Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3 is a first-person shooter action video game, being developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and to be published by Electronic Arts. It is to be released Fall 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[3] Contrary to its name, it is the eleventh installment in the Battlefield franchise, and the direct sequel to Battlefield 2, released in 2005. Many trailers have already been released leaking possible campaign missions.
Gameplay
Battlefield 3 will feature the maximalist combined arms battles that made the series popular across single-player, co-operative and multiplayer modes. It will reintroduce several elements absent from the Bad Company games, including fighter jets, the prone position and 64-player battles on PC.[4][5] To accommodate the lower player count on consoles, the ground area will be limited for Xbox 360 and PS3. The jets and helicopters on the other hand will have more flying space, and will have the ability to travel further outside the map boundaries.[6] In a Question and Answer session on GameInformer Magazine, EA have stated that Commander Mode will most likely not be included[7], which was met with some criticism on the EA forum.[8] Battlefield 3 uses a new type of character animation technology called ANT. ANT technology is used in EA Sports games such as FIFA, but will now be used to create a more realistic soldier. Player models will appear more real with the ability to transition into cover and turn their head before their body.[9]
In the March 2011 issue of Game Informer magazine, they describe how an RPG can hit a building and cause ripple splash damage. The updated Frostbite 2 engine can realistically show how a seven-story building would collapse during an earthquake in a pile of smoke and debris.[10]
Maps set in Paris, Tehran, Sarajevo, Sulaymaniyah and New York have been confirmed.[5] As a whole, the game will cover urban streets, metropolitan downtown areas, and open landscapes suited to vehicle combat.[11] The single player campaign takes place in the year 2014.[12]
Single-player
A new animation system will allow players to "drag fallen comrades into safety and mount weapons on almost any part of the terrain".[11] In the first part of the campaign, player will take on the role of Staff Sergeant Henry 'Black' Blackburn, a member of the United States Marine Corps stationed along the Iran/Iraq border. An earthquake hits the region, though its total effect is unknown.[13] SSgt Blackburn, also known as "Black", leads the five-man squad on a mission to locate, find and safely return a US investigating elite squad, who's last known position was in a "bad part of town" when they lost contact. They are assisted by more USMC soldiers, but earthquakes and Iraqi-Iranian allied army (also known as "Peoples Liberation Resistance" or PLR) stand in their way.
Development
Battlefield 3's lead platform is the PC rather than a console. The reason for this is that the Battlefield series began on PC and DICE is staying true to its largest target user community.[5] Battlefield 3 will use a new Frostbite engine built from scratch. Known as Frostbite 2, it will deliver more advanced destruction, sound, and graphics than previous versions.
Beta
On 30 July 2010, EA announced that purchasers of the Limited Edition and Tier 1 Edition of Medal of Honor for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will receive an invitation to the beta contingent on Beta availability within 1 year of Medal of Honor's release on 12 October.[14]
Marketing
EA CEO John Riccitiello stated that Battlefield 3 is aimed at competing with the Call of Duty series. "This November, we're launching Battlefield 3. It's going up against the next Call of Duty, which is presently the #1 game in the game industry," he said. "A game that last year did $400 million dollars in revenue on day one. Battlefield 3 is designed to take that game down." EA is planning on spending over $100 million dollars on a marketing campaign for Battlefield 3.[15]
Battlefield 3 was revealed on February 3, 2011 as the March Cover of GameInformer magazine. A month of GameInformer coverage included standard information on building the game and interviews with DICE, as well as three trailers: a teaser and the first two parts in a series of gameplay from the level "Fault Line".[16]
On April 16, a 12 minute trailer featuring all in-game footage was unlocked on the game's Facebook page.[17] This new 12 minute trailer included the 3 previously released in-game footage videos, plus more demonstrations on game play.[18] On April 21 the same trailer was released but with a director's commentary. [19]
Pre-order promotion
Pre-orders of the Limited Edition of the game grant access to a DLC pack called "Back to Karkand", a reference to the "Strike at Karkand" map (a popular BF2' map), to include four maps and several weapons and vehicles brought over from Battlefield 2.[20] The maps from the expansion pack will be: Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, Wake Island and Sharqi Penisula. All have been re-imagined and recreated for use with the new engine that powers Battlefield 3, called "Frostbite 2.0" and its more advanced physics. The offer will end when BF3 is released, but leaks from EA indicate that the pack will become available for general purchase after one month.[21]
References
- ^ "Battlefield 3".
- ^ a b Ridgeley, Sean (2010-08-03). "Battlefield 3 leaving DX 9 behind, Frostbite 2 engine good news for PC gamers". Neoseeker. Neo Era Media Inc. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
- ^ Matros, Daniel. "zh1nt0 (Community Manager) answers Battlefield 3 questions". BF3Online. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
- ^ Bertz, Matt (2011-02-04). "Check Out The First Battlefield 3 Teaser Trailer!". Game Informer. GameStop Corporation. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
- ^ a b c Senior, Tom (2011-02-08). "Battlefield 3 PC will handle 40 more players than on consoles. New features revealed". PC Gamer. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
- ^ Dutton, Fred. "Battlefield 3 MP maps shrunk for consoles". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
- ^ "Battlefield 3 won't include Commander feature". Battlefield 3 Blog. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ "Commander for BF3 YES or NO V2.0". Various. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ Dupler, Scott. "Battlefield 3 Game Informer Scans Surface". Planet Battlefield. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
- ^ Dupler, Scott (2011-02-23). "Clearer Battlefield 3 HUD Images & More". Planet Battlefield. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
- ^ a b Ivan, Tom (2011-02-24). "Battlefield 3 takes you to Paris, South Pole and New York". Computer and Video Games. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
- ^ PunkyLiar. "Battlefield 3' Information Roundup". True Achievements. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
- ^ Onyett, Charles (2011-03-02). "GDC: Battlefield 3 is Beautiful". IGN. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
- ^ "Battlefield 3 Beta". EA Games. Electronic Arts. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
- ^ http://pc.ign.com/articles/116/1160082p1.html
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfrrAp1blaM
- ^ "Battlefield Facebook". Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ Daniel Hill (2011-04-16). "Battlefield 3 12 Minute Trailer". Electronic Arts Game Developer. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ^ Battlefield 3 Faultline Trailer With Commentary - VG247
- ^ "Battlefield 3 Limited Edition". EA Store. Electronic Arts. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (2011-02-05). "Battlefield 3 Limited Edition details leak?". GameSpot. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 2011-03-25.