Battlefield-Bad-Company
Latest
Fox is developing a Battlefield: Bad Company TV show
An hourlong show following the foul-mouthed chaps from EA's Battlefield: Bad Company is currently in the works at Fox. John Eisendrath of Alias fame is handling writer duties and will serve as executive producer alongside Doug Robinson from studio Happy Madison, and Patrick Bach and Patrick O'Brien from EA.The adaptation of Battlefield: Bad Company will follow four soldiers transitioning from military life to the private sector, Deadline reports. Their old commanding officer apparently used them to propel the agenda of a shadow unit within the government and now wants them dead to cover his own involvement because that is exactly what the game was about.
EA Mobile announces fall iOS game lineup
If you've been waiting for SimCity to make its way to iPad/HD format, you don't have much longer to wait. EA Mobile has recently announced its game release slate for the rest of fall 2010. Along with FIFA 11, EA Sports NBA Elite 11, and others, the company will be releasing the iPad-specific SimCity Deluxe HD. The game will obviously feature a bigger, interactive display and an optimized HUD that takes advantage of the increased screen real estate. Unfortunately, the price for SimCity is unknown, though it's expected to debut in November. Other games on EA's slate include High Caliber Hunting, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Heroes Lore. Battlefield is a console-style warfare simulation with 14 single-player levels; High Caliber Hunting sounds like your run-of-the-mill hunting game; and Heroes Lore is a Korean RPG featuring 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 battles. It appears that you can expect some of these games to run around US$5 or so when they're released. [via MacNN]
Bad Company 2 'Onslaught' mode hits XBL tomorrow, June 24
As part of his introductory post on the official Battlefield blog, the franchise's new community manager, "Bazajaytee," announced that the delayed Onslaught mode DLC for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will arrive in the Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow, June 24, for 800 Microsoft points ($10). We're glad the delay wasn't, say, a week. Then we'd have probably shot someone -- in the game, of course.
Gaikai signs multi-year licensing deal with EA
Gaikai may not be ready for action just yet (the service doesn't have a release date), but the company was more than happy to drop news of a multi-year licensing agreement with Electronic Arts today. The news appears to be delivering on promises that the company's fearless leader, Dave Perry, made back in April of a big E3 announcement. Among the games Gaikai will be bringing to the web-streaming service are The Sims, the Battlefield: Bad Company series, the Dragon Age series, the Mass Effect series, Medal of Honor and Need for Speed. "Gaikai's innovations open whole new experiences for both current players and new customers looking for the best of interactive entertainment," EA's Richard Hilleman said of the licensing deal. We're open to both "whole new experiences" and "interactive entertainment," so that sounds just fantastic to us.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 gains co-op 'Onslaught' mode soon
For those of you who like to play Battlefield: Bad Company 2 in good company (FIRED - Ed.), EA just announced a new co-op mode for four players. Onslaught Mode, available "soon" on PS3 and Xbox 360, remixes the Valparaiso, Atacama Desert, Isla Inocentes, and Nelson Bay maps for use in co-op with new vehicle placements and different times of day. Players are asked to complete specific objectives in each map, with enemy AI attempting to prevent those goals. For example, the announcement specifies that "Vehicle warfare comes to the forefront in Atacama Desert while Nelson Bay focuses squarely on infantry assault." We're following up with EA about the price of this DLC, as well as the prospect of its release on PC.
Battlefield: BC2 console update coming May 11
Recons! Medics! Assaults! Lend us your Engineers! If you're still adhering to your nightly routine of playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 until your eyes refuse to stay open any longer, you'll be pleased to hear about some upcoming changes coming to console versions of the game. Unless, of course, you actually like the game's unkillable, super overpowered deathcopters. In that case, you're about to be sorely disappointed. Changes coming in the update -- due out May 11 via Xbox Live and PSN -- include a few balance tweaks of most weapons, a slight nerfing of the attack helicopter and an increase in the velocity of tracer darts, making it easier to stick 'em to that aforementioned helicopter. Joy! Check out the full list of changes after the jump.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 VIP Map Pack 3 almost ready for deployment [update]
Look, we have a fairly refined and nuanced stance on how Battlefield: Bad Company 2 should be played: in Rush Mode. ... Yep, that's it. But, we recognize that some people just like to do things incorrectly and, lucky for them, so does developer DICE. Cue: VIP Map Pack 3. The latest free download for all VIP members adds maps to Squad Rush and Squad Deathmatch -- specifically, Laguna Alta will become available in Squad Rush mode and Nelson Bay will become available in Squad Deathmatch. Planet Battlefield was kind enough to point out the DLC that, as you can see above, is visible in the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 store. We'll let you know when you can download it. Update: Added clarification of source and removed the "sometime in April" quote, which never originated from DICE. Joystiq apologizes for the confusion and regrets the error. [Via BadCompanyTwo]
Bad Company VIP Map Pack 2 trailer (realistically) falls apart
EA has released a new trailer for the upcoming VIP Map Pack 2 for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. As the name of the DLC implies, this DLC is for VIP members only. Much like Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network, VIP membership is free for those who bought the game new. Meanwhile, those with used copies on Xbox or PlayStation 3 will have to fork over $15 (1200 on Xbox) for a VIP membership. PC players (lucky dogs) are exempt from all this business and will receive the pack as an update. It's worth noting that the map pack doesn't actually include any maps. Instead, it unlocks the Conquest Mode in Arica Harbor and Rush Mode in Laguna Presa. Still, it's essentially new gameplay for free, so it's hard to complain. Unless you aren't a VIP, of course. The DLC releases tomorrow, March 30.
Battlefield Heroes gets decked out in Bad Company 2 gear
When EA DICE decided to release some downloadable armaments in the original Battlefield: Bad Company, it proved to be a fairly unpopular decision. However, the recently found a way to outfox the gaming community, releasing Bad Company 2 DLC without drawing our ire. How did the studio accomplish such a feat? Easy -- it just released the DLC in a completely different game. Battlefield Heroes recently received a large push of content inspired by Bad Company, including six modern weapons and the outfits of George Haggard and Kirilenko. Best of all, if you log onto Heroes while using an account that's also linked to Bad Company 2, you'll receive the Battlefunds required to purchase the new gear. Check out the new equipment in the trailer posted after the jump. [Thanks Graeme!]
Review: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (multiplayer)
For those who prefer their multiplayer experiences to be full of camaraderie rather than competition, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 delivers a bonding experience like few other games can. By pushing the idea of teamwork upon players, Bad Company 2 is a game that discourages the "lone wolf" mentality found in many, if not most, online first-person shooters. A question I've been asked a lot this week: "I barely played and/or didn't really enjoy the first Battlefield: Bad Company's multiplayer. How does this stack up?" The sequel is more Battlefield 1943 than Bad Company. It's a more balanced experience like developer DICE's summer hit, but with a modern setting and delivering the scope one would expect from a full-priced retail experience. Squads. It's one of the most important elements to Battlefield and a feature that has gotten better through each iteration. A squad is your mini-team within the game; working with them just makes sense, since you'll be respawning with them when you die. In previous Battlefield games, squad members would sometimes be switched to the other team, even as total strangers were inserted in your squad. (As one comrade-in-arms aptly put it this week: "It's like being invited to a Rock Band party, but you're accidentally given the address next door and they're playing Guitar Hero. Sure, it's almost the same, but that's not the party you wanted to attend.") Thankfully, the biggest problem with making a squad is resolved in this outing. %Gallery-43916%
French Bad Company 2 ads ape military ad slogan
[Erwan Cario] If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, EA's marketing team (at least the one that handles the company's French ads) was really, really trying to flatter the French military with its latest Bad Company 2 ads. Adopting the slogan "Devenez Plus Que Vous-Meme" for its website ("Be More Than Yourself"), EA has seemingly borrowed the French military's strikingly similar "Devenez Vous Meme" ("Be Yourself.") "We are clearly in a situation of abuse of slogan ... So far, our campaign is working very well, we have very good returns," French army general Philippe Pontiès told Écrans. Allegedly, the posters will be altered sometime in the coming weeks, with the French military and EA reaching an agreement amenably. Perhaps unsurprisingly, EA has chosen not to comment. [Via GamePolitics]
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 getting two DLC maps on day one, more coming in March
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will unlock two multiplayer maps on launch day, free to players that input a "VIP code" included with new copies of the game (think: "Project Ten Dollar"). VIPs will also gain free access to a second map pack, which developer DICE will airdrop later in March. If you purchase the game second-hand, you can access the VIP code separately via the in-game store (think: $15). We can already see a repeat of the Mass Effect 2 account confusion coming from five klicks away, so make sure your affairs are in order before you redeem the code. BC2 Senior Producer Patrick Bach claims, "These first two map packs are just the beginning. We're planning ongoing support for the community by always keeping the experience fresh and ensuring the best possible gameplay experience." This is where Battlefield 1943 fans wipe the tears from their faces as they march toward a more modern battlefield.
Over 3.5 million people have downloaded the Bad Company 2 demo
Ever noticed how you rarely place bullets into the same dude during two consecutive games while playing the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo? There's a darn good reason for that -- according to a recent tweet from EA, over 3.5 million people have downloaded the sneak peek on 360 and PS3. We weren't sure Bad Company 2 would gain a ton of traction while sharing an audience with MAG and Modern Warfare 2, but apparently we were wrong. Maybe there's a special portion of the market set aside for multiplayer shooters/preposterous ATV stunt simulators.
Interview: Greg Grunberg at the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 celebrity challenge
Lots of the celebrities at last night's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 celebrity benefit tournament didn't know much about gaming, but Greg Grunberg is the exception. Even if he can't dive deep into the differences between next-gen shooters, he at least knows the audience, having appeared on Lost and Alias and controlled minds as Matt Parkman on Heroes. He was at the benefit in West Hollywood promoting the Epilepsy Foundation (his son deals with epileptic seizures, and Grunberg has done some advocacy work on his own as well), and right before he sat down to play BFBC2 alongside Chad Ochocinco and Marshall Faulk, he sat down to chat with us. Read on to hear about what Grunny is doing for Halo: Reach, his favorite iPhone games and why he's so sure there should be one more full season of Heroes.
EA hosts Battlefield: Bad Company 2 celebrity benefit tournament
As reported on these very pages yesterday, EA and DICE got a group of semi-celebrities together last night to celebrate the impending arrival of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with a charity tournament, pitting NFL stars and 90210 actors against each other in a bragging rights team match. The celebs also selected their own team names for an upcoming Major League Gaming tournament, and the winning team in that match (which you can predict right now on GameStop's website) will end up giving $25,000 to the winning celebrity's charity of choice. The event kicked off with a red carpet event, and Matt Lanter and Tristan Wilds of the new 90210 joined gossip blogger Perez Hilton to talk about crushes on their costars and how awesome Bad Company 2 was. Meanwhile, we wondered, where's the actual game? %Gallery-86003%
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 includes 'VIP code' for free day-one DLC
John Riccitiello's "Project Ten Dollar" endeavor -- in which EA looks to combat used-game sales by offering free DLC goodies with new purchases -- has another game marching under its banner: Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Just like Mass Effect 2, the game will ship with a code that enables access to free DLC. The first batch of add-on content for DICE's shooter will be a set of new multiplayer maps, MTV Multiplayer reports. "In the future you will get more content, for free, if you have this VIP code," noted producer Patrick Bach, describing a free content delivery mechanism similar to BioWare's Cerberus Network. Also of note: the VIP code will be attached to your EA.com account, so make sure you keep potential hazards in mind if you buy Bad Company 2 when it launches on March 2, 2010. [Thanks, Michael]
ESRB outs WWII-based opening of Bad Company 2
The original Bad Company spinoff in the Battlefield series kept the franchise's setting firmly in modern times, but if the Bad Company 2 ESRB description is true, you'll be seeing a return to WWII in the sequel. At the very least, the game's opening will bring players back to the Pacific side of the war, with the ESRB description saying, "In single-player mode, players conduct missions on an unnamed Japanese island during World War II and then move into the modern day through jungles, deserts, and snowy terrain." Just like we've discovered in our way too many hours with the game's multiplayer demo, the description details the inclusion of "melee attacks with a power drill" (yes, seriously) and the characters use of profanity "during cutscenes and in the heat of battle." And yes, we're just as excited by the former as you might imagine. %Gallery-43916%[Via BigDownload]
Hands-on: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 single-player
We've had extensive hands-on time with the multiplayer component of DICE's upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company sequel, but only just recently had a chance to try out the single-player campaign. Our demo encompassed two fairly brief levels -- a jungle encampment and a battle through snow-covered mountains -- which were both set in South America. Short as they were, they gave us a taste of the ramped-up action, more challenging AI and a little bit of classic B-Company banter. %Gallery-83829%
Bad Company 2 Limited Edition pre-order available (with bonuses!)
Finally, EA understands what it is we want out of our limited edition game bundles. Some extremely loseable keychains? Nope. A cat head-sized helmet which is awesome for roughly 23 minutes, then an eyesore shortly thereafter? Nope. In-game weapons and equipment which are useful as all-get-out, which also have the benefit of not taking up space in our real-life humble abodes? Ahh, now that's the ticket. That's exactly what the limited edition of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 -- which is now available to pre-order through Steam -- is bringing to the table. The bundle includes six pieces of equipment, ranging from improved armor on the player's vehicles, to a magnetic dart gun which helps the player track targets. We've contacted DICE to find out if these bonuses will be available during the game's multiplayer portion. We'd hate to have a repeat of the original Bad Company's boycott shenanigans. Update: The pre-order offer is also available from Direct2Drive!
GTTV revealing Bad Company 2 campaign this week
This Thursday at 12:30am ET, the new season of GameTrailers TV is set to debut with a look at Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Specifically, the trailer for this week's episode promises that the show will display the first footage of the game's single-player campaign (we've seen multiplayer already, after all). Beyond the Bad Company 2 footage, GTTV will also have a clip from the upcoming Halo Legends anime collection. This might be a stretch, but we're guessing there will be Spartans in it. As always, expect any juicy details to wind up here on Joystiq once the episode airs.
