICE has released a Homeric list of "confirmed fixes and tweaks" that the developer has been working on. The released list of planned changes, which does not currently have an estimated time of arrival, covers Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.The fixes cover long-standing complaints like fall damage from short distances and an increase to spawn protection. The list is pretty massive, so check it out after the break.Updates and further details about Battlefield 3 have been lacking ever since the Back to Karkand maps launched in mid-December. New Battlefield 3 content plans are expected to be announced at GDC in a couple weeks.%Gallery-137898%
Pre-order Mass Effect 3 on Origin, get Battlefield 3 free
It looks like we have the making of a thing on our hands here. Following EA's Origin promotion, which promised a free copy of Dead Space 2 for those who pre-ordered Battlefield 3, it's now employing a similar strategy with Mass Effect 3. We've dubbed it The Leapfrog Initiative™.Anyone who pre-orders Mass Effect 3 through the publisher's digital distribution platform will get a free copy of Battlefield 3. And even though we expressly mentioned Origin in the first paragraph, we'll say it again: this is a PC promotion only. Don't go thinking EA is going to mail you a PS3 copy of Battlefield 3 or anything.Interested parties can head over to the Origin site. Everyone else, you can safely go back to playing the Mass Effect 3 demo.
GANG announces nominations for 10th annual awards in game audio
The Game Audio Network Guild (which translates to the convenient acronym of GANG) has announced its nominees for the 10th annual GANG Awards to be held at GDC, honoring the best music and audio in interactive entertainment over the last year. You can see all of the nominees in the press release after the break. As you might imagine, Battlefield 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Portal 2 are all nominated, all of which boasted very excellent and memorable aural experiences.Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, however, leads the pack in nominations, with nine total, including Audio, Music, and Sound Design of the Year. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary also got a nod for Best Soundtrack Album, despite the fact that most of the music is as old as the awards ceremony itself. And while most of the choices are obviously worthy, there's one more worth mentioning: Bastion was only nominated for one category, for Best Audio in a Casual/Indie/Social Game. Shame that it's relegated to just that category -- <a aiotitle="Build that Wall" "="" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8cELTdtw6U" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8cELTdtw6U">"Build that Wall"</a> is one of the best listens our ears have had all year, video game-related or otherwise.
Squad up: Battlefield 3 voice chat issues patched on PS3
Finally, your indecipherable ramblings can be heard by your comrades. A recent patch for Battlefield 3 on the PS3 has corrected a known issue involving inexplicably mute teammates. In reality, teammates talk a bunch.EA recently revealed sales of over 10 million for Battlefield 3, so this should come as good news to what we'd classify as "plenty" of PS3 players. And now that this adjustment is out of the way, DICE can get back to dealing with those pesky cheaters. If the developer could do something about those jerks who always steal the jet, only to crash it in ten seconds, we'd be all set.
Final Fantasy XIII-2, Metal Gear Collection debut atop UK charts
Three new titles entered Chart-Track's UK sales top ten last week, led by Final Fantasy XIII-2. Sneaking the silver was the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, which includes MGS2: Sons of Liberty (2002), MGS3: Snake Eater (2005) and MGS: Peacewalker (2010). Rounding out the top three is Battlefield 3, up two spots, as FIFA 12 slides from first to fourth.Another new addition to the top ten, SoulCalibur 5, premieres in fifth. Chart-Track notes that the prior SoulCalibur debuted in the top spot back in August of 2008.The solid debut last week of 3DS action horror title Resident Evil: Revelations finds the game retreating from sixth to 19 on the latest chart. Wander past the break for the UK top ten.
EA: Battlefield 3, FIFA 12 sell over 10 million units each, Madden 12 over 5 million
EA has revealed the sales numbers of a handful of its major titles, including FIFA 12 and Battlefield 3, which have both sold through over 10 million units since their respective launches in September and October. Meanwhile, Madden NFL 12 has sold through over five million units since launching last August.Remember that "sold through" actually refers to copies that have been sold to consumers -- as opposed to copies sold to retailers -- meaning that it's probably safe to call all three titles "hits" at this point.
Battlefield 3 dev hiring 'anti-cheat administrator' to stop the evildoers
Are you one of those guys in a helicopter hovering near spawn points in Battlefield 3 (say, an aircraft carrier), wantonly exploiting the game and infuriating players? You may not actually be cheating, but we still think you're the worst.That aside, Battlefield 3 developer DICE is apparently looking to address all cheaters, and not just that guy who ruins the game for everyone with his stupid, stupid helicopter, as the company has posted an ad for an "anti-cheat administrator." The move follows a recent redoubling of DICE's efforts to combat cheating in its latest game release.Said administrator will be tasked with a variety of responsibilities, many of which you'd expect a community liaison to handle, though the list is oddly missing "put up with staggering levels of infantile behavior from legal adults." Can you tell we don't like cheaters?
DICE promises vigilance against Battlefield 3 cheaters
Finding out that cheating has apparently become rampant in Battlefield 3's online multiplayer is somewhat of a travesty, considering how much some members of our staff play it. Neither of our main combatants have ever actually spotted a cheater (at least not in any verifiable way) while playing on Xbox 360, but the game's developer is nonetheless tracking down these nefarious rogues, issuing stat resets and outright bans to offending players across 360, PS3, and PC. The Stockholm, Sweden-based devs at EA DICE "recently banned another batch of several hundred confirmed cheaters," and are only stepping up their efforts all the more as time goes on. The first measure in this initiative will be an addition to Battlelog, one which allows players to report offenders via their online profiles, regardless of what platform they're playing on. With any luck, between the community and DICE, the contingent trying to ruin everyone's online experience will be stomped out quickly.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, FIFA 12 top UK sales in 2011
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was easily the best-selling game in the UK for 2011. Data released today by UKIE (compiled by Chart-Track) has Activision's behemoth franchise grossing a record-breaking £83 million in sales during its first week, which also turned out to be the biggest week of video game sales ever in the UK at £121m. The year 2011 was also the third year in a row Activision had the top-selling game -- and all from the same franchise, fancy that -- with Call of Duty: Black Ops in 2010 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009. EA took both the silver and bronze with FIFA 12 and Battlefield 3, respectively. Both titles had stellar opening weeks in the UK and have consistently performed well in the all formats top ten since launch. The number four game for the year was Zumba Fitness, which should come as little surprise to anyone who followed our "summer of disbelief." The launch of the fitness title for the Wii kept the game atop the all formats chart for longer than we would have thought, but on the Wii chart it remained in first for a record-breaking 28 consecutive weeks. Find the all formats and console-specific chart toppers for 2011 after the break.
EA claims First Amendment protections against expected helicopter lawsuit
Electronic Arts is seeking First Amendment protections in an upcoming legal dispute with the maker of military helicopters featured in Battlefield 3. Kotaku reports that Textron, the parent company of Bell Helicopters, asked EA on December 21 to cease the depictions of three of its aircraft found in Battlefield 3. Last Friday, EA did a pre-emptive tactical suit against Textron, saying the helicopters are "protected by the First Amendment and the doctrine of nominative fair use." EA states that the Bell helicopters aren't highlighted or given any great distinction in the game. The publisher also claims the aircraft are just "a few of countless creative visual, audio, plot and programming elements that make up EA's expressive work, a first-person military combat simulation." The publisher won a similar suit last year against Ex-Rutgers University quarterback Ryan Hart, who believed his likeness was used in NCAA Football without consent. The judge felt EA's First Amendment rights to free expression outweighed Hart's right to protect his likeness, despite the character in the game having "Hart's physical attributes, sports statistics, and biographical information in mind." Speaking of First Amendment protections, Electronic Arts claims it has no individual position on SOPA, but wants the law to bail it out here ... mmm, chewy irony.
FIFA 12 kicks off year atop UK charts, Zumba returns
The first week of 2012 sees massive double-digit percentage drops across Chart-Track's UK sales top ten. FIFA 12 remains at the top, with a 63 percent drop, as Battlefield 3 takes second, despite it being hit with the exact same decrease in sales. Modern Warfare 3 moves into third and Just Dance 3 maintains fourth, with sales slipping 76 and 67 percent, respectively. With such huge post-holiday sales drops, a stalwart returns to the top ten in fifth: Zumba Fitness. The desire to work off those Christmas pounds sent the exercise game up 11 percent, returning it to the top ten from its exile in 19th place. Several other fitness titles also moved up the charts, despite seeing sales declines, as the chart finds its after the holidays equilibrium. Run past the break for the UK top ten -- we could all use it to work off that fruitcake, phew.
MSI launches GT783 gaming laptop, burns through Battlefield 3 with GTX 580M GPU
Another day, another behemoth of a laptop packing some super-charged components for the demanding, but mobile, gamer out there. Underneath the hood of the MSI GT783 series is a quad-core 2.2GHz Core i7 2670QM along with a 2GB GTX 580M GPU for some pixel-punishing performance. Both machines also boast a 17.3-inch 1080p screen but, while the cheaper GT783R settles for 12GB of RAM and a pair of 750GB drives in a RAID array, the GT783 ups the ante to 16GB of DDR3 and trades in one of those spinning platters for a 128GB SSD. Both are pretty beastly portables (both figuratively and literally, at 8.6 pounds) and are also available as part of a limited edition bundle featuring Battlefield 3, a headset, a mouse and a few other extras. The GT783R and GT783 are available now for $2,300 and $2,500 respectively but, before you rush off to order yours, check out the PR after the break.
Battlefield 3 soliciting feedback for gun attachment tweaks via Reddit thread
For most Battlefield 3 players, the huge number of weapon-mounted accessories are little more than filler between the obvious handful of choices that offer the best, effective results. The game's core gameplay designer, Alan Kertz, has picked up on that state and taken to Reddit to solicit advice for tweaking BF3's various gun augmentations. "I'm not promising this will go live, and I'm not promising there will be an update, I'm looking for feedback and a discussion," Kurtz writes, carefully requesting feedback while trying not to overpromise. He says that the goal in said request is to "focus on improving the under performing and under used attachments," but also to identify how to nerf the most powerful attachments. Interested in sounding off? Head over to the Reddit thread and get passionate.
Best of the Rest: Arthur's picks of 2011
Battlefield 3 I love Battlefield 3. I love it almost as much as it seems to hate its players. At least, that's the way it feels sometimes, trying to get into a game, trying to get correctly squaded up, trying to find a server with room, having to use a server browser on consoles in 2011, downloading 2 GIGABYTE patches ... y u no luv me, BF3? But when it does love me, it loves me so well ... and there I go, into that cycle of abuse again.
