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Things get super serious in the Battlefield 3 launch trailer
Battlefield 3's launch trailer is full of nuclear weapons, lost comrades, hostage situations, and many other action movie tropes, so we're holding onto our butts as tightly as possible as a result.
BioWare announces details of upcoming Mass Effect 3 demo
Buyers of next week's Battlefield 3 have a sci-fi surprise in store, as first run copies of EA's shooter juggernaut also include a code to access Mass Effect 3's recently announced cooperative multiplayer mode. The demo will launch in January, though the actual date is yet to be determined. For the non-cooperatively inclined, don't fret -- the demo will also include a section of the single-player campaign. Users in every region in which Battlefield 3 is available will have access to the multiplayer portion of the demo, provided they buy Battlefield, that is. It sounds like the single-player portion just might be free to all, regardless of your Battlefield status. You can find more information at the official BioWare forums.
Battlefield 3 Xbox high-res texture pack explained
A few weeks ago, a report began circulating that the Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 3 would ship with a high resolution texture pack to increase its graphical fidelity. Now GamerZines has uncovered additional info on the feature, which turns out not to be as intriguing as it sounds. According to executive producer Patrick Bach, the texture pack isn't "magic" and is "the same thing we do for PC and PS3, so there's nothing extra." Specifically, the pack installs to the Xbox 360, allowing Battlefield 3 to stream higher resolution textures from the hard drive. The practice is common on PC and PS3, which come standard with hard drives. On the Xbox version, however, DICE had to make the texture streaming optional, as not all Xbox consoles are guaranteed to have a hard drive. "No one has really tried to do it properly," said Bach, "so us doing it will create question marks." Without the texture-pack installed, noted Bach, users are basically getting the "standard-def" version of the game, whereas the texture pack will enable "a more detailed, varied and vivid experience."
The Gadget Show builds an FPS simulator that shoots back (video)
Racing simulators are ten a penny, but the closest an FPS player will get to an immersive experience is buying some branded peripherals. Armed with a pre-release level of Battlefield 3, The Gadget Show enlisted a team of design experts to transform a Birmingham studio into an FPS simulator costing £500,000 ($650,000). A four by nine meter video dome surrounds the player as they stand on an omni-directional treadmill that lets you walk wherever you want to go. Ten infra-red motion tracking cameras and a sensor on your gun enables the picture to follow where you point it and a Kinect hack controls your jumping and crouching. The fun doesn't stop there -- 12 paintball markers mean that every time you get shot in the game, you'll feel it. The show airs in the UK on October 24th at 8:00pm, Channel 5. We've got a behind the scenes gallery below (supplied by those lovely people from the show) as well as PR and a trailer after the break. %Gallery-136970%
Battlefield 3 fires up some multiplayer gameplay footage
The latest Battlefield 3 trailer offers quick clips of the only thing most of us care about: multiplayer gameplay. Prepare to squad up with your brothers in virtual arms next week!
EA: Battlefield 3 pre-orders over 'a couple million,' 8 million played beta
Battlefield 3 has surpassed 'a couple million' pre-orders, far outpacing Battlefield: Bad Company 2, according to EA. Gamasutra noted the stat from a recent appearance by EA Project Manager Kevin O'Leary on FOX Business (clip may take several minutes to load). The official Battlefield Blog also posted an infographic, which states 8.1 million players participated in the controversial Battlefield 3 beta. Click on the gallery below to check it out or grab the mega-sized version from EA. %Gallery-136843%
Here's the real way to play Battlefield 3
If you're looking for the perfect gift for your favorite gaming website this holiday season, why not consider this Battlefield 3 simulator constructed by Channel 5's The Gadget Show? With an omni-directional treadmill, a wireless gun system, five HD projectors and a massive dome, it would strike just the right balance between you looking chintzy and us being embarrassed by your generosity. Our friends in the UK can find out just how much they'll be spending on this touching, affordable gift when the episode premieres there on October 24 at 8 p.m. on Channel 5. [Thanks, Dhexodus.]
Battlefield 3 map unveiling concludes with Grand Bazaar, Noshahr Canals
The Battlefield blog has posted images, names and brief designer commentaries on five more Battlefield 3 maps, bringing the shipping total to nine. According to DICE Junior Product Manager Tommy Rydling, the final selection represents "the best of the best, the maps that shone the brightest in our playtests, and the ones that combined bring out everything we want both veteran and new Battlefield players to experience in Battlefield 3 multiplayer." Among the listed maps are Grand Bazaar, a tight urban playground; Seine Crossing in downtown Paris; Kharg Island; Caspian Border, which players briefly experienced at the conclusion of beta testing; and Noshahr Canals, a showdown in an Iranian port. Pronouncing that last one as "Nosehair Canals" and envisioning it as a sickening, snotty Rush map with an inexplicable connection to "Inner Space" is quite alright.
Battlefield 3 will employ Online Pass, required for multiplayer
In an offhanded way, Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 3 will indeed use Online Pass. Responding on Twitter to a fan asking if a new copy was required to play multiplayer, DICE core gameplay designer Alan Kertz responded, "You can also purchase an online pass for a used copy." Kertz explained the reasoning behind Online Pass to another fan, writing, "Because servers cost money, and used games don't make developers any money." Of course, the fact that an EA-published title will include Online Pass isn't exactly surprising, and we've suspected as much for Battlefield 3 for months now. What is somewhat surprising is that Battlefield 3's Online Pass is required for all multiplayer access. In the game's predecessor, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Online Pass granted players extra multiplayer content, but was not required for multiplayer access. Then again, that was before Online Pass started earning millions of dollars.
Battlefield 3 slowly drops multiplayer map details
EA is ready to reveal the 9 multiplayer maps that will come with Battlefield 3 when it ships in a couple weeks. Well, to be clear, it's ready to reveal 9 over two days (four of them today), with one of those four being the "Operation Metro" map from the beta. And by "reveal," we mean: talk about with a couple screenshots. So... yay? Head on over to the Battlefield blog for details from Niklas Åstrand, one of the level designers at developer DICE on the maps. He covers the vast Operation Firestorm, cramped Operation Metro, the vehicle to infantry progression of Tehran Highway and, finally, Damavand Peak. Internally called "Base Jump," Damavand Peak starts with attackers atop a mountain ridge, working their way down to the valley, with more vehicle warfare below.
Calibur11 Battlefield 3 vault prevents your console from going prone
While we're still not convinced it's a great idea to lock your hot, hot console inside a plastic box, Calibur11 has announced the latest in its line of "Vaults." Available for Xbox 360 or PS3, the new model carries a Battlefield 3 theme complete with an LED-lit claymore, decorative(?) smoke grenade and controller cradle. For what it's worth, Calibur11 also claims that the vault actually improves your console's cooling prowess, thanks to "a performance grid that enhances cooling of your video game system by increasing airflow." The Battlefield 3 vault will go on sale "this fall" for $90. GameStop will also offer a $100 bundle that includes the PS3 vault, a PS3 copy of Battlefield 3 and a download code for the Physical Warfare DLC.
Amazon offering Battlefield 3 PC download for $42
If you're a fan of both intangibility and thriftiness, Amazon's got a pretty stellar discount going on right now. For a "limited time," the downloadable PC version of Battlefield 3. The online retailer currently has that version of the game on sale for $41.99.
Battlefield 3 brings down the house with 'Destruction' trailer
As the debate continues about whether the Battlefield 3 beta was a mistake, we can all agree that the series delivers amazing destructible environments. So, go ahead and gargle this destruction trailer as a palate cleanser after that bitter beta.
The beta and Battlefield 3
Last week, I spent some six hours with a not-quite-final-but-close version of Battlefield 3. I think EA and DICE would like for me to talk about the single player but really, I don't have anything more to say about it than I did a few weeks ago. I can't talk about most of the multiplayer maps I played with any specificity, other than the Grand Bazaar level, which, hallelujah, had a tank in it. But at this point, I feel confident in making the following statement: Releasing a beta for Battlefield 3 might be the biggest mistake EA has made with its biggest game this year.%Gallery-136045%
Mirror's Edge 2 isn't not a possibility more than ever
DICE knows its Mirror's Edge fans want a sequel with a desperate, craven passion, but with the focus on launching Battlefield 3, we haven't gotten more than vague hints that a second isn't impossible. With Battlefield 3's release around the corner, now DICE is offering slightly less vague comments about continuing the Mirror's Edge story. "I think it's something that people are ready to get into again," producer Patrick Liu said. "We see that there's a huge fan following -- it's almost like a cult. And we know what strengths we had, and what weaknesses we had in that game. If we were to release a new game, we'd know what to improve and how to reach a broader audience. So I definitely think there's a market there." The story here is what Liu isn't saying -- he isn't saying that DICE has given up on Mirror's Edge; he isn't saying a sequel will never happen; he isn't saying Faith will return as a 7-foot male cyborg with tribal tattoos and a pot belly. Not that that's something he would say, but still, he didn't say it.
Battlefield 3 screens take us around the world
The Battlefield 3 screens posted below offer a full tour of duty in just a handful of clicks. How do you want to assault your foes? By sky? By land? By land again? The world is pretty much your oyster.
DICE on the lack of vehicles in BF3 beta, future Bad Company possibilities
Speaking to The Guardian, Battlefield 3 producer Patrick Liu discussed the game's ongoing beta as well as other projects DICE may (or may not) have in the works. When asked about the disappointment expressed over the lack of vehicles in the beta, Liu put it down to the fact that it is indeed a beta test (we certainly hope so). According to Liu, "We ran the alpha tests with a Rush map and we wanted to have some sort of reference so we could compare results – so we needed to have more-or-less the same map." Evidently this led to including Paris Metro – a linear Rush map with no vehicles – as the only map in the beta. For what it's worth, PC players will have a chance to try out Caspian Border, a much larger map with vehicles, throughout this weekend. Liu also answered questions regarding the Battlefield: Bad Company series, saying that "we haven't killed Bad Company." He added that DICE doesn't plan on making Battlefield an annual title, largely because they don't want to hand development of any Battlefield game to another studio. "No studio can make an annual franchise by themselves," said Liu. Other topics in the interview include the possibility of another downloadable Battlefield title and the learning curve involved in piloting (virtual) jets. Head over to The Guardian for the full interview.
DICE: Battlefield 3 beta has six times simultaneous players than Bad Company 2 beta
You know that whole Battlefield 3 open beta thing going on right now? According to DICE, it's a clear indicator that the game will exceed sales of DICE's previous effort, Bad Company 2 -- of course, pre-order numbers already kind of told us this. But when comparing number of simultaneous users in each of the betas, DICE says the Battlefield 3 beta has six times more concurrent players than the Bad Company 2 beta conducted in 2009. Videogamer tried to delve deeper on the matter, dissecting data on Bad Company 2 to try and get a more concrete number. Bad Company 2, which sold 2.3 million in its first month, had a high of 230,000 simultaneous players online and an estimated 3.5 million downloads for its beta, likely exceeding that 230,000 figure -- using that number as a lowball base, Videogamer estimates the concurrent player count for the Battlefield 3 beta is 1.38 million players, at least. It's not exact science, but it's more than DICE is telling us. Regardless, it appears DICE has a hit on its hands. Let's just hope the developer addresses concerns before the game launches on October 25.
Rumor: Play Battlefield 3 on a hacked server, get banned from Origin (and your Origin games)
It goes without saying that you shouldn't do bad stuff, but what if you technically don't know you're doing something bad? That's the potential situation with the Battlefield 3 beta right now on PC, which has apparently been hacked to allow for up to 128 players on the Operation Metro map. But here's the thing: these hacked matches show up in the regular Battlelog, so players could potentially stumble in and not realize they're doing something wrong. Regardless, EA wants you to know that doing so will put your Origin account in danger and potentially limit your access to all of the games you downloaded through EA's digital distribution platform to none. The above exchange, which allegedly went down in the EA forums last week, has since been pulled. We've contacted EA for an official statement on the matter and will update this post accordingly. [Thanks, Matt]
Battlefield 3 deploys 'Dog Tag' pack for Amazon pre-orders
If you're snagging Battlefield 3 from Amazon, you'll net some extra goodies, the online retailer has revealed. Everyone who pre-orders will gain not only the Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand DLC -- which includes four different maps from Battlefield 2 updated in Frostbite 2.0 and several of the game's "weapons, vehicles and unique rewards" -- but also some exclusive dog tags for the game's multiplayer side. Already pre-ordered? Don't sweat it, Amazon is extending this offer to those who've already pre-ordered the game -- that is, unless you've canceled your pre-order after checking out the beta.
