January 21, 2008 | By David Jenkins Post A Comment More:
Officials from Electronic Arts have announced a new title in the popular Battlefield series of multiplayer shoot ‘em-ups, named Battlefield Heroes. The game will be a part of the company’s new “Play 4 Free” range of free to download PC-only titles.
As such, the game will be aimed at a more mass market audience with a new cartoon-like art style similar to Valve’s Team Fortress 2. Despite the changes, the game will still be developed by Swedish studio DICE, the creators of the original Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2.
Battlefield Heroes will be offered completely free for download and features a built-in matchmaking system. The Play 4 Free business model is intended to generate revenue through advertising and microtransactions. The game will be released later this summer.
“Online gaming garners a massive audience,” said Gerhard Florin, EVP publishing Americas-Europe at Electronic Arts. “People want to play games in new ways, with easier access that is quick to the fun. With Battlefield Heroes, EA brings its first major franchise to North America and Europe with a new distribution model and pricing structure adapted to the evolving way that people play.”
“We put a different twist on this Battlefield game going with the cartoon-style graphics and gameplay,” added Ben Cousins, senior producer at EA DICE. “There’s something here for all types of players - be it our core Battlefield fans or casual gamers. With the new online model, we will continually add new content to keep the game fresh and keep players engaged, while integrating player feedback in real time. As a game developer, it is such a cool new way to make games.”
