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Battlefield 3

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Battlefield 3
Cover art of Battlefield 3
Developer(s)EA Digital Illusions CE
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
SeriesBattlefield
EngineFrostbite 2.0[2]
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre(s)First-person shooter, action
Mode(s)Single-player, cooperative, multiplayer

Battlefield 3 (commonly abbreviated to BF3) is a first-person shooter action video game, being developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and to be published by Electronic Arts. The game is set to be released on October 25, 2011 on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[3] Despite its name, it is the eleventh installment in the Battlefield franchise, and the direct sequel to Battlefield 2, released in 2005.

Gameplay

File:Battlefield 3 trailer still.jpg
A US Marine readies a rocket launcher in a Middle Eastern city, protected by his squad.

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, though fly space will remain the same.[6]

During an interview with GameInformer Magazine, EA 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 adapted to create a more realistic soldier, with the ability to transition into cover and turn their head before their body.[9]

The game will feature maps set in Paris, Tehran, Sarajevo, Sulaymaniyah, New York, Wake Island and Oman. Also there will be map called "Operation Métro", set in Paris.[10] As a whole, combat will take place in 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 used in the FIFA games will allow players to "drag fallen comrades into safety and mount weapons on almost any part of the terrain".[11] Players will be able to use vehicles during the campaign, but their use will be limited.[13]

In the first part of the campaign, the 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. [13] SSgt Blackburn leads a five-man squad on a mission to locate, find and safely return a US squad investigating a possible chemical weapons site, whose last known position was inside a meat market controlled by a hostile militia. After engaging in several gun battles with hostile forces, Blackburn and his squadmates are caught in the wake of a massive earthquake whose epicenter is in Iran. Brief shots from the campaign trailer depict an aerial view of a war-torn city, a column of M1 Abrams tanks being attacked by cluster munitions, and an aerial dogfight between US and Russian fighter aircraft.

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. 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.[14]

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.[15] At E3 2011, EA announced an open beta beginning in September.

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.[16] Frank Gibeau, president of Electronic Arts' EA Games label, stated that Battlefield 3 is a "flat out superior" product to blockbuster FPS Call of Duty.[17][18] EA has also said it’s going on the "offense" in regards to its marketing on Battlefield 3, saying that it kicked off its campaign early to establish a "beachhead."[19]

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".[20]

On April 16, a 12 minute trailer featuring all in-game footage was unlocked on the game's Facebook page.[21] This new 12 minute trailer included the 3 previously released in-game footage videos, plus more demonstrations on game play.[22] On April 21 the same trailer was released but with a director's commentary. [23]

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.[24] The maps from the expansion pack will be: Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, Wake Island and Sharqi Peninsula. 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.[25]

Possible Wii U port

On June 7, 2011 during Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference, the president of EA games came on stage and expressed his interest in Nintendo's new system, the Wii U. He also hinted at the possibility of a port of Battlefield 3 to this console.[26]

References

  1. ^ Hatfield, Daemon (2011-06-06). "E3 2011: Battlefield 3 Release Date". IGN. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Matros, Daniel. "zh1nt0 (Community Manager) answers Battlefield 3 questions". BF3Online. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
  4. ^ Bertz, Matt (2011-02-04). "Check Out The First Battlefield 3 Teaser Trailer!". Game Informer. GameStop Corporation. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ Dutton, Fred. "Battlefield 3 MP maps shrunk for consoles". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
  7. ^ "Battlefield 3 won't include Commander feature". Battlefield 3 Blog. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  8. ^ "Commander for BF3 YES or NO V2.0". Various. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  9. ^ Dupler, Scott. "Battlefield 3 Game Informer Scans Surface". Planet Battlefield. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  10. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPu7-LtLKmU
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ PunkyLiar. "Battlefield 3' Information Roundup". True Achievements. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  13. ^ a b Onyett, Charles (2011-03-02). "GDC: Battlefield 3 is Beautiful". IGN. Retrieved 2011-05-11. Cite error: The named reference "ign" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  14. ^ Dupler, Scott (2011-02-23). "Clearer Battlefield 3 HUD Images & More". Planet Battlefield. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  15. ^ "Battlefield 3 Beta". EA Games. Electronic Arts. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  16. ^ http://pc.ign.com/articles/116/1160082p1.html
  17. ^ EA: Battlefield 3 'flat out superior' to Call of Duty
  18. ^ EA: Battlefield 3 "flat out superior" to COD
  19. ^ EA going on offensive with Battlefield 3 marketing
  20. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfrrAp1blaM
  21. ^ "Battlefield Facebook". Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  22. ^ Daniel Hill (2011-04-16). "Battlefield 3 12 Minute Trailer". Electronic Arts Game Developer. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
  23. ^ Battlefield 3 Faultline Trailer With Commentary - VG247
  24. ^ "Battlefield 3 Limited Edition". EA Store. Electronic Arts. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  25. ^ Makuch, Eddie (2011-02-05). "Battlefield 3 Limited Edition details leak?". GameSpot. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  26. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImzCgwdPIAw
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