Battlefield-4
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Battlefield 4 beta for all on October 4
The Battlefield 4 beta opens for all players on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on October 4. The beta hits on October 1 for Battlefield 3 Premium members, anyone who pre-ordered the Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe Edition and registered owners of Medal of Honor Warfighter Limited Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition, as previously reported. The beta includes the Siege of Shanghai map in Conquest Mode and Domination Mode. Get a taste of the action in the Battlefield 4 multiplayer trailer. Battlefield 4 launches on October 29 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The PS4 version comes on November 12, followed by Xbox One on November 19.
Battlefield 4 Open Beta launches October 1
Battlefield 4's Open Beta is set to detonate on the PC, 360 and PS3 on October 1, EA revealed on Friday. The game's next-gen counterparts have also been given street dates: November 12 for PlayStation 4 and November 19 for Xbox One, three days before the console's release on November 22. EA noted in the announcement that beta players will be able to "learn maps, unlock items and build stats" for use in the October 29 release of Battlefield 4. Players can also carry over stats, unlocks and awards from the 360 and PS3 to the Xbox One or PS4 versions once they launch in November. Those looking to upgrade should check into the programs that offer deals towards buying the next-gen version of games they already own. Those that sign up for Battlefield 4 Premium, pre-order Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe or that have purchased Medal of Honor: Warfighter's deluxe or limited editions will be granted access to the "Exclusive" Battlefield 4 beta. The Beta's FAQ lists that the Exclusive Beta will also begin in early October - meanwhile this EA help article says that the Open Beta comes after the Exclusive one. We've reached out to EA for more information. Update: The text of this article has been adjusted for clarity, and to reflect that further information may be forthcoming.
Battlefield 4 PS3-to-PS4 upgrade done via in-box code
Specially marked retail copies of Battlefield 4 for PS3 will include a one-time use voucher allowing you to upgrade to the PS4 digital version of the game for a small price. This is how the "discounted" upgrade scheme will work, first announced by Sony president Andrew House last month during the company's Gamescom keynote. Presumably this is how other eligible PS3 games can transition into their PS4 counterparts, though we've followed up with Sony for confirmation. Only four games are participating in this promotion as of right now: Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Battlefield 4. The pricing to go from PS3 to PS4 version for each game is determined by the publishers.
Battlefield 4 PC requirements revealed, time to gear up
DICE revealed the official PC requirements for Battlefield 4 this week, and surprise: You're going to need a fair deal of horsepower to play at recommended specs. At minimum, the PC shooter demands Windows Vista SP2 with dual-core AMD or Intel processors, 4GB of RAM, and a 512GB GeForce 8800 GT or Radeon HD 3870 graphics card. It's a big old leap to what's recommended: Windows 8 to start off with, and either a six-core AMD or quad-core Intel processor, supported by 8GB RAM and 3GB graphic memory. DICE suggests Radeon HD 7870 and GeForce GTX 660 graphics cards. Oh, and make sure you've got 30GB spare of disk space spare. You can check out the full specs after the break, but don't forget, you have a plenty of time to gear up your PC before Battlefield 4 is released on October 29.
Battlefield 4 ups the ante on weapon customization options
Firearm options have been expanded in Battlefield 4, providing soldiers with a dizzying array of customization options for their boomsticks. DICE has tripled the amount of accessories for each gun, plus each firearm has an increased amount of accessory slots now. A single assault rifle has the potential for 240,000 different set-ups in Battlefield 4. There are also a host of camouflage patterns to employ, with 16 different sub-options for each pattern. There's even adaptive camouflage that changes depending on the map you're playing on. Snipers also get new options, with expanded scopes and the ability to zero your rifle – a special calibration that helps with gauging bullet drop when aiming at far-off targets. Finally, Battlefield 4 tosses in Battle Pickups, deadly map-specific weapons that anyone can grab during a match.
Microsoft Store also offering 360-to-Xbox One game upgrades for $10
The Microsoft Store is offering select Xbox One games for $10 when players trade in their Xbox 360 copies. Similar to deals available through Best Buy and Amazon, the list of Xbox 360 titles eligible for the offer includes Madden NFL 25, Battlefield 4, Need for Speed: Rivals, Call of Duty: Ghosts, NBA 2K14, FIFA 14 or Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Players will need to bring their games in to a Microsoft Store to receive the respective Xbox One copy of the game for $10. Unlike the deals offered by the other retailers, Ubisoft's Watch Dogs isn't listed. The offer is valid through the end of the year.
Best Buy offers $10 Xbox One upgrade on select games
Best Buy has rolled out a program offering $10 next-gen upgrades for a handful of coming games, similar to systems put in place at Gamestop and Amazon. Included in the list of eligible games are FIFA 14, Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and Watch Dogs. Exactly how you score your cheap upgrade is where things get complicated. According to Best Buy's official site, if you purchase one of the above games within a set period after its release (most can be picked up as much as a month after release day), you'll be given a $10 coupon to be put toward your game's Xbox One incarnation. When you want to upgrade, you must present this coupon as well as the Xbox 360 game. Best Buy will then give you $40 store credit in exchange for the game, reducing the final cost of your new Xbox One game to $10 (unless the Xbox One version has a retail price greater than $60; in that case you'll be paying the remainder as well). If this scheme sounds intriguing, you should also note that all such upgrades must occur by December 31. Full legal details and all the fine print you can digest can be found on Best Buy's official site.
Sony: PS3 to PS4 upgrade pricing set by publishers
During Sony's Gamescom press keynote, president Andrew House revealed a program that would allow consumers to upgrade from select PS3 titles to their PS4 counterparts for a "significantly discounted price." UK managing director Fergal Gara told Digital Spy that the pricing will be dictated by publishers. "What will happen is, the PS4 digital file will be made available on the PlayStation Store - as it would be anyway - at launch, and the PS3 discs will be sold through retail. What the consumer can then do, for a premium to be defined by the publisher, is access the PS4 digital game and then provided they still have the PS3 disc, they will be able to play the PS4 version when they decide to buy the next gen." Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Battlefield 4 are the first games eligible for this promotion. GameStop and Amazon both announced they will offer similar upgrade options for Xbox 360 to Xbox One games, though nothing has been announced from either retailer regarding PS3 to PS4 upgrades.
Gamescom trailers and screenshots giga-post
Psst, hey kid. You want some ... trailers? How about some Gamescom trailers? C'mere for a second. Yeah that's right, we got all kinds of trailers. Murasaki Baby, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Resogun, Infamous: Second Son, Watch Dogs, pretty much any kind of trailer you wanna put in your eyeballs, we can hook it up. Hey, and you know what? Since you seem like a nice kid, we're gonna throw in some screenshots too. Oh no, put your wallet away – the first one's free.
Battlefield 4 Premium includes five DLC packs
EA will once again offer a Premium service alongside its latest Battlefield game. Battlefield 4 Premium offers five expansions on top of Battlefield 4, kicking off with the Second Assault DLC pack, available first on Xbox One when Battlefield 4 launches in October. Second Assault is a collection of four multiplayer maps from Battlefield 3, updated in Frostbite 3. China Rising, which takes place on the Chinese mainland, arrives next in December, followed by the ocean-based combat of Naval Strike in Spring 2014. The "all-out urban warfare" of Dragon's Teeth makes up the fourth pack, available next summer, and Final Stand brings it all to a close in Summer 2014. In addition to the DLC packs, Battlefield 4 Premium also guarantees access to the Battlefield 4 beta this October and "priority" position in server queues. Other means of beta access include pre-ordering the digital deluxe version of Battlefield 4 or getting in through limited edition and digital deluxe versions of Medal of Honor: Warfighter. There is no pricing listed in the original announcement, though the Battlefield site lists Battlefield 4 Premium for PC at a one-time fee of $50 – the same price as Battlefield 3 Premium.
Sony to offer 'discounted' upgrades to PS4 software on select titles for a limited time
During Sony's Gamescom briefing, Andrew House announced that PS3 players who purchase select software will have the ability to upgrade to the PlayStation 4 version for a "significantly discounted price." House confirmed a number of games will be available for the "limited time" offer, including Call of Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Battlefield 4. Activision, Ubisoft, EA and Warner Bros. were noted as publishers partnering with Sony on the upgrade initiative. It's unclear if the program will be available worldwide. Unlike similar retailer offers revealed for Xbox One software earlier this week, Sony's plan is to offer the discounted games through its own digital storefront. PlayStation 4 launches in North America on November 15 and in Europe on November 29.
Battlefield 4 beta launching in early October
Battlefield 4 has already gotten a bit of love at this year's Gamescom, being named as one of 23 Xbox One launch titles, but the shooter had even more time to shine as one of the titles that took center stage at EA's press event. At the top of the list of announcements for the FPS was a bit more specificity around when we're actually going to see the beta. The fall date that we got back in March has been narrowed down to early October, which should give you just about enough time to perfect your aim.
Amazon also offering Xbox 360 to Xbox One game upgrades
GameStop isn't the only establishment offering Xbox One upgrades. Amazon has announced it too will allow users to upgrade from their Xbox 360 game to the same version on Xbox One, for a $10 fee. Each eligible Xbox 360 game traded in to Amazon prior to December 31 will be valued at $25 and, as part of this promotion, Amazon will tack on another $25. That leaves you to make up the $10 in-between. Amazon will support eight games over GameStop's five: Battlefield 4, Need for Speed: Rivals, Madden NFL 25, Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14, Watch Dogs, NBA 2K13 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Just make sure you read the full terms and conditions before you start boxing up your games. okay?
Battlefield 4 stats will also transfer from current-gen to next-gen
Battlefield 4 players will be able to move all of their stats from Xbox 360 to Xbox One, or from Playstation 3 to Playstation 4, in a one-time transfer. The transfer includes all stats, unlocks, awards, assignments, rank and all the premium content and memberships players may have. This follows the announcement of a similar profile-transfer system for Call of Duty: Ghosts, made during Activision's multiplayer livestream today. Microsoft's Xbox One will include the Season Pass Guarantee, a program that carries participating Xbox 360 season pass content to the Xbox One, for free, if the player owns both versions of the game. Battlefield 4 and Ghosts will support this program. There's no word if Sony will roll out a similar system for the Playstations 3 and 4.
Gamestop offers $50 credit with trade of select 360 games for Xbox One versions
Gamestop will offer $50 trade-in credit to PowerUp Rewards members who buy a new, Xbox 360 version of a game and then trade it back in for the Xbox One version. The promotion is valid for the Xbox versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden 25, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4 or Assassin's Creed 4. In order to be eligible to receive the trade-in credit, patrons must be PowerUp Rewards members at the time of the initial purchase, which must take place within 30 days of the game's release date. Then, upon trading the game in for the Xbox One version, the customer will be emailed a coupon that grants $50 trade-in credit for the Xbox 360 version, for use when upgrading to the Xbox One version before December 31 of this year. No mention of the PlayStation 4 was made in the press release, so whether a similar offer will be made for PS3/PS4 cross-generation games remains to be seen. Update: Gamestop has informed us that the $50 coupon is delivered in tandem with the purchase of the Xbox 360 version of the game, rather than after the upgrade to the Xbox One version. This article has been altered slightly to reflect that information.
Battlefield 4's Battlescreen won't hit PS3, Xbox 360
Battlescreen won't work on PS3 or Xbox 360 versions of Battlefield 4, Battlelog Assistant Producer Jesper Nielsen tells Engadget. Battlelog for Battlefield 4 includes a Battlescreen feature that populates the player's current, live map on a tablet, smartphone or PC – but only when playing the game on Xbox One, PS4 or PC. "Battlelog is powered by the web, and that has a lot of implications," Nielsen says. "There are a lot of different things you can do, things you can do faster, rather than building stuff in native code." Battlelog for Battlefield 4 will feature regional leaderboards, will allow players to build weapons loadouts on a secondary screen before starting the game or during wait time between deaths, and will let players change servers mid-game, alongside the standard stats readings.
DICE 'investigating' cross-gen stat transfers for Battlefield 4
It looks as though EA's back-end server tech may benefit audiences other than the Madden/FIFA crowd: DICE is "investigating" the possibility of transferring player data from current-gen versions of Battlefield 4 to their next-gen cousins, according to the series' official Twitter. In practice, this sounds similar to the technology that will power such functionality in Madden 25 and FIFA 14, where players that begin their Ultimate Teams on current-gen hardware can transfer their progress to the next-gen, should they ever make the leap. As of yet, no specifics have been given with regards to what kind of BF4 player information may or may not be transferable, should that functionality be added to the game.
Battlefield 4 Battlelog trailer leaks
A trailer for Battlefield 4's new Battlelog has leaked, featuring some interesting integration with mobile and tablet devices, such as customizing your loadout so that you're cocked, locked and ready to roll as soon as you start up the game. The tablet can also be used as a mini-map and to set attack points. Watch it now before ninja commando lawyers get to it. Update: Replaced leak with official trailer.
Moore: 'Softness' on EA Sports pre-orders due to next-gen, will be alleviated
EA Sports is recording soft pre-orders on current-gen games in the next-gen run-up, but according to brand president Peter Moore that's "as anticipated" and "as planned." Moore added he expects a boost closer to the Xbox One and PS4 hitting retail shelves, as consumers realize there may not be enough next-gen hardware to go around initially. During EA's financial conference call yesterday, Moore said he believes, as per previous generational transitions, the state of current-gen pre-orders reflects consumer interest in next-gen hardware. "We're seeing softness in particular on our key sports titles on current-gen pre-orders," Moore said," I think consumers anticipate getting the new hardware. We certainly came out of E3 with renewed enthusiasm for new hardware, and I think that's been reflected in current-gen pre-orders." In terms of EA's overall library, Moore noted Battlefield 4 as seeing "strong" pre-orders compared to Battlefield 3 at the same time prior to its launch. On the EA Sports side, Moore pointed out soccer sim FIFA as an exception, for which "anticipation" remains high - not surprising given the $70 million in digital revenue netted by FIFA 13 alone last quarter. All of which suggests we may see further incentives for next-gen EA Sports upgrades as per Madden 25. EA revealed yesterday it'll let players transfer Ultimate Team items from Xbox 360 or PS3 to either Xbox One or PS4, and retain those items in current-gen copies.
Battlefield 4 enlists the aid of Kinect on Xbox One
Battlefield 4 on Xbox One will implement some sort of Kinect functionality, though DICE isn't really talking specifics yet. DICE general manager Karl Magnus Troedsson says that DICE has "a pretty pragmatic view" on Kinect and that due to the series' emphasis on skill, input is a big factor when designing features – so motion controls are out. "You need to have very precise control over what's going on, and trying to do something like that with motion control input does not make sense – not if you want to keep the same kind of formula of the game as we [have] now. You'd need to build a different kind of shooter," Troedsson said in the latest issue of Game Informer (via Videogamer). "But there are other places where it will make sense, and we are going to use it for other things in the game, but we haven't announced exactly what." Voice commands? That seems like the obvious choice, though it's purely speculation at this point. Battlefield 4, which runs on the Frostbite 3 engine and resurrects the series' Commander mode, is set to launch on October 29. Battlefield 4 will be available on PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One and PC.
