DICE preps for Bad Company 2 PS3 multiplayer beta

DICE today announced the upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta, which is apparently an exclusively on the PlayStation 3. Starting November 19, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to experience the multiplayer action, destruction, vehicular warfare, squad play and open sandbox environments that make up the Battlefield recipe.

In December of this year a PC open beta will launch and early in 2010 DICE plans to release the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer DEMO on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be in stores on March 2, 2010 in North America and March 5, 2010 in Europe for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC.

Those interested in signing up for the beta should visit www.battlefield.com for beta key distribution details.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition detailed

DICE and EA today announced plans for a limited edition version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The Limited Edition game features six special gameplay unlocks that give players a tactical advantage on the battlefield. Available while supplies last, the Limited Edition version of the game will be sold at the same price as the standard version of the game with participating retailers in North America on March 2, 2010 and in Europe on March 5, 2010.

This content includes the four vehicle warfare unlocks and two weapon unlocks including improved vehicle armor that decreases the effect of both explosive and penetrating warheads, significantly improving vehicle survivability; additional weapon packages for all armored vehicles; a vehicle motion sensor; a tracer dart pistol for vehicle tracking; the M1A1 Submachine Gun; and the M1911 Pistol.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available on March 2, 2010 in North America for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 details emerge from GamesCom

EA’s DICE announced that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available March 2, 2010 in North America and March 5, 2010 in Europe. Hoping to surpass the levels of destruction found in Battlefield 1943 and Battlefield Bad Company, DICE promises that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will deliver tons of destruction, vehicular warfare, squad-based gameplay and an open world environment. What I’m hoping for is multiplayer that makes a bit more sense and single-player AI controlled squad mates that actually help you when things get hairy.

In Bad Company 2 players use weapons and vehicles to survive and to conquer whatever objectives await. Players choose from 15 vehicles, each providing a tactical advantage and offering a variety of gameplay options - including the new UH-60 transport helicopter that ship an entire four-player squad directly into battle, while allowing two additional team members to use its two mounted rail guns on board.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 players will also have 46 weapons that can be customized into over 200 different, high-powered firearms. There are over 15,000 kit variations possible in the game as well as a wide range of gadgets, accessories and character specializations.

The DICE signature Frostbite engine will deliver new levels of destruction including a new micro-destruction mechanic that allows players to be more strategic on the battlefield by chipping cover away bit by bit or taking down an entire building.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available on the Xbox 360, PS3 and the PC in the first quarter of 2010.

EA prepares for Comic-Con

Electronic Arts revealed the titles that it will showcase at San Diego Comic-Con International from July 23 - 26, 2009. Located at booth #5213 in the San Diego Convention Center, EA will showcase ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 1943, Brutal Legend, Dante’s Inferno, Dead Space: Extraction, G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra, Dragon Age: Origins, Left 4 Dead 2, The Saboteur and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Part of the booth will also contain a retail corner with unique EA merchandise for sale (details on that merchandise can be found at www.easpecials.com).

In addition to its booth, EA will host the ‘EA Gaming Lounge presented by Xbox 360′ at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Hotel (401 K Street, San Diego, California 92101) that will run from Thursday July 23 to Sunday July 26. The ‘Gaming Lounge will be open from 2pm - 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday 6/25; 12pm - 5pm on Sunday. Show-goers will be able to get hands-on play with Dragon Age: Origins, Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Left 4 Dead 2. On July 22nd, EA will also host a press-only preview showcase from 11am - 5pm.

Finally, several EA’s development teams will be participating in the panels as well:

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Battlefield 3, Criterion-developed NFS revealed

During his presentation at the William Blair Growth Stock Conference, Electronic Arts COO John Pleasants revealed that new games in the Need For Speed and Battlefield series are in the works. Pleasants said that Criterion Games is working on a Need For speed game. Criterion is better known for the Burnout series of games and has spent a good portion of its time over the last couple of years working on a continuous stream of downloadable content for Burnout Paradise. No further details on the new Need For Speed title were revealed.

“We’ve taken the Burnout team and combined it with our Need For Speed franchise,” he said. “So we now have that in our favor because that Burnout team is probably one of the more online-centric and notably high-quality game developers that we have out at Criterion.”

Pleasants also revealed that Sweden-based developer DICE is working hard on the third installment of the Battlefield series. Battlefield 3 has been in development alongside other Battlefield games like Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield Heroes and Battlefield 1943.

“I’ve had the luxury of looking at Battlefield 3 over at DICE in Sweden and was highly impressed by the way the team is working on that product,” he said. “Of course, that’s not [coming out] in the fiscal year, but that is a product that is looking very good.”

Source: G4TV.com and G4TV.com.

EA reveals massive E3 line-up

Electronic Arts today revealed the games it will show off at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) June 2 - 4. The year’s lineup features sequels franchises, new intellectual property, and licensed titles across various platforms.

Highlights include Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Brütal Legend, Dead Space Extraction, Dragon Age: Origins, Dante’s Inferno, G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Mass Effect 2, The Saboteur, MySims Agents, Need For Speed NITRO, Need for Speed SHIFT, Spore Hero, Spore Hero Arena, The Sims 3, Battlefield 1943, and Littlest Pet Shop Online.

EA Sports will be showcasing EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis, FIFA 10, Madden NFL 10, NCAA Football 10, NHL 10, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10, and Fight Night Round 4. EA Mobile will be showing off FIFA 10, The Sims 3, Mass Effect Galaxy, G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Command & Conquer Red Alert, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR.

EA’s entire portfolio will be on display at booth (#1501) at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Those that are not at the show will want to check out www.ea.com/e3.

Bad Company 2, 1943 Revealed

A double dose of Battlefield news from Electronic Arts and DICE today: a sequel to Bad Company and a multiplayer-only Battlefield are on the way. DICE announced Bad Company 2, the follow-up to the first story driven Battlefield game that followed the antics of B Company as they tried to get out of the hot zone while trying to make a buck or two.

The new game promises more destruction and vehicular combat in addition to the run-and-gun missions the first game offered. My hope is that DICE has learned some hard lessons from last year’s game; better squad AI that, enemy AI that doesn’t put a bullseye on the player’s head and destructible terrain that offers full scale destruction. I have faith that DICE is ready to “bring it” this winter when the game is released.

Prior to that release DICE will give players the multiplayer only Battlefield 1943. Fans of the very first game in the series will no doubt be delighted with a return to the series’ roots. Using the same Frostbite game engine as Bad Company 2, Battlefield 1943 brings players back to World War II for some team-based action as either the Axis or Allied Forces in such locations as Wake Island, Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima - fighting by land, sea, and air using a variety of vehicles and familiar classes.

Anyone attending the New York Comic-con this weekend will be able to get a first look at Battlefield 1943 by visiting Booth #1441.