Familiar ‘Battlefield 4: Second Assault’ DLC Maps Confirmed

It’s been two years since the release of Battlefield 3 and its successor is now available for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, with next-gen consoles versions releasing in the coming weeks. We played through what we believe to be the quintessential version of Battlefield 4 (the PC edition) for our review, praising it for adding improvements to core gameplay elements, but faulting it for its lack of modes, maps, absent features and bugs.

Playing through the BF4 story campaign we experienced frequent game-crashing errors and the occasional in-game glitch. The multiplayer component wasn’t immune to this either and the Battlelog browser system required to play the game had its fair share of errors as well but developer DICE is working away, restoring features and keeping the community informed.

On the official Battlefield 4 forums a thread has been created and updated daily to list bugs as they are discovered, reported and then fixed. The issues, while frustrating for players who invested in the game, are similar to the launch woes Battlefield 3 faced when it first released. That game practically released in a beta state.

While lacking on the co-op front, not including bots and having less modes and maps than BF3 does currently (thanks to multiple DLC expansions), there’s plenty of Battlefield 4 content in the pipeline and Premium subscribers get it all, beginning with ‘China Rising’ on December 3rd which adds four (massive) maps, new vehicles and more gadgets.

The second of the five DLC packs planned (and the only other one that’s been detailed) is called ‘Second Assault’ and as its name indicates, it offers a return to locations previously seen in the series. According to IncGamers, the following maps will make a return, first on the Xbox One as a timed exclusive alongside the console launch on November 22nd. The word came from DICE at the Europe vs USA showdown event.

Caspian Border
Operation Metro
Gulf of Oman
Operation Firestorm

The selected locations are pretty close to what Core Gameplay Designer Alan Kertz hinted at this summer. Grand Bazaar and Strike at Karkand, which were popular among fan polls, clearly didn’t make the cut.

How the maps will be upgraded with the Frostbite 3 engine and what sort of “Levolution” features they may include remains to be seen but what we can say is that Caspian Border and Operation Metro are some of the best maps of the last game and bringing them back is a good thing. We don’t yet know when they will be available on the other platforms. The remaining three DLC expansions include Naval Strike (spring 2014), Dragon’s Teeth (summer 2014), and Final Stand (summer 2014).

If you are playing Battlefield 4 but haven’t witnessed the Levolution events on all of the maps, or simply don’t know how they function, the video up top byLevelCapGaming does a great job of showcasing each.

Battlefield 4 is now available for PC, PS3 & Xbox 360 platforms. PlayStation 4 & Xbox One iterations will launch just prior to their respective consoles. Game Rant reviewed the PC version of the game.

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‘Battlefield 4′ Multiplayer Launch Trailer; Release Day Bugs & Crashes Detailed

With Battlefield 4 launching in the US just yesterday, many are already noodling away in the arenas that DICE has created. While reviews found the single player less-than-essential, the game is being lauded for its vast anddestructible multiplayer landscapes. Using the new ‘Levelution’ element, many have found the kinds of cinematic events that are usually reserved for single player embedded into the multiplayer experience. Be it a massive ship flying on shore in the middle of a game or floodgates collapsing to transform a map into an aquatic arena, ‘Levelution’ and destructibility are creating dynamic battlefields for competitive military heads to annihilate.

To celebrate the launch of the game’s multiplayer, a new trailer has dropped today showing off some of the fun you can have with your friends. That includes, but is not limited to, riding a quadbike up a lift, driving through a group of enemies and ramping off the building as it collapses to then hit a helicopter on the way down.

Although, before you get too excited and carried away, just be sure to know that it won’t all be quadbikes off of buildings and air-fights in a neon city. Many have reported bugs with the experience, with a rather huge range of issues plaguing select gamers. Problems range from crashes in singleplayer and multiplayer, graphics and audio bugs as well as multiple issues with the game’s social service Battlelog. When talking to Reddit, Battlelog engineer JB Riley confirmed that server queues had been disabled because it was “a bit buggy,” thus making it harder for gamers to get into full matches.

DICE is on the trail of fixing these problems as a patch has already been issued to try to alleviate problems. For those who are a part of the PC master race, you are reminded to update graphic card drivers for optimum performance. As we have seen countless times over the last few months, and with brand new fears about the Xbox One’s launch, video game companies are struggling more and more to deal with releases without extensive problems. Day one patches are no longer the exception but the norm, which is all apart of the extended reliance on servers and online services. Whether that is a reasonable compromise for the connected abilities available to gamers in the modern day is up to each individual.

Are you willing to deal with launch issues or do you find them unacceptable? How are you enjoying Battlefield 4? Have you experienced any issues online yet? There is a Reddit thread reporting and offering help with bugs for those who want some quick answers.

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‘Battlefield 4′ Review Roundup: Stale Campaign & Magnificent Multiplayer

Firing off the latest salvo in EA’s incessant quest to top Call of Duty, Battlefield 4 arrives this October looking every bit the uncrowned King of the mountain. Bursting with brand-new content, from customizable kit to multiplayer mode sets, and wholesale single-player paradigm shifts (hint – they’re taking it really seriously this time out), can DICE’s cross-generational gamble translate into a top tier current-gen experience?

Thus far, the general consensus on Battlefield 4 appears to be one of a lackluster campaign, buffeted by an unsurprisingly rich and involving multiplayer suite.

For a more in-depth appraisal of the game, check out these choice reviews – and check back soon for Game Rant’s official review:

NOTE: While many reviewers played both the current and next-gen editions ofBattlefield 4, the opinions included below largely refer to the former category. Where differences do exist between these iterations, most relate to issues of frame rate, and multiplayer match sizing.

IGN (Mitch Dyer):


“The current-gen version of Battlefield 4 isn’t the ideal way to play, but it isn’t damaged or deficient despite its limitations. [BF4 is] still a great multiplayer shooter that makes the most of its ambitions. […] The campaign, on the other hand is a disappointing, but functioning and familiar game with overwhelming action and remarkable spectacle.”

Score: 8/10

-

Official Xbox Magazine (Taylor Cocke):


“multiplayer excellence can’t completely compensate for a misguided and rote single-player campaign, which makes BF4 an unsatisfying choice for those looking for the total package. Even so, its online offerings remain impressive”

Score: 8/10

-

EGM (Josh Harmon):


“EA and DICE clearly want to put multiplayer front and center here—and rightfully so. Without question, that main attraction proves itself a worthwhile endeavor, strong enough to almost completely overshadow the lackluster single-player offering. […] this is Battlefield doing what it does best, better than ever before.”

Score: 8.5/10

-

Polygon (Arthur Gies):


“DICE has failed once again to make Battlefield 4 a serious single-player contender. But its emphasis on ambitious, team-based multiplayer does wonders to wash the taste of that failure away. Battlefield 4 takes the elements that have made each instalment work and glues them together successfully — even if some rough edges show here or there.”

Score: 7.5/10

-

Joystiq (David Hinkle):


“Battlefield 4 successfully piles more content onto its excellent multiplayer while adding just a hint of innovation through Commander mode and Field Upgrades. The single-player campaign, while suffering from a dearth of checkpoints in some missions, does a good job of entertaining throughout its brief conflict, trading in the abysmal dreck that was Battlefield 3‘s story for high-energy spectacle.”

Score: 4.5/5

-

Gamespot (Chris Watters):


“The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions still deliver solid visuals and exciting online play, but with matches limited to 24 players at the most, current gen already feels like last gen. Texture pop-in delays are much more noticeable in the PS3 version, making it the least appealing of the bunch. Regardless of platform, Battlefield 4 multiplayer is a blast and definitely the best reason to return to this hallowed franchise or dive in for the first time. Though the campaign makes strides in the right direction, it remains a sideshow to the main event.”

Score: 8/10

-

Eurogamer (Dan Whitehead):


“games like Destiny and Titanfall will be pioneering the future of always-online play, where story, co-op and competitive play all overlap, while a seminal series like Battlefield is stretched thin across generations. Consider this the last gasp of the old multiplayer model then. It’s a fine swansong, especially when played on the most powerful platforms, and in particular if you treat the campaign as a free bonus feature.”

Score: 8/10

-

Videogamer (David Scammell):


“visual concessions made during multiplayer and [the] occasional bug smack of an engine cracking under pressure, but the top-drawer gameplay makes Battlefield 4 a deeply enjoyable title regardless of platform. As one of the best multiplayer games available on 360 and PS3, DICE’s shooter offers a delightfully destructive send-off to the current-generation.”

Score: 9/10

-

GamesRadar (Andy Hartup):


” As a package, this is the best Battlefield ever created. While the single-player is far from perfect, it bottles enough multiplayer lightning to garner my rather faint praise of ‘worth a quick play through’. As ever, though, it’s online where BF4 shines brightest.”

Score: 4.5/5

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Battlefield 4 is now available for PC, PS3 & Xbox 360 platforms (and November 1st throughout Europe). PlayStation 4 & Xbox One iterations will launch just prior to their respective consoles, later this year.

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New ‘Battlefield 4′ Story & Multiplayer Trailers Show Off Impressive Footage

With exactly a week to go, the battle for the crown of modern military FPS is about to kick off once again. This year is looking like it could be the most fiercely contested as Call of Duty has been trending down (slightly) in recent iterations, while EA is desperate for Battlefield 4 to take the top spot that Activision has occupied since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Marketing has been kicking into full gear of late, with Battlefield 4 just recently getting an ad campaign focused on fan reaction to the multiplayer experience. The online-focused features have been a massive part of Battlefield‘s surge, focusing on the game’s “Levolution” mechanic that in theory make for cinematic scripted-like moments but all within the randomness of online matchmaking.
This new trailer is much the same but only, ironically, more scripted. Watch as a man makes heavy work of getting around wide open spaces while reciting a monologue about the game’s awesomeness.

The marketing push for the Battlefield 3 followup, especially more recently, has been tailored almost exclusively towards the multiplayer elements. It has been a little while since fans have heard much from the story side of Battlefield 4. When the game was first announced, footage and trailers of the game’s single-player campaign were pushed out but glimpses of the story have been sparse since then. One could almost be forgiven to thinking that DICE were more focused on the multiplayer aspects of the game after mixed reactions to the game’s initial unveiling in the spring which focused squarely on the campaign. The second new Battlefield 4 trailer, giving the broadest look of the story to date, should put those ideas to rest as it features a ton of interesting content.
Also, the trailer features one of the main characters punching a German Shepard – oddly similar to fan-favorite Call of Duty hero dog Riley – in the face. You have to wonder if DICE are making some kind of statement…

Perhaps ironically, in a game that EA are positioning as a ‘CoD killer‘, most of the set pieces featured in the trailer seem to be reminiscent of classic scenes from the Call of Duty series. Sinking boats, city assaults, snowy mountaintop level and underwater sequences have all featured in Call of Duty in iconic fashion. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing if done well and indeed, the trailer has an impressive cinematic heft to it. If the final game ends up looking this good, it will at the very least be explosive eye-candy.

Also interestingly, we get a glimpse of Huang “Hanna” Shuyi, a female American soldier and squadmate who looks to be playing an important part in the story. The role of female characters in games has been a hot topic recently, especially in conjunction with this genre. Previously male dominated military shooters arestarting to become more and more inclusive with Call of Duty: Ghosts addingfemale models into multiplayer as a franchise first. It is encouraging to see DICE trying to tackle a female teammate in the main storyline, even if they have oddlyexcluded the possibility in multiplayer this year.

Battlefield 4 is looking like it is shaping up to be quite a fine entry into its series. Will it be enough to topple Call of Duty? That remains to be seen, but it won’t be too long until we find out. What are your predictions?

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‘Battlefield’ Producer on the Challenge of Creating Female Soldiers

Over the past couple of years, one of the most heated issues in the gaming community has been female protagonists in video games and, more specifically, why there are so few of them relative to the number of male protagonists. While RPGs like Mass Effect and Skyrim offer an option to play as either a male or a female character, in games with a fixed protagonist the writers usually default to a male character.

The issue of playable female characters is a little more complicated when it comes to modern military shooters like the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises, which are tied to a certain level of realism (okay, quite loosely tied). Though a number of countries – including Canada, France, Israel and Sweden – already allow female soldiers in front-line infantry roles, the ban on women in combat was only lifted in the US earlier this year, and in the UK armed forces women are still prohibited from front-line combat. This means that the decision of whether or not to include female soldiers in Call of Duty or Battlefield would inevitably mean engaging, however reluctantly, in a much wider debate.

Nonetheless, Battlefield‘s executive producer Patrick Bach recently told OXM that DICE has already begun talking about the possibility of introducing female soldiers to the Battlefield multiplayer experience. Much like the real-life question of whether or not to allow female soldiers to enter the front lines of combat, Bach said that adding women to the Battlefield franchise would apparently be a big step – both financially and artistically:

“We don’t know when we can do that. We have been talking about it quite a lot. We’ve been looking at how much it’s worth, compared to how much we’d have to sacrifice.”

“It’s quite complicated, It’s not just [creating] the actual character models, it’s all the voice-over work. We have hundreds of thousands of lines that would need to be duplicated, because even now we’re cheating quite a lot – we have random male voices, and then you have to multiply that by two. If we do it, we’ll do it right, not just to tick a box or something.”

DICE’s discussions about adding female characters into Battlefield have almost certainly been spurred on by the announcement that Call of Duty: Ghosts, the direct competitor to Battlefield 4, will include the option of playing as a female soldier in multiplayer. Infinity Ward had already made movements towards including more integral female characters in previous Call of Duty games; for example, in the singleplayer campaign of Call of Duty: Black Ops II it’s possible to play as hacker Chloe “Karma” Lynch for a brief stretch of one of the Strike Force missions, and the game also features a female President of the United States.

A female soldier in ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’

Call of Duty: Ghosts does have one advantage over Battlefield 4 in this regard, since it’s set in the future and is therefore a vision of what the armed forces might be like in another decade or so, as opposed to a depiction of what they’re like now. Infinity Ward overcame one of the chief concerns of adding female soldiers into a multiplayer setting by making the hitbox sizes for soldiers of both gender the same, so players can’t just pick a female avatar for the sake of making themselves a smaller target. As an FPS fan who’s used to just accepting male avatars for lack of any other option, being allowed to pick my own gender in multiplayer definitely makes Call of Duty: Ghosts look a lot more interesting.

The sentiment behind Bach’s caution is understandable, though it’s pretty bizarre for him to describe adding in more character options as a “sacrifice” instead of as an extra expense that may or may not pay off. It’s also worth noting that most of his answer consisted of coming up with reasons why DICE would have difficulty adding female soldiers into the games, and that he gave very little indication that it’s something the studio is keen to explore, so don’t be surprised if Battlefieldremains a boys’ club for the time being.

Tell us in the comments if you’d like the option to play as a female soldier in futureBattlefield games, and how DICE could go about “doing it right.”

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DICE Addresses ‘Battlefield 4′ Beta Performance Issues

While, in recent years, beta tests have been seen more as an early demo more so than anything else, there are still some behind-the-scenes metrics being calculated by the developers regardless. Case in point: Battlefield 4, which just recently concluded its private and open multiplayer betas.

With the beta now behind us, and less than a month until Battlefield 4 hits store shelves, DICE is hard at work implementing a ton of fixes for their multiplayer experience. They’ve even provided a handy list of the problems gamers were reporting in the Battlefield 4 beta, and how they plan to address to them.

Overall, it seems like the Battlefield 4 beta was quite the success for both PC and console gamers, as there are plenty of fixes in the pipeline. Some of the more important issues that DICE is reportedly addressing for the retail release include server connection problems, frame rate hiccups on the PC, and tons of general changes to gameplay.

Check out the full list of improvements below:


Low frame rate/stuttering
PC players may have experienced trouble in the Beta getting the game running at a good frame rate. Rest assured that we’re using the information we received to optimize the performance for the launch of the game. We also released three game client updates and a number of game server updates during the Beta to address some of these issues and to gather more information to ensure a smoother launch.

Stuck on loading screen
We have identified some of the reasons why players, mainly on PC, were getting stuck on the loading screen and are currently working around the clock to decrease the rate at which this occurs. The latest PC patch for the Beta helped for some players and we are confident we will be able to minimize this issue for launch.

High CPU usage during the Beta
CPU usage could sometimes skyrocket for dual, quad and six-core processors. We identified some of the reasons and released three patches with fixes that went live during the Beta, to address the problems. This was a true Beta, and as such all the crash reports that were generated during this period will actually help us make a better game.

Controller layouts (X360/PS3)
We’ve increased the available controller options in Battlefield 4, including the new controller layout and multiple alternatives that we hope will make you feel right at home. If you’re more comfortable with the controls from Battlefield 3, we’ve got you covered. Just by bringing up the options menu, you can choose the “Veteran” layout, which is similar to that in Battlefield 3.

Empty server listings (X360/PS3)
While in the Server Browser you may have seen lists of empty servers. By changing the filter options, you’ll be able to find populated servers that you can join. You can also use the “Quick Match” function to quickly get into the action.

The elevator catapult (All platforms)
Although an interesting concept, elevators were never designed to act as a catapult or teleporter. The bug where the elevator button would catapult you up into the air is fixed for the final game. But we did enjoy all the crazy videos you’ve posted. Thanks!

Gameplay balancing
We are still balancing gameplay, and in true DICE fashion will continue to do so well after the release of Battlefield 4. Below are just some of the gameplay changes based on your feedback that we’re making in time for the launch of the game.

Infantry Changes
-Fixed how the player only receives a single local damage sound effect if he or she was the victim of a quick, clean kill. The sound and camera impact effect had too long a cool down between hits. This should improve the responsiveness of being killed and taking damage.

-Reduced the fire rate of the AK12 in burst from 1000rpm to 750rpm. The rate of fire was too high when combined with the low recoil of the weapon, making it more powerful than intended in burst mode.

-Tweaked the compensator and muzzle brake so they’re properly less accurate in sustained automatic fire.

-Reduced and rebalanced full auto accuracy based on rate of fire for all automatic weapons to balance low ROF weapons. Low ROF weapons were remaining accurate long enough to get easy kills outside of their intended optimal range.

-Increased the default throw distance of the portable ammo and med packs. This makes it easier to throw these packs to teammates.

-Portable ammo packs now reload 2 magazines of bullets instantly and up a total of 4 magazines per pack over time. The player must stay on top of the ammo pack in order to benefit from all of the ammo reloading. Grenades, RPGs, and other explosive launchers do not benefit from the instant reload function of the Ammo Pack.

-Increased the muzzle flash of the 25mm and 40mm launchers to make their threat position more visible.

-Fixed an issue where the knife stab didn’t align with the kill event.

-The revive time has been increased from 7s to 10s.

Vehicle Changes
-Fixed some descriptions of weapons for vehicles that incorrectly described the function of the weapon.

-Increased the damage of the Stinger and IGLA to 3 hits to kill attack choppers (was 25%, now 35%).

-Increased the speed of all TOW guided missiles to 75m/s from 50m/s so they can catch-up to fast vehicles like the Quad bike.

-Increased the sustained fire accuracy of the Coaxial LMG on armored vehicles because it was underpowered.

-Reduced the damage the 40mm and 25mm infantry weapons do to armored vehicles to highlight their anti-infantry role.

-Reduced the damage main gun on the IFVs against other armor to highlight their primarily anti-infantry role.

-Fixed an issue where the tank main gun did not correctly hit the center of the crosshair at all times.

-Multiple options are now available for controlling how your vehicles steer with a joystick on all platforms, as well as improved the responsiveness of steering while accelerating.

Locking Weapon Changes
-RPG7 and SMAW can no longer lock on to Laser Designated Targets. It was inauthentic and not balanced.

-Fixed some projectiles not warning vehicles when they were fired on a Laser Designated target. Reduced the lock on distance for MBT LAW missiles to 350m from 500m. This gives the IGLA the clear long range AA role for soldiers, and keeps the team play element of Laser Designation.

-All Laser Designated missiles now do a maximum of 90% damage to Attack and Scout helicopters (down from 100%). This was done to give helicopters a chance to use their Fire Extinguisher countermeasure even against Laser Designated weapons.

General Changes
-The kill string in the score log now appears sooner, making the UI more responsive to a kill event.

-The aim assist on X360/PS3 has been tweaked to be more consistent at all ranges. The assist was over powerful at close range, and not powerful enough at medium range. Players should now find that close combat requires much more player input and the snap to a target is far less forgiving. At medium range the player should experience a bit more assistance tracking targets, but generally still reduced aim assist effectiveness.

PC Specific Changes
-Fixed a string in On Foot PC key bindings that should have read “CROUCH (TOGGLE) / PRONE (HOLD)”.

-Removed an unused “Underslung” key binding on PC, the “Select Gadget 1″ key binding now controls both of these actions as expected.

Although DICE claims that Battlefield 4 will correct many of the mistakesgamers reported with its predecessor, our experience with the multiplayer, albeit in a limited capacity, left us a little disappointed. The gameplay is solid, sure, but there is an overwhelming sense that DICE hasn’t improved the multiplayer enough to justify this sequel. It’s a similar complaint that is waged against Battlefield‘s biggest competitor, Call of Duty, but one that feels surprisingly applicable here as well.

Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of appeal contained within the Battlefield franchise, enough to make this fourth numbered iteration worth checking out, preferably on next-gen consoles or the PC. And more importantly, we’ll be able to see how these fixes change, or don’t change, the multiplayer very soon.

Which issues from the Battlefield 4 beta are you most pleased to see DICE will be fixing? Are there any problems you experienced in the beta that they don’t seem to be addressing?

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‘Battlefield 4′ Beta: DICE Lists Known Issues, Investigating Crashing

Yesterday was supposed to be a good day for video games, with both Grand Theft Auto Online and the Battlefield 4 beta going live for gamers to enjoy. Unfortunately, as both experiences require a pretty substantial server backing – one to support a large group of fans – their launches did not go over so well.

While we’ve already detailed gamers’ struggles with Grand Theft Auto Online, theBattlefield 4 server crashes have been just as prevalent. And today, EA and DICE have posted a list of known problems and promised gamers they are working to fix them.

In addition to server connection problems, Battlefield 4 beta participants have been reporting a wide variety of in-game issues from the hit indicator disappearing when firing at enemies to stats not registering on Battlelog. Rest assured, though, that many of the more prominent problems are being worked on.

But, if there are any problems not on the “Known Issues” list below, make sure to let EA and DICE know.


General:

- Stats Delay: We are aware that some of you may experience delays with your BF4 beta stats updating. Please note that the stats can take up to an hour to reflect properly in game or on Battlelog. This will mean that if you unlock a certain weapon or attachment it can take up to 1 hour before it will become available for play.

PC:

- We have received reports of Freezes and Crashes affecting the BF4 Beta client. Our team is currently investigating this matter and we will update you here as soon as we know more.

If you are affected by a Freeze or a Crash upon joining a game, and the error message “BF4 Beta has stopped working” appears, please make sure your Windows is fully updated and your Graphic card is running on its latest driver. Alternatively, some players using GeForce drivers were able to fix this by downgrading their driver to an earlier version.

- We received report of unusually low performances, and are currently looking into that as well.
- Please note that the Battlefield 4 Beta does not support Win32 and 32 Bit operating systems.
- Video settings may not be saved after rebooting the game.
- The tooltip “E” to enter the Venom is visible at a 400 meter distance.
- Punkbuster Crashing

Xbox360:

- Player stats in Battledash may not match the stats displayed on Battlelog.
- You may experience an 8 seconds non-interactive pause, when leaving a Multiplayer session or after pressing Start when booting the game.
- You may be floating if you jump on the bollards.
- Cruise Missiles may not destroy any vehicle dropped by Vehicle Drop.
- The requirements for unlock criteria may not be displayed.
- Two flag icons may appear overlapping on each other at each flag point.
- The first attachment of any weapon that is not unlocked, will be the only attachment shown for the first unlocked weapon.

(PS3 and Xbox360)

- If you’re disconnected from the EA Servers, the Main Menu tiles remains fixed in the front end.

PS3:

- When you choose to quit during the EOR, you may be able to see “underworld” for 1 second.
- The camera transition before the EOR screen is under water.
- If you destroy an enemy tank near the Flag A, it may triggers the map’s Mini-Levolution event.
- If you quit from the XMB™ menu after the “Press Start” screen, you may experience a forced shutdown.
- The background screen for the losing team during EOR, is placed “under the game world” for Domination and Obliteration game modes.
- The Hit Indicator is not present when shooting at enemies.

- The EOD Bot can’t arm or disarm MCOMs on Rush mode.
- If you disconnect and reconnect your Ethernet cable while playing, the Game may remain in an endless loading loop.
- You may not be able to perform a knife takedown on an enemy using the TAW Launcher.
- If you sign out from PSN while loading into a MultiPlayer server, you may experience an infinite loading screen.
- In the Soldier Progression menu, you may be able to see upcoming vehicle unlocks that will not be available in the Beta.
- You may be able to see several Medals, Ribbons, and Dog Tags in the “My Soldier” menu.

Those that have been able to log into Battlefield 4‘s beta have access to the Siege of Shangai multiplayer map and two different modes: Conquest and Domination. Most Battlefield fans will be familiar with the Shangai multiplayer map, as it is the major showpiece for DICE’s new “Levolution” concept. Levolution, for those that don’t know, is the term used to describing the changing landscape inBattlefield 4 (i.e. crumbling walls, collapsed bridges, falling buildings).

In our multiplayer preview of the game, we were greatly impressed by the amount of detail packed into the map, and, of course, spent the majority of the match trying to take down the large central building.

While EA does say they are looking into the issues listed above, they have not provided a timeline for when a beta update might go live. Aside from the login problems, though, these issues are fairly minor, and don’t necessarily impact gameplay. But rest assured we will keep you posted when a beta update does go live.

Have you encountered any problems in the Battlefield 4 beta? What do you think of DICE’s offering?

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Every ‘Battlefield 4′ Multiplayer Mode Revealed

Digital conflict is a business, and right now business is booming. With the next generation of home consoles slated to appear on retail racks later this year, all-out virtual warfare is already guaranteed for 2013. Like GTA 5‘s Merriweather mercs,Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts aren’t so much concerned with picking sides in the upcoming scuffle as they are with decimating all opposition, including each other.

Long-serving Battlefield developers DICE will firmly believe that their advantage lies in the multiplayer arena. Shoring up their flagship series’ online suite are 7 new-and-improved multiplayer modes announced ahead of the game’s open beta testing period, which begins on October 4th 2013 (BF4 Deluxe Edition, BF3Premium & MOH: Warfighter Special Edition owners receive exclusive early access to the Beta on October 1st).

All modes are set to make use of the same 10 maps, with many also receiving a default time limit, (with overtime being employed to decide tied games). The modes include:

Conquest (Included in the Battlefield 4 Beta tests)
The vanilla Battlefield experience. Utilize all manner of vehicles, or roll out on foot in order to achieve total control.
Killing enemies depletes their respawn numbers, capturing flags further reduces their stock of return-to-play ‘tickets’
24 players on current-gen
64 players on next-gen
Optional Commander Mode play

Domination (Included in the Battlefield 4 Beta tests)
Battlefield 3‘s addition to the mix: an infantry-only variant on Conquest, with more closely-packed control points for tighter pacing
Fewer tickets, faster flag capture
20 players on all platforms
No Commander Mode play

Obliteration (New to Battlefield)
Battlefield’s latest take on ‘Bomb the base,’ players pursue a randomly dropped bomb and attempt to plant it in each of their opposition’s 3 strongholds, while defending their own.
Frenetic, furiously-shifting action likened to a game of gridiron by DICE
24 players on current-gen
32 players on next-gen
Optional Commander Mode play

Defuse (New to Battlefield)
Single life, single revival ‘hardcore mode,’ designed with the Battlefield elite in mind
Destroy all enemies or arm a military objective to win
10 players on all platforms
No Commander Mode play

Team Deathmatch
Classic killfest mode. First to reach a set number of enemy fatalities wins
20 players on all platforms
No Commander Mode play

Rush
Classic Battlefield Offence vs. Defence variant
Attackers must dislodge defenders from 6 sites (2 at a time) before their respawn ‘tickets’ run out
24 players on current-gen
32 players on next-gen
Optional Commander Mode play

Squad Deathmatch
Four squads of five battle it out to claim the most kills
20 players on all platforms
No Commander Mode play

While fans of the franchise will certainly appreciate the plethora of improved game types on offer, no one mode in particular sticks out as being all that conceptually interesting or unique. What will likely set the game’s multiplayer suite apart is the interplay of other bolder elements; features such as the Commander Mode & enhanced customization options being overlaid onto an already top-notch fragfest.

Which Battlefield 4 multiplayer mode are you the most excited to play? Will the series rule the next-gen shooter roost, or take up second spot behind Call of Duty? Where will the franchise head next: back to the future, the past or remain right here in the present? Have your say in the comments below and be sure to check out Game Rant’s rundown of all of the latest Battlefield 4 news right here.

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EA Boss Won’t Give Up Until ‘Battlefield’ Surpasses ‘Call of Duty’; Xbox One Kinect Features Teased

Battlefield and Call of Duty have long been competing for critical acclaim and higher sales numbers, with Call of Duty coming out on top in all their match ups so far where sales are concerned. This year will see the two behemoths of the modern military shooter genre go at it again with the release of Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefield 4.

EA has gone on the record as saying that they embrace the competition that Activision provides witht the Call of Duty franchise, explaining that it’s great for the market, driving all parties involved to push themselves in order to best their rivals.

Speaking to MCV, EA Games boss Patrick Soderlund reiterated that point, saying that he welcomes Call of Duty‘s successes, before going on to make a more open threat to Activision that he is after their prized stallion’s head.


“Maybe they weren’t thinking about us much when we made Battlefield 3, but I can tell you, they are thinking about us now. They need too. We made a dent in the FPS market and we took share from them. And I am not going to give up until I’m No.1 and I am going to make sure I’m No.1.”

According to Game Rant’s very own poll, it looks as if Battlefield could be set to make good on that claim. After over 3,400 votes, 45% of gamers said that they will be buying Battlefield 4, while only 10% said that they will be picking up Call of Duty: Ghosts instead (if it came down to one or the other and not both).

EA and developer DICE are aiming to give Battlefield 4 players more features, some of which were inexplicably absent the last time around – from Commander Mode to enhanced customization of vehicles and weapons. Additional features of the Battlefield 4 experience are being revealed frequently and more could still be on the way as two new components were alluded to by the game’s Executive Producer Patrick Bach in a Xbox Wire Q&A. He said that on top of all the other new features currently announced for the game, DICE are looking to integrate voice commands and head tracking into the gameplay.


“Also, with Kinect, we’re looking into features that enhance the controls including peeking and leaning and tracking head movement as well as incorporating voice commands.”

There is a fine line between enhancing an experience and creating an under-realized gimmick, a problem many triple-A games embracing Kinect as a marketing point suffered from on the Xbox 360.

If the developers can figure out a way to make all of these features like voice commands, head tracking, dual screens and all the other components come together and work without a hitch, they could have a much more immersive and rich experience to offer. If not, they could just have a lot of distractions and annoyances getting in the way of BF4′s core gameplay. It’s a house of cards that the Battlefield franchise is building, one that could be great or one that could topple over if not built right and the added features don’t work well.

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‘Battlefield 4′ Weapon Customization Detailed; PC Requirements Revealed

With only a few weeks until the Fall season is upon us, many publishers and developers are trying to make sure gamers know any and everything that’s new and exciting about their forthcoming games. DICE, for example, wants to ensure that Battlefield 4 fans know how they will be taking their beloved multiplayer experience to the next level.

While they have already detailed Battlefield 4‘s new vehicle test range,multiplayer kits & upgrades, as well as the second-screen experience, this latest reveal digs deeper into multiplayer customization. Specifically, DICE wants to show gamers how they will be able to customize their weapons to fit their own unique play style.

Of course, weapon customization starts with accessories – and Battlefield 4  has a ton of them, more than triple the amount featured in Battlefield 3. On top of that, DICE has increased the number of slots available for accessories, allowing players to mix-and-match their single weapon in more than 240,000 different ways.

DICE has also included a very important rundown of each accessories’ performance stats, so players can know how exactly a specific item will benefit their play. If a player is looking for an accessory or weapon with better hip fire accuracy over range, then these stats will help them find the best one.

While a lot of the bigger improvements with weapon customization appear to be focused towards the short range players, DICE has also added something very important for snipers: the ability to “zero” their rifle. Zeroing a scope as a sniper means calibrating the scope based on the way a bullet loses trajectory over greater distances. By doing this, players that favor hanging back can take out their targets with greater certainty.

And finally, although it doesn’t it fit into the weapon customization department, DICE has also detailed Battlefield 4‘s new “Battle Pickups.” Battle Pickups are weapons strategically placed around a map that provide an advantage to any players that come across them. For example, the Paracel Storm map in BF4 has a .50 cal sniper rifle that is said to pack a punch.

Overall, what DICE is bringing to the table as a far as weapon customization sounds as deep as fans could hope for. Whether or not the minute differences between accessories will be enough to provide an advantage online is unclear, but 240,000 options per weapon almost sounds overwhelming.

Where things might get a bit more contentious is with the Battle Pickups. As most Battlefield fans can attest, the scramble for vehicles can occasionally ruin a multiplayer match. So, if yet another advantage is thrown into each map, it’s hard to imagine there won’t be yet another thing for players to run frantically towards, not caring if they team kill along the way.

In other Battlefield 4 news, DICE has revealed the minimum and recommended PC specs for the game so that players can plan out their last minute RAM or graphics card purchases before the game hits in October. Check them out below to see just how powerful a rig you will need to run the game:

While many gamers will get by with their current PCs no problem, if they want to run the game at recommended settings it sounds like Battlefield 4 might be a bit more demanding. DICE claims that the game is still best experienced on the PC, so those thinking about upgrading might want to take the leap. Or you can pick up a PS4 or Xbox One, as those consoles will have optimized versions of Battlefield 4 available.

What do you think about the weapon customization options DICE is adding forBattlefield 4? Will your PC meet the recommended specs for the game?

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‘Battlefield 4′ Lets Players Test Drive Vehicles Before Hopping into Multiplayer

If only one reason was needed to start salivating over next-generation gaming,Battlefield 4 just might be it. Featuring multiplayer games with up to 64 players on a map at 60fps, with maps built on the new Frostbite 3 engine and the ability to compete with other players on either a local or a global scale using the Battlelog, DICE is bringing a lot to the modern military FPS table, and pretty much all of it looks tasty.

Players who enjoyed taking command of vehicles in Battlefield 3, whether airborne jets and helicopters or more down-to-earth equipment like APCs and tanks, jumping straight into the vehicles available in Battlefield 4 will probably come quite easily. For those who haven’t played other games in the series, or have avoided vehicle combat so far, the prospect of taking command of a vehicle mid-combat might feel like something to shy away from.

This is where some good news comes in. For players who aren’t yet feeling too confident about the vehicles in Battlefield 4 and who want to take them out for a test drive before getting into a situation where their teammates’ lives depend on good driving or flying, DICE is offering a solution. In a community Q&A session hosted by IGN, creative director Lars Gustavsson was asked if there would be a tutorial or training for players who found the prospect of flying helicopters or jets daunting. Gustavsson replied:

“We’ve definitely heard that people are afraid of getting in there [and using vehicles like helicopters] and that’s not our intent, so what we’ve done is, we’ve added a test range, which allows you to try out all the hardware ahead of time so that if you want to learn to fly a helicopter you can get in there and you can find the settings that work best for you. And then start doing some stunt flights just to feel safe before you go out and get the responsibility of a bunch of other people sitting in your helicopter, so I truly hope that this will help people feel more safe about trying out the whole battlefield.”

Battlefield 4 will boast a system called Levolution in its multiplayer maps, allowing players to change and affect the environment in real time. Knowing this, it’s clear that strategic use of the vehicles available in-game could mean the difference between a win and a loss. If you expect a Grand Theft Auto-style environment where any civilian cars can be grabbed and driven as well, though, don’t get your hopes up; DICE also confirmed in this Q&A that only military vehicles will be available.

That’s not to say that you can’t get a pimped-out ride in Battlefield 4 of course. Thanks to the newly-available vehicle customization, players can deck out their jet, helicopter, tank or jeep with team insignias or just general designs like racing stripes as a kind of war paint for our heavy metal friends.

The vehicle test range does sound like an appealing way to get comfortable jumping in and out of the driver’s seat (or pilot seat) of the vehicles in Battlefield 4, and hopefully there will be plenty of interesting stuff to blow up or steer around in this training ground to make learning all the more fun. Tell us if you can’t wait to take the Battlefield 4 vehicles for a spin, or if you prefer to have your feet on the ground and a gun in your hand, in the comments.

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EA Explains Why Second Screen Support Is Key To Their Games

At this year’s E3, it was hard to walk into a presentation of an upcoming AAA title and not hear the phrase “second screen.” Along with games incorporating extended social features to their gameplay, the ‘second screen’ mechanic looks like something that is set to craft a big presence in the next generation of gaming.

One of the biggest players in terms of incorporating dual screen gameplay was EA, announcing that both Need for Speed: Rivals and Battlefield 4 would come with downloadable applications for handheld devices which allow players to interact with their games in a whole new way.

For Battlefield 4, EA and DICE re-introduced the fan-favorite Commander Mode in a whole new way. The mode gives players with tablets, laptops and dual monitors a top down view of an in progress online game, allowing them to give orders and drop missiles onto the enemy team below from a handheld or secondary device. On top of that, the game will have extensive social media aspects, managed through the game’s ‘Battlelog‘ feature, encouraging competition between friends and other players.

To understand EA’s support and implementation of these mechanics, Polygon spoke with EA Games Label boss Patrick Söderlund, who says that social media and smart devices are changing our lives and creating a massive influx in the amount of information we consume, and gamers are a part of that cultural shift.

“The social revolution we’ve seen because of technology and services, like Facebook and Twitter and those kind of things, has changed how games are played. And will continue to have an impact on how we will design games from the get go.”

If EA’s recent announcements are anything to go by, social media aspects and second screens are a big part of their future plans. Soderlund confirmed that during the early processes of Star Wars: Battlefront, in which they promised to innovate, they are trying to get DICE to consider these aspects as central to the game’s design.

“Today, this is one of the first things our game guys design when they start looking at Star Wars: Battlefront, which is going through design right now. One of the first things we talked about is these things, that tells you it’s in the minds of the people who make the games.”

There is potential for second screen and social integration into any EA game as long as it is considerate and serves a purpose, which is something Soderlund acknowledges. He said that EA’s first few attempts at second screen integration and social features were “stupid,” but that they had learned their lessons and were now trying to achieve better player/game interaction through these feature, making sure that they are worthwhile to gameplay experiences. Citing Battlefield 4as a worthwhile example, Soderlund went on to warn:

“As people play the games we need to do a better job of providing meaningful extensions, not gimmicks. We have to make sure it actually improves the game and makes it better. Otherwise it’s useless, otherwise it becomes a gimmick, something we do because we can, which makes no sense.”

Ubisoft also is a big proponent of second screen support, builting pre-release apps for Splinter Cell Blacklist and Watch Dogs, and supporting second screen features or loadout options for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Far Cry 3. For their upcoming next-gen titles Watch Dogs, The Crew and Tom Clancy’s The Division, second screen features will evolve to become staple parts of actual gameplay.

Are you excited to extend gameplay features across a second screen and what would be the best use of it in your mind? Let us know in the comments!

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Battlefield 4 Still Better on PC; Series Won’t be Annualized

While new shooter franchises including Bungie’s Destiny and Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall drew much of the genre attention at E3 and Gamescom, it is staple modern shooter sequels Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts that will serve to transition players into the next generation of game consoles this fall.

For DICE, Battlefield 4 is more than just the next installment in the long-running franchise as it represents the first game in the series that will offer the same experience across the PC and consoles thanks to Microsoft and Sony releasing the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, respectively.

DICE executive producer Patrick Bach explains to VideoGamer that to bring Battlefield 4 to next-gen consoles at 60fps and with the same features as the PC version, there had to be some “compromises.”

“doing as much as [it] can, but we need to compromise in some places… from a CPU/GPU perspective, no, [PS4 & Xbox One cannot match PC]. PC will always be… You can just add more to a PC. There’s always more. The game supports to a big extent better hardware, but not completely, so it won’t be night and day.”

There was of course, a significant downgrade on the last generation between the PC and PS3/Xbox 360 versions of Battlefield 3 which saw a limitation on player counts on the console versions, along with view distances, which prevented players from being able to take advantage of the expansive maps DICE created.

With Battlefield 4, the same issue will persist on the PS3 and Xbox 360 but the next-gen console versions will be better able to compete with the PC, both supporting 64-player counts along with all of the features from the PC version. Bach does however, wish the next-gen consoles (along with PCs) were more powerful but does understand the need for balance when it comes to costs to consumers.

“I think the cool thing that we are extremely excited about is that you will, for the first time, get a full Battlefield experience on a console. It’s the same core, it’s the same game, it’s the same feature set, there’s nothing left out, so to speak. But there’s also the 64 players, 60FPS experience that you haven’t really seen on a console previously which will move it up a big notch and eliminate some of the gap between PC and console.

“Then it’s more of a question on graphical fidelity, graphical detail and stuff like that. But then on the other hand, [PS4 & Xbox One] have some cool features that [benefit] it being a console game. You know, how Battlelog is integrated into the game in a much better way, you have the second screen features, you have the whole friends network which is super nifty on the consoles, and stuff like that.”

The PS4 demo at Gamescom of BF4 did take some criticism for being a little less pretty than the initial game’s unveil at GDC earlier in the year but for the most part, the differences won’t be too noticeable. As for the long-term future of the franchise and its epic battle with Activision’s Call of Duty series, could BF ever become annualized like the competition? Bach doesn’t believe so.

“I think the core Battlefield idea that we’re working on at DICE is… We can’t build a game at DICE every year.”

For loyal fans, this is good news – no one wants a rushed version of the next Battlefield but it does raise an interesting question of how EA will compete for the key holiday season next fall without another Battlefield and with Medal of Honor now out of their rotation. Keep in mind, Star Wars: Battlefront (also in development at DICE) isn’t coming until summer 2015 at the earliest and Respawn’s Titanfall is releasing next spring. Could EA and DICE use BF4 as a platform to launch expansions and new content instead?

“Maybe it [could]. You’re touching upon something that we’ve actually started noticing as well. Battlefield is almost turning into a first-person shooter/vehicular combat platform where people want more things but put into the same core mechanic.

“So I don’t know. Maybe it’s a really smart thing to do; maybe it’s the completely wrong thing to do. We can see that some games are actually doing it already, like MMOs. You have some free-to-play games [that] continue on the same platform. So I think it’s more about the audience and getting all the ducks in a row, so to speak.”

Instead of running through the (monetization) motions of simply adding new maps, and a few new vehicles and weapons every few months as part of Battlefield 4Premium, why not add legitimately new and different content? Something like this:

We know, we know. But seriously. Picture E3 2014 during the EA conference a gameplay trailer with soldiers speeding on a bike, guns blazing as the camera pans to the right and T-Rex is chasing them through the buildings. Sounds like a win.

Battlefield 4 releases October 29, 2013 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. PS4 and Xbox One release dates have not been announced.

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EA: ‘Battlefield’ vs. ‘Call of Duty’ Competition ‘Good For The Industry’

For the past five years Electronic Arts has been trying to take a bite out of Activision’s stranglehold in the modern FPS market. While Call of Duty has long been the record-breaking shooter champion, EA is pushing harder than ever to compete.

President of EA Labels Frank Gibeau spoke with CVG at Gamescom about the upcoming Battlefield vs. Call of Duty rematch which just so happens to occur during a console transition.

“Look, we are absolutely going for it. It’s a competition and we feel really good about Battlefield 4…”

EA is looking to utilize its various teams to release better content year after year, not unlike Activision has done so with multiple developers working to ensure there’s a new Call of Duty every year, supported by DLC.

This battle began with Battlefield: Bad Company in 2008. BC’s sales figures were relatively low and compared to COD4’s many millions, EA barely made a dent. Since 2008, Battlefield has seen consistently seen massive jumps in sales, withBattlefield 3 representing EA’s fastest-selling title ever.

While Battlefield 3’s numbers were quite an improvement over previous titles, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 still sold more than double. Figures do show a slowdown for Call of Duty over the past two years, with some analysts claiming franchise sales have peaked and sales for Black Ops 2 dipping below that ofMW3.

With the mixed reactions from the unveil of Call of Duty: Ghosts and Infinity Ward’s questionable use of term “next-gen” when talking about specifics of their game engine (see: AI fish), EA aims to capitalize on the popularity of BF3 and the hype surrounding the Frostbite 3 engine and BF4′s visuals.

Gibeau has been in this situation before, as he experienced it during the battle of Madden vs. 2K days, and explains that this sort of competition is good for the industry and consumers. Gamers benefit by more innovation as dev teams are pushed to create new and original content. The biggest threat to this model is that Activision releases a new Call of Duty every year where EA will be forced to rely on other titles when Battlefield takes a year off.

Their triple-A shooter rotation will include Battlefield, Titanfall, and Star Wars: Battlefront. Medal of Honor has since been taken out of rotation.

“With regards to Medal of Honor, you try things in entertainment and if they don’t work you try something else. From our perspective, Battlefield 3 and Battlefield Premium continue to grow.”

EA is focusing on Battlefield to position it as their COD killer, and team at DICE have proven themselves before. With a little help from the exclusive Star Warslicense, EA may be on top of the heap sooner rather than later and they may be the best-prepared for the next-gen when it comes to FPS.

It will be interesting to see how the two series differentiate themselves from one another, and how this competition will make them both grow. Gamers may expect more variety from EA, with their collection of licenses, but that doesn’t mean COD will not reign supreme with its established fanbase and eSports support.

This fall we will see the next round of this fight as Battlefield 4 takes on Call of Duty: Ghosts.

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New ‘Battlefield 4′ Map & Mode Will Livestream During Gamescom

Since E3 in early June the gaming industry took a slight break as developers, publishers, hardware manufacturers, online servers and gamers prepare for what may be the biggest holiday season the industry has ever seen. The summer lull is over and kickstarting the road towards the next-gen consoles is Europe’s biggest gaming event: Gamescom.

We already know new exclusive IPs for PS4 and Xbox One will be unveiled during the event, along with more details on practically every high profile game confirmed for release within the next year or two, but Electronic Arts will also be using the venue to reveal something new for DICE’s highly anticipated Battlefield 4.

We’ve seen the new (read: upgraded) Frostbite 3 engine in action thanks to the initial 17-minute single-player BF3 unveil at GDC this spring, followed by an epic multiplayer presence at E3, where DICE showcased the most dynamic multiplayer environments the franchise has seen to date. Not only that, but we saw revamped Commander Mode in action along with the newly added spectator mode which (DICE hopes) will help Battlefield 4 become a future staple of the eSports arena.

Most of the Battlefield 4 multiplayer gameplay shown so far has centered around the Siege of Shanghai map, an environment where there’s not only room for boats and ground vehicles, but players can knock out the support pillars of a skyscraper and bring it crashing down.

DICE will unveil a brand new map, along with a new mode, at Gamescom and the showcase – taking place throughout the entire event – will be livestreamed. Everyone’s invited, so head to the official Facebook event for details. The livestream begins August 21 at 2:15pm until August 25 at 4:15pm in UTC+02.

With the livestream at E3 focusing on strict 64-player multiplayer, will a similar LAN be setup at Gamescom to showcase other modes (and the team play Field Upgrades system) outside of conquest or could players be taken for a spin and show something truly new, like co-op gameplay or something we’ve not seen from similar games in the past? What’s the over-under on there being dinosaurs in Battlefield 4 after a disappointing no-show in the Battlefield 3 DLC?

Your time will come, our prehistoric friend…

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These Are The Most Pre-Ordered Games Coming Later This Year

This time last year Halo 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Assassin’s Creed III were topping the video game pre-order charts, but with the range of exciting new games on the way it’s time to take a close look at which titles that are set for release over the rest of 2013 have convinced gamers to start putting down their cash early.

Pre-order bonuses for some of the games have already been announced, such as the bonus “Free Fall” map for Call of Duty: Ghosts, the Upper Echelon edition of Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and the Commander-in-Chief edition, complete with the ‘Merica Gun and Uncle Sam suit, of Saints Row IV. There are plenty of perks to be had when pre-ordering games, and we can now get an idea of which titles are currently winning in the race for pre-order sales.

CVG has released a ranking of the most pre-ordered games to come this year, based on research conducted by data analysis firm Cowen and Co., and despite the ribbing that Infinity Ward has received for putting Riley the Dog at the centre of the promotion for Call of Duty: Ghosts, the canine comrade seems to have won gamers over. Call of Duty: Ghosts is ranked in the number 1 spot with a score of 73, though Cowen analyst Doug Creutz pointed out that the next installment is still under-performing in comparison to Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

Perhaps one of the more surprising entries on the list is Ubisoft’s new vigilante hacker game Watch Dogs, which is ranked as the second most pre-ordered game of late 2013 with a score of 69.6. Though Watch Dogs does look great based on the gameplay footage so far, the IP is so far untested and it’s impressive that Ubisoft has garnered so many pre-orders for it without an existing fan base.

With that in mind, Watch Dogs is most likely in third place, not second place, since Creutz emphasizes that the list only reflects sales made since E3 2013. This means that the ranking for Grand Theft Auto V, which is in third place with a score of 58.4 but has been available for pre-order since November 2012, is likely to be very inaccurate (Cowen states that all other projections are between 96 and 97 percent accurate). Grand Theft Auto V may well turn out to have even more pre-orders than both Watch Dogs and Call of Duty: Ghosts.

Battlefield 4 is, somewhat appropriately, in fourth place on the list, and the highest PlayStation 4 exclusive, Killzone: Shadow Fall, is ranked slightly above the best-scoring Xbox One exclusive, Forza 5. Check out the list of the top 20 most pre-ordered games below to see if your most highly-anticipated game made the cut:

Call of Duty: Ghosts (73)
Watch Dogs (69.6)
Grand Theft Auto V (58.4)
Battlefield 4 (54.7)
Killzone: Shadow Fall (30.3)
Assassin’s Creed IV (29.2)
Forza 5 (18.8)
Diablo III (18.2)
Batman: Arkham Origins (17.2)
Dead Rising 3 (15.0)
Ryse (13.2)
Saints Row IV (10.1)
Knack (7.7)
Gran Turismo 6 (5.0)
Beyond: Two Souls (3.3)
Wolfenstein: The New Order (3.2)
Drive Club (3.0)
Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2.9)
The Bureau: Xcom Declassified (0.4)
South Park: The Stick of Truth (0.2)

Let us know which games you’ve pre-ordered or are planning to pre-order this year in the comments. Alternatively, if you never pre-order games then tell us what puts you off the idea.

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‘Battlefield 4′ Battlelog Trailer Encourages Global Competition in Multiplayer

Soon it will be time to enter a brand new fray in DICE’s next addition to the ever-popular multiplayer-focused Battlefield series. Battlefield 4 is launching on both current-gen and next-gen consoles, as well as on PC, and the developers have already revealed some very promising gameplay footage.

In a new Battlefield 4 trailer that showcases the revamped Battlelog, assistant producer Jesper Nielsen explains that DICE has “tried to expand the service to be super-integral to the game experience.” It’s a clever way to keep passionateBattlefield fans hooked, by encouraging them to track their stats even whilst travelling or at work (though you probably shouldn’t let your boss catch you doing it).

The appeal of some of the multiplayer game elements offered in this trailer is going to be a matter of taste and personal preferred styles of playing. The developers espouse the virtues of being able to incorporate multiple devices, such as smartphones and tablets, into the Battlefield 4 experience and to continue keeping track of friend activity and leaderboards whilst on the move. This will no doubt be a big selling point for those who are heavily into the competitive side of multiplayer gaming, but players who are planning to take a more casual approach toBattlefield 4 might not be interested in constant updates of friends killing more tanks than you, etc..

‘Battlefield 4′ on four devices

A second screen can add a lot to the gaming experience, making it easy to glance at an inventory or map seamlessly, and so another of the features promised in the Battlelog trailer is the ability to, for example, switch loadouts in real time whilst waiting for a kill screen to disappear, or strategize attacks with squad mates using the minimap.

There’s a lot of impressive innovation, but if switching between multiple devices and screens (you can apparently use your tablet, phone and laptop simultaneously as you play the game on your main console) sounds like it would be too fiddly and you prefer your gaming to be self-contained, then there’s still plenty to see inBattlefield 4, thank to the new Frostbite 3 engine. Game Rant previewed Battlefield 4 at E3 this year and found it to be “Battlefield 3 plus” in many ways, so if you loved the previous game in the series then you should definitely keep an eye on this next evolution.

Are you excited about the new ways of accessing the Battlelog and using multiple screens, or are you waiting to hear about other aspects of Battlefield 4?

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EA Goes All-Out With ‘Battlefield 4′ Launch Merchandise

After the critical and commercial success of Battlefield 3 and its subsequent expansions, it was all but guaranteed that DICE would develop another sequel eventually. Not only that, but with other developers stepping up their pre-order and special edition loot, it’s no surprise that EA is pulling no punches with the launch of its official Battlefield 4 merchandise. As the award-winning franchise update seeks to push the boundaries of immersion – evidenced by several jaw-dropping gameplay videos thus far – so too does it want to shove as many products through the pipeline as possible. The question is: is it really necessary?

Everything from novels and art books to custom console controllers and tablet cases has been conjured up to help sell the full experience. While this type of marketing is fairly commonplace for triple-A releases, EA has outdone itself with the sheer over-saturation of products like vinyl wall art, Jinx clothing, and iPhone cases. However, items like branded performance gaming peripherals are standard for Razer, who often couple up with big releases to help sell their own gear.

More interesting is Peter Grimsdale’s novel Countdown to War, detailing the events that lead up to Battlefield 4, which drops October 29th for most major consoles. Adapted material is typically hit-or-miss, but EA hopes to create a broader atmosphere with this addition to the franchise. The full list of products are below:
Orion Publishing Group Battlefield 4 novel written by Peter Grimsdale
Titan Books Battlefield 4 art book in Standard and Limited Editions
Razer performance PC gaming peripherals and accessories, including mice, keyboards, headsets, messengers bags, and iPhone® cases
PDP performance Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers
Qpad premium PC mouse mats
Jinx clothing apparel and accessories including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, key chains and dog tags
Prima Games Standard and Collection Edition strategy guides
Cook & Becker Battlefield 4 artwork
Walls360 Battlefield 4 wall graphics
BigBen Interactive mobile device and tablet cases

Ranters: what from this flood of merchandise piques your interest the most? Do you prefer to get an in-depth look into the story, or simply get your hands on a Battlefield-branded controller with which to destroy your opponents? Let us know in the comments below!

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‘Battlefield 4′ Second Assault DLC Includes Fan-Favorite ‘Battlefield 3′ Maps

At Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference, DICE announced Second Assault, a forthcoming DLC pack for Battlefield 4. Although details regarding Second Assault were, at the time, slim we did know the DLC map pack was a timed exclusive on the Xbox One.

Now, as revealed by DICE earlier this week, we know that Second Assault will feature four fan-favorite maps from Battlefield 3, recreated using Frostbite 3. DICE has yet to reveal which four Battlefield 3 maps might make an appearance in Second Assault, but they have provided a few clues.

Over on Reddit, Core Gameplay Designer Alan Kertz revealed that Operation Metro and Caspian Border are runaway favorites among Battlefield 3 fans. This leads us to believe both of those maps will make up half of the Battlefield 4 Second Assault offering.

Other maps that appear to be getting the most love in unofficial polls include Grand Bazaar and Strike at Karkand. It seems only fitting that if DICE wanted to give fans their Karkand fix, they would do so through this first DLC pack. For now, though, it appears Operation Metro and Caspian Border are the safest calls as far as DLC maps are concerned.

Caspian Border is an easy choice for fan-favorite Battlefield 3 map as it is one of the biggest maps in the Battlefield 3 selection. It was only trumped for the title of biggest map by Bandar Desert, which released with the Armored Kill DLC pack.

Operation Metro, on the other hand, is a fan-favorite likely because of its familiarity. The map was plastered over every bit of Battlefield 3 multiplayer promotional material, and was included as part of the Battlefield 3 early access beta. In other words, if you played even the tiniest bit of Battlefield 3 online, you likely encountered and will recognize Operation Metro.

And that’s one of the key draws of Second Assault, seeing how DICE is able to use Frostbite 3 to make recognizable maps that much better. That way gamers will have a solid point of comparison.

There’s currently no release date for Second Assault, but the Xbox One is targeting a November debut.

Which Battlefield 3 maps would you like to see featured in the Second Assault DLC? Which maps do you think DICE should cut from contention?

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Frostbite 3 ‘Battlefield 4′ Demo; Engine Will Remain Exclusive to EA Games

As the next generation of game consoles arrives, so too does a new generation of video game engines to make the most of them. Amongst these is the new Frostbite 3 engine from DICE, upon which Battlefield 4 and other EA titles will be built, and which will span many gaming platforms including iPad and iPhone.

To showcase the capabilities of Frostbite 3, EA has released a new tech demo featuring footage from Battlefield 4 and interviews with the developers of the engine, who detail the ways in which it “enables game designers to do way more than they’ve ever been able to do before.” For games where destruction and collateral damage are a major element, the ways in which they have enabled the player to have a tangible impact on the environments around them are particularly exciting.

Frostbite 3 isn’t the only new game engine about to enter the market, however. The tech demos that we’ve seen so far for the next iteration of Epic Games’ popular Unreal Engine 4 – including last summer’s “elemental” demo and the more recent trailer showcasing the capabilities of the engine on the PlayStation 4 – have got a lot of gamer’s mouths watering (and more than a few PC gamers saving up for the best next-gen graphics card to power it). How will Frostbite 3 fare in the competition with Unreal 4? According to one executive working on some of EA’s flagship games, it won’t be in competition at all.

Dennis Nilsson, the head of new EA studio Ghost Games and an executive producer of entries in the Need for Speed and Battlefield series, expressed pride in the new Frostbite engine, an improved variant of the Frostbite 2, when interviewed by Pocket-lint, but also made it clear that it is going to stay strictly in-house:

“It’s never going to be the Unreal Engine because we’re never going to let anyone use it… It’s EA’s engine and EA is going to start developing that. Whatever the strategies for Frostbite 3 are I can’t talk about. But I can tell you Frostbite 3, for us, is not only awesome in what it outputs on the screen, it’s also how the developers back in Gothenburg can work with it. The iteration times are faster, the Frostbite team has that much more time – not working on the toolsets as [much as] they are on the output.”

“We’ve done a shit load of work to get it to be a proper driving engine. I think if you look at the game and play the game you’ll see the results of that. Frostbite 3 is showing its muscle because we’ve tailored it into a driving engine now.”

As widely used as it is, the Unreal Engine is really the exception to the rule, as most major game developers tend to have their own in-house engine, such as Rockstar’s RAGE, id Sofware’s id Tech, Infinity Ward’s IW Engine and Ubisoft’s Anvil. In many ways, this state of affairs is vastly preferable; as great as Unreal is, it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to see all games run on the same engine, especially since individual in-house engines help to give the different studios their own unique feel. All the same, if you like the look of Frostbite 3 then you might be understandably disappointed that it will be limited only to EA titles.

Tell us if you’re impressed by what you’ve seen of Frostbite 3 so far, or whether there’s another updated engine that you’re looking forward to more, in the comments.

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