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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 looking to catch MW2-jaded PC gamers on the rebound
Perhaps detecting a dedicated server-shaped weakness in the competition's defenses, Electronic Arts is beginning to position next year's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as a legitimate heir to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare throne. On yesterday's Q2 earnings call, EA Games label prez Frank Gibeau said that, in addition to other things, Bad Company 2's "deep new online play with dedicated server support ... will put Battlefield in head-to-head competition with Call of Duty for quality and online gameplay." EA CEO John Riccitiello later said, "Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ... has every right to see itself as a rival to the #1 FPS game that one of our competitors is releasing next week." (Note: We presume Riccitiello misspoke and meant "this" week and not "next" week ... unless he thinks Left 4 Dead 2 is the #1 FPS game and that EA is its own competition). Continuing to pour gasoline on the dedicated server fire, Gordon Van Dyke from Bad Company 2's DICE tells IncGamers, "On the PC, it's a PC version, which is getting that same treatment, and then also a little bit more as PC users are generally used to a different type of experience than console users are, and we recognize that and we want to make sure that we give that to the PC market and give the console market more." He was less committal when discussing modding tools, offering, "Once we start getting there and the engine gets to a level where we can release tools that are easy for our own guys to use, and then easy for people publicly, then we'll get into that and we'll really start to focus on it." Though the first Battlefield: Bad Company never made its way to the PC, with promised support for the platform and a PC beta hitting this December -- just a few weeks after the PS3-exclusive console beta gets underway -- it's clear EA and DICE are making up for lost time. Source – Electronic Arts Q2 2010 Earnings Conference Call [PDF link] Source – DICE: Bad Company 2 PC Gets A "Little Bit More" [IncGamers]
Hands-on: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta
Announced yesterday, the multiplayer beta for EA and DICE's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is going to give PS3 owners (and only PS3 owners) a one map appetizer on November 19 for the main course coming March 2, 2010. The beta features one match type -- Rush, a version of Bad Company's Gold Rush ... only without the gold -- and takes place in the sun-baked seaside locale of Arica Harbor. Last week, we took part in a 24-player stress test for the beta (the version coming Nov. 19 will support 24 players, as will the final game) and came away rattled but ready for more. You can read about how it all went down after the break. %Gallery-77545%
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta hits Nov. 19, exclusive to PS3
PS3 owners will soon have another exclusive to brag about in addition to Uncharted 2. EA and DICE announced today that the multiplayer beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will launch on Thursday, November 19, exclusively on Sony's console. As with the recent God of War III demo, a beta code will be offered as a pre-order incentive from GameStop, Amazon and Best Buy (visit the game's official site to check which other retailers are participating). The beta will focus on one of Bad Company 2's new multiplayer game types: Rush. This multi-stage battle takes place on a map called Arica Harbor, which is broken into unique areas for each round. American forces push forward on foot and in vehicles to scrap with Russian troops outside a military base, in an urban environment and eventually at the harbor itself in a "last stand" scenario. EA plans to begin a PC round of the beta in December, followed up by an all-new multiplayer demo for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC early next year. The finished game hits shelves on March 2, 2010. We recently had the opportunity to play in the multiplayer beta and will bring you our hands-on impressions tomorrow morning, November 6 at 9:00 a.m. PT / noon ET. %Gallery-77393%
Battlefield 1943 downloads break servers, and records
Put your rivalry to the side for a moment and join hands. Acknowledge that together, we, as XBLA and PSN users, have reached a tremendous milestone: 600,000. That number represents the to-date total of $15 transactions between us and our respective online services to purchase Battlefield 1943; and we did so, overwhelmingly -- and in record-setting fashion -- on the first day and week of the game's download-only release. In just fifteen short days, we have sent a message to Microsoft, Sony and third-party publishers. We're willing to pay a bit more and spend it on a slice of good old-fashioned stuff we still get on our retail discs (even if it's a little rough during takeoff). Sorry, indies -- go put it on the App Store.
Battlefield Heroes registers over 1 million players
The growth of Battlefield Heroes has been slow and steady -- a natural side-effect of EA and DICE's slow trickle release of beta codes for the free-to-play shooter. However, on June 25, Heroes' floodgates were flung wide open, letting every would-be cartoon soldier access to the title. Now, about 19 days since that fateful event, EA has revealed some impressive statistics: Over one million players have registered for the online battle.That's quite a few digital soldiers, but we're curious to know how many of those decided to purchase fancy hats for their militaristic avatars, and whether EA is turning a profit thanks to the sale of said chapeaus. We've emailed EA to try and find out.[Via Big Download]
43 million killed: Battlefield 1943's Coral Sea unlocked on Xbox
Less than a week after festivities kicked off in the "Coral Sea Challenge" one group has amassed the 43 million kills required to unlock the titular map, Coral Sea, and the new Air Superiority mode. Xbox 360 players can load up Coral Sea right now and start shooting their friends and loved ones from the comfort of the skies. PS3 players will need another 21 million or so kills before they get to share in the festivities. And PC gamers ... well, since they're already required to wait an extra two months, they'll be getting Coral Sea gratis, no killing required, when it makes its way to that platform in September.And who fired the lucky forty-three-millionth shot? That would be one "James" (gamertag: jkasapi) from Peterborough, England. With no small amount of irony involved, EA is gifting the obviously subterranean James with a pair of 1943 sunglasses, a 1943 t-shirt, and custom Battlefield sneakers, for when he goes "outside."
Joystiq hands-on: Bad Company 2 (multiplayer)
It took 45 minutes to peel myself out of the chair, ears ringing, and come back into the space where EA was hosting a recent preview event in Los Angeles. I'd finally pried myself away from an intense Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer session where I'd joined three other attendees and eight remote EA staffers in a characteristically chaotic, 12-on-12 battle. It was the most fun I'd had playing an online, multiplayer FPS in a long while. The destructible environments, of course, are the returning gameplay gimmick, but it's still just as satisfying as in the first game to pulverize the foundation of a enemy's refuge, bringing the building down and a pesky sniper with it. I turned every building in site into piles of sheet rock and debris. It's not as much fun when your opponents aren't hiding inside, but I really didn't need much of an excuse to launch another mortar shell from inside my tank. No structure was safe. %Gallery-43916%
Mirror's Edge vs. Age of Conan at Nordic Awards
Nordic Game 2009 is fast approaching and, like you, we're gearing up by listening to loads of ABBA, driving Volvos and wearing nothing but H&M clothing. That's all they do over there, right? Anyway, with the conference comes the obligatory awards show, though this one comes with a uniquely nordic theme. While über nordic games like LasseMajas and Englekræsj show up on the list, EA DICE-developed Mirror's Edge and Funcom-developed Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures are duking it out for two major awards: Artistic Achievement and Best Nordic Game. We can't speak to the ... ahem ... games we've never heard of running against Mirror's Edge and Age of Conan, but retro remake Bionic Commando: Rearmed is also competing for the Best Nordic Game award, while Watchmen: The End is Nigh takes on the two for Artistic Achievement. The awards are set to be a veritable smörgåsbord of gaming, if you will. (Those are Swedish, right?)[Via Edge]
Two new Battlefield: Bad Company 2 screens (yes, two)
click to enlarge EA is big on "micro-destruction" in its upcoming Bad Company sequel, as evidenced in gameplay footage screened during GDC. Building on the tearing down of the first game's environments, it's now possible to shoot out the most wee little details -- bricks, for example.EA isn't big on showing what the game actually looks like. The new screens -- all two of them -- the publisher has released are ... well, they could be from practically any military FPS. But hey, at least they offer a glimpse of gameplay from the DICE-developed title, unlike the "all style, no substance" first trailer.%Gallery-48864%
First Bad Company 2 trailer light on gameplay, heavy on death
Light on gameplay but heavy on murder the first trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 got "world exclusive" status on this week's GameTrailers TV (after the break).Showcasing the cycle of "smoke a cigarette, kill a dude, get killed yourself" in a MadWorld-esque aesthetic, we can't help but wish for actual gameplay footage from the game -- the first Bad Company 2 screen was madness! We'll expect to hear more from publisher EA and developer DICE as we near E3 2009 in June. More on murder, that is.
GDC09: Battlefield 1943 rolls onto Iwo Jima
click to Great War size Many of our GDC demos, Battlefield 1943 included, have been of the incredibly brief variety. (Is the industry saving up its really good stuff for E3 or what?) In the case of DICE's return to its classic multiplayer-only, WWII-era FPS franchise, what we saw and played at an event that shouted, "Hey, you! Yeah, you! C'mere! You've never seen this before!" was ... exactly what we'd played before. This time, however, it was on on a new map -- the island of Iwo Jima. %Gallery-48671%
Mirror's Edge launch trailer stengthens our 'Faith' in final game
Sure, this latest (and likely final) trailer for Mirror's Edge is partly a marketing piece ... but it's all excitement. In it we get to gawk at previously unseen locales that architecture protagonist Faith will get to traverse, watch her crotch-kick oppressive government goons, and – what's that? – it almost looks like she's running towards a motorcycle at one point.In its early moments, the trailer shows us what the game might have looked like if EA DICE went with a third-person perspective, rather than presenting the action through the eyes of Faith. We'd be quite surprised if the final game doesn't include a third-person cheat of some sort.
Catch this Mirror's Edge 'Runner' trailer
The fourth and final animated teaser trailer for Mirror's Edge has made the leap, rolled, and landed safely on the 'net. (All without a net, naturally.) This installment of the lead-up to the actual game's release on Nov. 11 takes a stylized look at the role of Runners in the game world. (Hint: they run ... okay, and deliver stuff.)Want to be a better Runner in the Mirror's Edge demo's time trial mode? Check out this excellent, player-made, annotated video run-through of the Edge "course." We've managed to shave several seconds off our previous best time thanks to it. Download in HD (102MB)
Mirror's Edge demo hits PSN Oct. 30, XBL Oct. 31
We hope you didn't have anything planned for the next few days, because EA just announced that the Mirror's Edge demo is going live on PlayStation Network tomorrow, Oct. 30, and Xbox Live Marketplace the following day, Oct. 31. If this slice of the game is anything like we've previously played, it won't be very long – but you'll want to keep playing it over and over again.This will be the case even more so if you've pre-ordered the game from Best Buy and received the retailer's exclusive time trial mode unlock code. DICE has set up special demo leaderboards so you can spend between now and the game's release on Nov. 11 vying for the coveted top spot. Remember to look before you leap.
Faith gets schooled in Mirror's Edge 'training' trailer
Previously on Mirror's Edge – or, at least, the animated trailer – we got a look at the downfall of the city in which the game takes place. This week: the rise of its protagonist, Faith, as a "runner" begins ... with a training montage (sadly minus frenetic '80s background music).Given that EA already has designs on Mirror's Edge as a trilogy and has partnered with Starz on a Dead Space animated flick, we're frankly surprised we haven't heard anything on a similar treatment for DICE's free-running action title. Wait – did you hear that? That was the sound of an EA exec's pen clicking to action, no doubt signing off on such a deal as we speak.Bonus: Cop the HD version from Big Download.
Mirror's Edge cel-shaded story trailer
Download to PSP Faith, our favorite skyscraper-hopping protagonist from Mirror's Edge, narrates her background story in this stylish trailer. The narrative feels a bit like the O-Ren Ishii anime sequence in Kill Bill while the visual style is a cross between cel-shading and what you see on Samurai Jack. Tell us what you guys think after you take a look. The game will be out November 11th and you can check out our hands-on impressions here.[Via Joystiq]
Faith-based: 2D Mirror's Edge trailer shows origin story
EA's marketing machine is ratcheting up its efforts on Mirror's Edge – how else will it hit those sales numbers? The latest salvo in its ongoing campaign is the above "story trailer" providing some beautifully animated background on Faith's outlaw-courier origin and the oppressive government she's avoiding by running around on rooftops.It's no secret that we're a fan of these trailers; in fact, the only thing we can really take umbrage with here is this: they're making us pine for a "cel-shading" option in Mirror's Edge. C'mon, DICE – how hard could it be? Just click that "cel-shading" box on your game-making tool. Done! Download in HD (98MB)
$130 Mirror's Edge comes with Timbuk2 messenger bag
Sometimes, video games just aren't expensive enough. Sometimes, we'll think to ourselves, "Just $60? What am I going to do with all this money I make blogging about video games?" Sensing our dilemma, EA's offering a pair of extra-spensive Xbox 360 bundles for two of their highest-profile (and most promising!) fall releases. We've already filled you in on the $150 "Ultra Limited Edition" Dead Space bundle but also wanted to showcase this rather fetching messenger bag Mirror's Edge bundle.$130 bags you the Xbox 360 release of the game along with a ME-themed Timbuk2 messenger bag (read: much nicer than GameStop's preorder bag), complete with Faith's face on the inside flap – just the sort of conversation starter we all want sewn directly into our baggage.%Gallery-33028%
Mirror's Edge dev projects 3m units sold worldwide
This might come as a shock to some of you – well, those of you that are easily shocked – but Mirror's Edge marketing cat Martin Frain says the game could sell as many as three million units across three platforms ... and that's his conservative estimate! Why such big numbers, Mr. Frain? He says, "We're being helped immensely, just by the look of the game ... You look at a screenshot of Mirror's Edge, and you know what it is."There's another game from last year that immediately comes to mind: Assassin's Creed had an immediately recognizable look, was an unproven IP, had mixed reviews, and was released into an unusually busy holiday game season, yet still went on to sell over six million units. So, can EA spark the same interest in this unusually colorful parkour playpen, being released into a similarly frenzied gaming season?%Gallery-17126%
Mirror's Edge out Nov. 11, demo to hit PSN before launch
Want to know when you can start defying gravity and kickoff your rooftop escapades in Mirror's Edge? Well save the date; November 11 will be North America's ticket into EA DICE's sun-drenched, skyscraper-filled world. But wait, that's not all. EA has also confirmed that a Mirror's Edge demo will hit the PSN sometime before the game launches. Also, for those who pre-order the title, they'll be given an exclusive code that unlocks Time Trial mode in the demo. Code giveaways for pre-orderers will be handed out starting on September 26.[via press release]
