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EA rebuffs 'pay to win' loot criticism of 'SW Battlefront 2'
A day after the beta for the extended Star Wars Battlefront 2 beta ended, Electronic Arts thanked the "millions" of fans who participated and asked them to keep sending feedback as developer DICE tinkers with the game before its release on November 17th. But it seems they've already got a few changes in mind that the giant studio listed in a blog post -- along with an extensive clarification of how the contentious loot crate system will work in the final version of the game.
London venue is first to eradicate touts with digital-only tickets
Touts are something you'll no longer see roaming the pavements outside of London's Islington Assembly Hall. The music venue has become the first in the UK to commit entirely to digital tickets, all of which will be sold through mobile app Dice. Tickets are inextricably linked to the Dice app, so they can't be posted on resale sites or flogged to touts. That works in your favour, of course, because you'll only ever pay list price. Just make sure you don't drain your battery organising pre-drinks with the squad.
‘Star Wars: Battlefront II’ open beta begins October 6th
Everything we saw of Star Wars: Battlefront II at E3 this year -- the engrossing single-player solo campaign, the accessible multiplayer with planned-free DLC -- told us the game's developers had listened to feedback from the skimpy first title. You can see for yourself this fall when the game's open beta starts on October 6th, but anyone who pre-orders the game will get a two-day headstart.
What EA learned from 'Mass Effect' will shape its future
When I spoke to Electronic Arts Executive Vice President Patrick Soderlund last week, Kotaku's report about why Mass Effect: Andromeda turned out so poorly hadn't been published yet. Nonetheless, when I asked him about the flawed game's development cycle, he was incredibly candid -- just as he had been in 2013 when I'd interviewed him about his company's move from myriad game-design toolkits to just two. Here are his thoughts on several key topics.
Gig ticket sellers should learn from Dice's new refund option
Now in its third year, UK gig app Dice has made a name for itself by selling tickets for some of the world's biggest music acts without additional overheads. There are no booking fees and tickets are tightly linked to an account, meaning all you need to do is pay the listing price and show your phone at the door. The process all but eliminates scalpers, but getting your money back when you can't make a gig hasn't been especially easy. With Refund Tickets, however, Dice has introduced a new button for sold out gigs that gives you your money back if someone on the waiting list wants to take it off your hands.
'Star Wars Battlefront II' invites you to the dark side in November
The winners write the history books. When the second Death Star explodes over Endor in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance rejoices. It's a thrilling moment of victory after eons of interstellar military adventuring: Forests full of weary Ewoks, droids and soldiers burst into cheers, throwing their arms in the air. But what did members of the Galactic Empire do? How did the Imperial soldiers on Endor feel as they watched their dreams of a stable galaxy burst into flames, right in front of their eyes? What did they think as they watched their friends die? This is where Star Wars: Battlefront II begins.
'Star Wars Battlefront II' trailer leaks out a few days early
EA promised to reveal a trailer for its Star Wars Battlefront sequel on April 15th during the Star Wars Celebration event, but it appears to have popped up online a bit early. The 30-second teaser clip shows "game engine footage," with hints at what we can expect from both its single- and multiplayer experience. It appears that the story mode will have players taking on the role of a young woman fighting on the side of the Empire in a post-Return of the Jedi storyline attempting to "avenge your emperor."
Expect four new expansions for 'Battlefield 1' this year
If you're a Battlefield 1 fan, get ready to open your wallet and jump into even more WWI-inspired battles. Gaming heavyweights EA and DICE just revealed four new expansion packs for its popular first-person shooter. All four expansions are included in this brand-new annual Premium Pass, which is available for XBox One, PS4 and PC via EA's Origin service. Each expansion will be available for purchase separately with the first entry, "They Shall Not Pass," available to premium members on March 14 and March 28 for non-premium players.
The best 'Battlefield' is finally playable on Xbox One
The pinnacle of the Battlefield series is at long last backward compatible on Xbox One. Of course, I'm talking about Battlefield Bad Company 2, which came out way back in 2010. There have been four games in the franchise since (Battlefield 3, 4, Hardline and last year's Battlefield 1), but the developers at DICE still haven't gone back to the Bad Company well.
'Battlefield 1' reminded me that before war was a game, it was hell
The Battlefield games aren't exactly known for having the best single-player modes. In fact, players ignore the series' solo experiences so routinely that this was actually a reason we didn't see a campaign mode in Star Wars: Battlefront last year. "Very few people actually play the single-player on these kinds of games," EA's Peter Moore said at the time. "That's what the data points to." So, naturally, when I picked up a copy of Battlefield 1 earlier this week, I planned to skip directly to online multiplayer -- but the game didn't let me. First, it had to teach me a history lesson. "Battlefield 1 is based upon events that unfolded over one hundred years ago," the game told me immediately after booting up. "What follows is front line combat. You are not expected to survive."
'Battlefield 1' helps you make movies on your game console
PC gamers have long had tools to make professional-looking movies. Console players, however, haven't had much luck... it's usually either raw gameplay or nothing. DICE and EA want to give living room directors their shot, though. They're implementing an enhanced spectator mode in Battlefield 1 that's tailor-made for cinematic productions on not just PCs, but also the PS4 and the Xbox One. You now have extensive control over the camera, and it's not just about choosing what to look at or how the camera follows a given unit. You can play with the field of view, depth of field and even an array of visual filters that include Noir and Battlefield 3's signature bluish tones.
'Battlefield 1' will challenge your preconceptions of WWI
Battlefield 1 is shaping up to be a return to form for DICE, the EA-owned development studio behind the famous first-person-shooter series. After handing the franchise keys to Visceral Games for Battlefield Hardline, the studio is back at the helm, and returning to historical warfare with its first game set in World War I. The announcement was met with mostly positive reactions, especially in the face of Activision's continued focus on jetpacks and other future tech with the Call of Duty series. I'm not a massive fan of either of the big FPS franchises. I don't look down on Call of Duty or Battlefield games: They're expertly crafted multiplayer experiences that millions of gamers love. They're just not for everyone. My colleague Timothy Seppala, a long-time Battlefield fan, spent most of E3 explaining to me just how impressed he was with what he'd seen so far. "I haven't loved a Battlefield game since 2010's Bad Company 2," he wrote back in June, "but during a single round of Conquest set on a map in northern France, I caught a glimpse of the game that had me smitten five years ago."
'Battlefield 1' open beta starts August 31st
Eager to play Battlefield 1 but can't wait until the game's October 21st release date? Well, good news. Electronic Arts has announced that a 64-player open beta for the first-person shooter will begin August 31st on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
'Battlefield' TV show has an Oscar-winning executive producer
The Battlefield TV series is inching closer to fruition. Electronic Arts recently revealed that Michael Sugar, one of the producers behind last year's Oscar-winner for Best Picture, Spotlight, will be working on the show. Along with production house Anonymous Content's Ashley Zalta, Sugar will serve as executive producer. It's also the first time Anonymous and Paramount TV have worked on a video game property. Previous projects include The Revenant, both seasons of True Detective and Mr. Robot. Suffice to say, there's a lot of talent with the team that's been announced so far.
'Star Wars: Battlefront' add-on will tie into 'Rogue One'
EA and DICE are determined to wrap up Star Wars: Battlefront's year of add-ons with a bang. The developers have used Star Wars Celebration to reveal that the fourth DLC pack will revolve around the Rogue One storyline. Rogue One: Scarif will let you play as rebel Jyn Erso or her Imperial nemesis, Director Krennic, as you fight for the original Death Star's plans on the planet Scarif. While you're not getting a look at actual gameplay just yet, EA vows that the add-on will be available in time for the movie's mid-December debut. Season Pass holders will get to play two weeks early.
Fight offline with friends in new 'Star Wars Battlefront' mode
With the Battlefield 1 closed alpha raging on and the full game launching in October you might think that developer DICE is forgetting about its other shooter, Star Wars Battlefront. That's not the case. Come July 20th, the game will have a new offline gametype dubbed "Skirmish." A post on the EA Star Wars site says that Skirmish is playable against bots, either solo or with a co-op partner in Walker Assault and Fighter Squadron modes. The free update is welcome, of course, but I'm not sure how many people still playing this are jonesing for a new AI-based bot mode. Or if they've abandoned the game, if this could win them back. This is a problem of publisher Electronic Arts' own making, though.
'Battlefield 1' learned a lot from 'Star Wars: Battlefront'
When Electronic Arts and DICE released Star Wars: Battlefront last fall, fans complained that it was far too simple, a shell of a game. The reaction was justified, but as shallow as the game was, it wasn't without merit. A lot of what Battlefront got right (a massive sense of scale, easier to control aircraft and monstrous mechanical instruments of war) has made its way into Battlefield 1. The latter series has always prided itself on being a thinking-person's shooter. But recent releases have become bloated, with a diminished focus on what made the franchise great in the first place. In particular, these recent installments have tended to emphasize spectacle over strategic gunfights, with each player serving a distinct role in combat. Some of Battlefront's simplicity made its way into DICE's version of World War I, but based on what I played at E3, that isn't a detriment -- it's an asset.
'Star Wars: Battlefront' gets Lando and Cloud City on June 21st
You won't have to wait too much longer to fill the Cloud City-sized hole in Star Wars: Battlefront's content. EA has revealed that the promised Bespin DLC will arrive on June 21st for Season Pass holders, and two weeks later (July 5th) for everyone else. As before, the highlights of the paid add-on are the introduction of Lando Calrissian and Cloud City -- you're getting everyone's favorite administrator-turned-general as well as a much-needed change of scenery.
'Mirror's Edge' TV show in the works from 'Big Brother' studio
Mirror's Edge, the cult-classic video game franchise from EA, is set to become a television series from the makers of Big Brother, The Biggest Loser and Hell on Wheels. Endemol Shine Studios acquired the TV rights to Mirror's Edge and is working with EA to transform it into a female-centric action series (much like the game itself). Deadline originally reported the deal and EA confirmed its existence to Engadget. "We are excited to be working with Endemol Shine Studios to explore a potential Mirror's Edge project for television," an EA spokesperson said.
'Mirror's Edge Catalyst' and the long shadow of a cult classic
"It's a game that's built a lot on momentum and forward movement and not stopping, reaching almost a zen-like thing." That's how DICE Design Director Erik Odeldahl describes his latest game, Mirror's Edge Catalyst. It stars Faith, a freerunner, as she sprints, slides and leaps around a stark-white futuristic urban sprawl. The city is her playground. On top of a skyscraper, Faith builds up speed and swings onto a thin ledge, where she seamlessly dashes and jumps, rolling onto the roof of the next building and always running, running, running. For many fans, this constant motion is what the series is all about. But Odeldahl's favorite part of Catalyst involves no movement at all.
