A Look At The Old Republic's Player-Versus-Player Warzones

Republic and Imperial forces clash on the world of Alderaan over control of the planet's massive planetary defense cannon in this first detailed look at organized player-versus-player in BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic.

We've seen plenty of cooperative multiplayer footage from The Old Republic, but the core of the story is the conflict between the Republic and Imperial forces, and that conflict comes to a head in the game's PVP Warzones.

Warzones are objective-based arena battlegrounds where both sides struggle to complete goals and win a particular scenario. In the case of Alderaan, the two forces struggle to take control of a weapon capable of wiping out an enemy fleet. Players attempt to deplete the shields of their enemies' transport ship, forcing a retreat. Teams need to work together to control the defense system's artillery in order to get the job done and emerge victorious.

Bioware will reveal more about the Warzone experience in the near future. For now, study this video and start formulating strategies.

Warzone Video [Knights of the Old Republic]

Dragon Age Legends to be recounted on Facebook

Though Dragon Age is firmly ensconced in a medieval fantasy world, the series is in some ways more forward looking than BioWare's futuristic sci-fi role-playing game series, Mass Effect. Last year, the Electronic Arts-owned developer used Dragon Age to explore browser-based gaming with the Dragon Age Journeys spin-off. Next February, the swords-and-sorcery series will expand into more uncharted territory with a new Facebook game called Dragon Age Legends.

Not even Farmville features a world this grim and bloody.

Although Dragon Age was rated M for Mature on account of "intense violence" and "sexual content," EA is developing Legends for "Facebook users of all ages." The game will also be built around casual and social play styles commonly seen on the networking site. Players will enlist the aid of their Facebook friends to work through a storyline's worth of quests, upgrade characters, build their kingdoms, and earn exclusive unlockable items for use in Dragon Age II, which launches March 8.

While BioWare may be new to the world of Facebook gaming, EA has considerable expertise in the subject, thanks to its $275 million acquisition of Playfish last year. Playfish is best known for running Facebook hits like Pet Society, Restaurant City, and Country Story.

In other EA-Facebook news, the publisher has announced a five-year exclusive deal with the social network to streamline the microtransaction experience for customers playing EA games. As part of the deal, EA games on Facebook will only use Facebook Credits as their virtual currency of choice.

EA Announces Battlefield Play4Free

EA is launching another Battlefield-themed play-for-free service, however this one has a hard-core tone.

Friday Electronic Arts updated its Battlefield franchise portfolio with the announcement of Battlefield Play4Free, slated to hit the PC in Spring 2011. As the name indicates, the game will offer the free-to-play model while combining most of the popular maps found in Battlefield 2 with the classes and weapons of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

But unlike EA's other free-to-play online

shooter Battlefield Heroes--which offers cartoonish characters and arcade gameplay--Battlefield Play4Free will render a more realistic experience offering 32-player online battles, signature Battlefield vehicular warfare and sandbox gameplay. The game also boasts advanced graphics and polished production values.

"We broke new ground in 2009 with the launch of Battlefield Heroes; a game that has 6M registered players worldwide. Now we are complementing that arcade shooter with a core, realistic Battlefield shooter experience that fans have been clamoring for," said James Salt, Senior Producer, Battlefield Play4Free. "Battlefield Play4Free is for serious shooter fans who are looking for a premium--but free--experience that rivals top console titles."

According to EA, players will learn new combat skills and earn in-game money to spend on weapons and equipment. They'll also have access to 16 vehicles including the Mil Mi-28 attack helicopter, the F35 VTOL jet fighter, the Russian T-90 main battle tank, and the LSV light strike vehicle.

Those who want to gain early access can register for the closed beta by heading to the official site. The closed beta officially launches on November 30, just in time for the holiday break.

Battlefield Play4Free

Call of Duty: Black Ops - Your questions answered

With only a few days left until the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops we sat down and answered all of your most frequently asked questions.

Here they are.

Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer was so nearly ruined by its insane number of unbalanced killstreaks and perks. What steps are Treyarch taking to ensure history doesn't repeat itself?

The most important change is that killstreak kills no longer count towards your killstreak total.

That's a lot of 'kills' in one sentence, but the gist is that if you require seven kills to unlock an attack helicopter, you'll need to rack them up on the field.

There are plenty of perks both new and old, we notice. Any key omissions this time?

Yup - perks which alter the player's statistics, such as 'Stopping Power' and 'Painkiller', have gone out the window.

Let's draft in Multiplayer designer David Vonderhaar to explain: "We want our players to fight on an even keel as much as possible.

We don't want newcomers coming away from the game wondering why the enemy can withstand more hits than they can."

Interrrrrrresting. So they're pushing Black Ops as a 'My First Multiplayer' experience, are they?

That's right. Activision's research bods have deduced that as many as 40% of people who bought Modern Warfare 2 have never even touched its online components.

In Activision's eyes, that's a hell of a lot of players who could be splashing out on slightly overpriced DLC, but aren't.

That's why they've cooked up a new offline mode designed to steer them online: Combat Training.

Combat training? Just a wild guess, but is that Deathmatch with 'bots?

DING! That's exactly what it is. Treyarch believe that the reason many fail to enlist online is because they find the idea a wee bit intimidating.

With Combat Training, lily-livered soldiers can experience the entire glorious multiplayer package in a 'safe' online environment.

Is there any point playing Combat Training if you're an experienced answerer to the Call of Duty?

We shouldn't think so. Although it shares the same levelling-up system as the multiplayer game, the XP earned in Combat Training doesn't transfer over to multiplayer, meaning you can't grind away at it to gain an advantage online.

It also doesn't look like the 'bots will put up much of a challenge from what we've seen, but there will be three levels of difficulty to choose from, so we shall just have to see.

Right. Now tell me all about this new 'CoD Points' currency, and how it works alongside the existing XP system...

That's more of a demand than a question, but we'll answer anyway, as there's been a bit of confusion about it all.

XP still unlocks new weapons, perks and attachments as before, but you now have to manually purchase each item with your CoD Points (CP) before they become available for selection.

That sounds like a bit of an itchy ball-ache. Why do you have to do that then?

It allows Treyarch to fit a lot more content into the game than they otherwise might - if it ran with the old XP system on its jack, levelling-up would have to go up to something obscene, like level 200.

So how do I get myself some of the 'good stuff'? I'm talking CoD Points, of course.

Two different ways. You can take out a contract before a round - these are challenges that require you to play a certain way or achieve a set goal during play (finish on top of your team's leaderboard, get three kills during a Search & Destroy round, etc).

After you've got yourself some moolah, you can gamble it away in one of four Wager Matches.

You mean Wager Matches such as the 'Gun Game', where your weapon ranks up with every kill. Where do these Treyarch types get the ideas from, eh?

Er, Counter-strike mods.

Oh. But moving on: why are Wager Matches free-for-all only? And why can I only play randoms? Man, I hate random people. They're so random.

Treyarch toyed with the idea of team-based Wager Matches during development, but found that there was far too much potential for collusion between teammates.

Same deal with friends playing against each other. You only have to look at Modern Warfare 2's 'booster' phenomenon (where two players squirrel themselves away on a hard-to reach spot of a map and chalk up huge score chains between them) to see how pointlessly easy it would be for scammers to muck things up for everyone.

Cheeky eleventh question coming at you! But it's an important one. Is it possible to draw a great big penis and set it as your emblem?

It'd be a bit weird, but yes you can. The emblem editor lets you flip, scale and combine numerous different preset shapes, so with a lot of time and effort it would indeed be possible to craft yourself the penis emblem of your dreams.

It probably wouldn't last long before the online community flagged it up and you ended up on the sex register, though.

Cheeky twelfth question! Will I be able to carve the word 'KNOB' into my gun?

(Sigh) Yes. Should you wish to, you can carve your clan tag into the side of your gun, no matter how rubbish or puerile it may be.

They Held a Parade for a Videogame

There was a parade for a video game in New Orleans yesterday. For Madden NFL 11. That makes it a parade that's also a marketing stunt. Still, we are surely in the early days of video game parades. Baby steps.

Official caption for the second pic:

Former NFL players Ricky Jackson, Deuce McAllister and Mike McKenzie ride a float down Bourbon Street in the Madden Gras parade for EA Sports' Madden NFL 11 video game in New Orleans, Monday, Aug. 9, 2010. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees appears on the cover of the newest version of the game, which goes on sale Tuesday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

'Medal of Honor' Announced at E3 2010

E3 2010: Multiplayer Gameplay

Video Games | Medal of Honor (2010) | E3 2010: Multiplayer Gameplay

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

E3 2010: PS3 Diwagal Camp Trailer (Stream)

Video Games | Medal of Honor (2010) | E3 2010: PS3 Diwagal Camp Trailer (Stream)

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

E3 2010: Squad Trailer

Video Games | Medal of Honor (2010) | E3 2010: Squad Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

E3 2010: Multiplayer Walkthrough

Video Games | Medal of Honor (2010) | E3 2010: Multiplayer Walkthrough

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

EA Cocks Gun Club

courtesy of kotaku

Bang bang! Game publishers Electronic Arts is rolling out "Gun Club", a rewards program that gives players benefits for doing what they love best: shooting people.

EA brings together in-house titles like Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Medal of Honor, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam, Battlefield Heroes and Dead Space 2. The benefits include in-game unlockable content, early beta test access and more.

Benefits are kicked off starting today. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 VIPs can redeem Metal of Honor rewards that include early access to the Metal of Honor beta and early access to the Metal of Honor M24 Sniper Rifle weapon unlock.

"This program takes our games from being individual launches to being part of an ecosystem within our portfolio, while showing fans our appreciation for their loyalty. The Gun Club gives us a platform to cross-pollinate our games, dialogue directly with players and add value to the entertainment experience for fans," Jeff Karp, Senior VP of Marketing at EA, said in an official release. "Today, we are launching the Gun Club with Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Medal of Honor — two of the hottest titles coming out this year… and this is just the beginning."

Check to see if you quality for rewards at the official Gun Club site.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam Expansion Trailer

Video Games | Battlefield: Bad Company 2 | E3 2010: Debut Vietnam Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

There will be no Medal Of Honor Beta this Week Xbox 360 Owners

courtesy of kotaku

Tomorrow, select PS3 and PC owners will begin beta testing the new Medal of Honor. Xbox 360 owners, you're going to have to wait until next week. Sorry!

There's been some kind of hiccup with the 360 version of the beta, and all EA can say is that "it is expected to be available next week". Next week, incidentally (June 21) is when the open beta kicks off, so those VIP customers who were hoping for bragging rights on the 360 are straight outta luck.

To compensate, EA say the beta period will be extended.

'Battlefield: Bad Company 2' Beginner's Guide (a.k.a. How not to be a noob)

GameSpot's Coverage of 'Battlefield: Bad Company 2' beta

EA blasted over questionable marketing stunt

courtesy of Ben Silverman of Yahoo

Games maker EA has incited a wave of backlash over the latest marketing ploy for their upcoming action game, Dante's Inferno.

In an effort to promote the title at last week's San Diego Comic-Con event, EA decided to run a contest asking showgoers to "commit acts of lust" with any models working at the convention's myriad booths. They were then instructed to submit photos via social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook. The winner would receive "dinner and a sinful night with two hot girls, a limo service, paparazzi and a chest full of booty," while five runners-up would have to make do with a copy of the game, a $240 gift card and assorted game merchandise.

Of course, EA gave themselves an out, noting on the official rules page that "...judges reserve the right, in their sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify any Submissions that are inappropriate for any reason, including without limitation, for depicting or mentioning sex, violence, drugs, alcohol and/or inappropriate language." In other words, don't get crazy while you commit your "acts of lust."

Unfortunately for EA, the gaming community hasn’t responded well. Twitter posts about the marketing effort have been largely negative; tweets to #EAfail have spiked, with many accusing the company of being tasteless, immature and sexist. In turn, those responsible have issued a respectful if unapologetic tweet right back:

"'Commit acts of lust' is simply a tongue-in-cheek way to say take pictures with costumed reps," it reads. "Also, a ‘Night of Lust’ means only that the winner will receive a chaperoned VIP night on the town with the Dante's Inferno reps, all expenses paid, as well as other prizes."

It's just the latest EA marketing stunt to go awry. Back in April, the company got in hot water for sending journalists illegal brass knuckles to promote their game based on The Godfather II. And at the E3 trade show in early June, EA angered Christian groups after making waves with a viral marketing campaign for -- you guessed it -- Dante's Inferno, this time featuring fake protesters.

Dante himself never had this much trouble.

*just a little recap.

April '09: EA sent brass knuckles to journalists (which is illegal).

June '09: EA caused a christian protest outside of E3 for their upcoming game Dante's Inferno (which was discovered was staged by an advertising agency hired by EA).

July '09: EA has promotional "Acts of Lust" contest at Comic-Con (which was deemed juvenile and immature by videogamers everywhere).

Seems like EA needs to hire some new advertising "experts". The current ones don't seem to be helping things.

Battlefield 1943 Hits 600,000 Mark in 2 weeks

courtesy of gamasutra.com

Electronic Arts' DICE-developed Battlefield 1943 has sold over 600,000 copies digitally via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network since its July 8th launch, the company announced today.

According to EA, this makes the game the fastest selling day one and week one download-only game worldwide on Xbox Live Marketplace, and also the fastest selling day one and week one download-only game on the PlayStation Network in North America.

Set in World War II, multiplayer first-person shooter Battlefield 1943 allows for up to 24 players o compete across four different battlefield maps: Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and the recently-unlocked Coral Sea, all inspired by predecessor Battlefield 1942 and redesigned with DICE's Frostbite engine.

The Xbox Live community unlocked Coral Sea by reaching the goal of 43 million kills in 5 days, while the PlayStation Network community achieved it in 8 days.

"We are honored by the reception that the game has received so far," says producer Gordon Van Dyke. "Watching and participating in this non-stop multiplayer action has been a real treat for us and we can’t believe how fast our fans reached 43 million kills."

The game is priced at $15 on both services - which amounts to 1600 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live. Demand was so strong for the title that there were notable online server problems in its first few days on sale.

Project Natal may actually be Microsoft's Next Console

There is a rumor going around because of a statement made by Shane Kim (Microsoft's head of long-term Xbox 360 strategy). The rumor is that Project Natal may actually be Xbox 720 (aka Xbox 3).

Shane Kim said, "Conceptually, the launch of Natal will be like the launch of Xbox 360. It's going to be that big. We're not just going to ship it when the hardware and software are ready. We have to make sure that there are enough content experiences that are really good. That's similar to how you would think of the launch of a new console. It's got to have a great launch line-up. That's the same thing here."

The bottom line... sounds like people may be making a big deal out of nothing, but considering the recent statements made by big name, third-party developers stating that they've "maxed out" the 360 but not the PS3, it may not be too far-fetched to see Microsoft trying to release another console soon. On a side note, Nintendo bombed with the GameCube so they decided to repackage it with an enhanced controller. Yea, that's right. Nintendo's Wii is essentially nothing more than a tuned up GameCube with a new, interactive controller that was successfully "relaunched". Will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Electronic Arts Accidently Shipped Illegal Merchandise

Courtesy of kotaku by Brian Crecente

Electronic Arts today contacted game writers around the country asking them to return the brass knuckles they were sent as part of a promotion for Godfather II.

The representative that contacted me said that the company wanted to make sure that the brass knuckles were "properly disposed of." He declined to comment any further. Contacted by email Friday, an Electronic Arts spokesperson verified that the company is asking that all of the brass knuckles shipped out be returned.

Brass knuckles or metallic knuckles are illegal in many of the states that they were shipped to. They're also illegal in California, where EA is based.

In Colorado, possessing an illegal weapon is a class 1 misdemeanor, according to a Denver police spokeswoman. Illegal weapons are defined as a blackjack, gas gun, metallic knuckles, gravity knife, or switchblade knife.

Electronic Arts did not respond to emails seeking comment about the legality of the items they shipped and whether they faced any legal actions for shipping them across state lines.