New free-to-play Battlefield incoming?

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Six recent website domain name registrations suggest that a new free-to-play Battelfield title is in the works.

DICE, the studio behind EA's FPS franchise, has snatched up ownership of BattlefieldAssault.com, Battlefieldp4f.com, 
BattlefieldPlay4free.com, Bfassault.com, Bfp4f.com and Bfplay4free.com.

That's all we've got to go on for now but we've reached out to EA to find out what these names refer to. We'll update if it decides to comment.

It wouldn't be the first time that EA has attempted a free-to-play Battlefield title. Battlefield Heroes launched on PC in 2009.

[[SCUM] Speedy]

Cool, I can actually afford this one

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EA's announced a realistic first-person free-to-play PC Battlefield game set in the modern theatre of war and designed to appear to hardcore shooter fans.

It's called Battlefield: Play4Free, and looks like a cross between Battlefield 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – indeed it employs the fourth generation of the PC engine that was used to create BF2, Battlefield 2142 and Battlefield Heroes.

Unlike the cartooney Battlefield Heroes, released last year, Play4Free is a gritty military FPS. It's created by the team behind Heroes at EA's free-to-play division at DICE, Easy Studios.

There's vehicular warfare, sandbox gameplay and 32-player battles. It combines popular maps from Battlefield 2 with familiar classes and weapons from Battlefield: Bad Company 2. It's got 16 vehicles, including the F-35 jet fighter and the Russian T-90 tank.

It also simulates the career progression of a professional soldier. Players can learn skills, buy new equipment and weapons to craft a unique soldier.

Visually, weapon models from Bad Company 2 are used. Post-processing effects like film grain, colour grading and depth of field are also included.

With Play4Free, Easy's aimed to create a fast-paced modern shooter for fans of the likes of Bad Company 2, Medal of Honor and Call of Duty.

"We're filling those other moments in the day," Easy boss Ben Cousins told Eurogamer.

"Maybe you want to play a single-player game on console. Maybe it's you and four buddies playing in a squad on console. This is more about you jumping in with 32 players, maybe playing against strangers, a bit more of an RPG experience, more of an MMO way of approaching things.

"On the surface, it looks like, why would I ever play a console title again? But there are differences and different moments there, I think."

Like Heroes, however, Play4Free will employ a micro-transaction-based business model.

"Five per cent of the audience buy stuff. 95 per cent of people never spend any money at all," Cousins explained.

"Five per cent want to customise their character, they want to look cool, they want a slightly cooler weapon, they feel they can get advantage over other players by buying stuff. Those guys fund the experience for everyone else. It's a classic free-to-play business model, which we're really comfortable with and we've got really good at now."

There will be links between Heroes, Play4Free and Battlefield 3 in the future, "to reward you for keeping in the ecosystem and jumping from game to game."

If you hit level 15 in Heroes, for example, you could unlock an exclusive item in Play4Free. If you hit a certain level in Play4Free, you could get access to special content in BF3.

Closed beta sign-ups start today, with the closed beta opening on 30th November. The game goes live into open beta early next year.

[[SCUM] McPhil]

hum...

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Just got my closed beta invite !

[[SCUM] Miginty]

jammy git, we want the scoop asap :D

[[SCUM] McPhil]

Just got my closed beta invite !

screenshots? Feedback?

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OK, i have 1 new key for the beta....it's good for 5 uses...be quick though..



Hello soldier.

Here is your chance to be part of a very exclusive event!

Discover the true meaning of large-scale, all-out war on this 2 km2 battlefield.

Use tanks, fighter Jets, choppers and more. Launch attacks from your
Aircraft Carrier and rain death upon your enemies from the skies.

Every vehicle class, from land to water to air will be needed to give your team the
decisive edge in battle and support the infantry on the ground.

Join us this Saturday, January 29 at 18:00 CET

G94T-NV5L-LQ4R-97AP

[[SCUM] Speedy]

Cool, I'm gonna have a go. Where do I download?

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sorry...

http://battlefield.play4free.com/en/

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I'll be on it tonight most probably

[[SCUM] Speedy]

Can't get it to work, typical EA piece of crap.

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little pic of it in action,
remember it's free !

[[SCUM] Reaper]

Its as good as BF2 for sure

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it's basically BF2.