Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 Community Threatens Blackout, Says This Could Be The Last Straw

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:50:34 +0000

It seems the folks at Battlefieldo, one of the larger Battlefield 3 communities, have had enough of what they say is neglect and a lack of information regarding game updates and patches from Electronic Arts. In order to voice their disapproval of the publisher’s practices, the community, in a post by community manager Cory “Pr3sident” Niblett, has decided to go silent for a full 24 hours starting March 2.

The official thread at Battlefieldo says the plan is for there to be no interaction with the game by the community during that day. No logging on to play, tweeting about Battlefield or posting on the site. The protest is described as “silence fed right back into the mouths of those who have chosen to give us the very same silence.”

And what do the folks in the community want, exactly?

“We want the EA community management to give back control to DICE Community Management, more transparency in the way that the game developer communicates with the community,” Niblett said in an interview with DualShockers. “I’m in touch with my friends at DICE all day. They can’t talk about it. Community sites get no official news or communications.”

It seems as though a regular update and patch schedule is one of many fixes they’ve offered to EA as an acceptable solution. But the problems are a bit deeper than that — much of what Niblett writes about seems to be fundamental tenets of customer service Battlefield 3 players have received since the game launched in October. And he says that most of the policies EA’s got in place prize profit and competition with Activision’s Call of Duty franchise at the expense of maintaining a quality relationship with its customers and the Battlefield community.

“EA is getting in the way,” he said. “There is no longer any open dialogue with the developers.”

The group has given EA until the day the blackout is scheduled to acknowledge Battlefieldo’s requests. If the publisher doesn’t respond to concerns, Niblett says this may be the end of his and other players’ support of the Battlefield franchise.

The move echoes the protest mentality that has seemed to pervade much of the world as of late, particularly the online sector. If you’ll remember, a 24-hour blackout of Wikipedia and Reddit did much to stop the Protect Intellectual Property and Stop Online Piracy acts from making it through the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, earlier this year.

The movement can be followed on Twitter with the hashtag #BF3Blackout

Battlefield 3 - Jet Swap

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:12:33 +0000

Best kill yet?

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SU-35BM hot on my tail. Javelin missiles locked on from the ground. Flares wouldn't do any good. There was only one reasonable option.

Battlefield 3 – Next Major Patch Won’T Be Coming In February

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:26:07 +0000

There was a rumor, early last month, that the next big patch for Battlefield 3 would be hitting platforms in February. Among other things, this rumored patch would include in the PC version a Commo Rose 2.0, that is currently in development by DICE. Well, unfortunately the rumors were not true, as Daniel Matros has revealed that the patch won’t be coming this month.

Although we have two weeks to go, it seems unlikely to get the patch in February. And to be honest, this not surprising. DICE has promised some news about their future plans, so our guess is that the company will reveal what they have in store for us in the coming weeks.

When a fan asked Daniel Matros about the rumored February patch, Daniel said that the ‘February’ date was never correct:

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“No. It was announced by someone who got the dates wrong.”

So Battlefield 3 fans, no major patches for you this month.

Battlefield 3 Free With Mass Effect 3 Pre-Order

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:54:59 +0000

Electronic Arts' Origin Store just launched a new online special on Tuesday that packs in Battlefield 3 free when you pre-order Mass Effect 3.

The deal for a free copy of Battlefield 3 from the Origin Store is good when you pre-order the N7 Digital Deluxe Edition of Mass Effect 3 that is $79.99. UPDATE: We have received confirmation from an Origin representative that this deal includes the standard editions of Mass Effect 3 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC as well. We are attempting to get additional confirmation.

The deal is good until March 5. You only need to add the Mass Effect 3 pre-order to your shopping cart and a code for Battlefield 3 will be emailed to you buy March 8, 2012. If you already own the PC version of Battlefield 3, you will not receive another copy for free.

Mass Effect 3 releases on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on March 6, 2012.

Bf3 - "use The Sun Luke"

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:18:51 +0000

In this Star Wars themed Battlefield 3 video, YouTuber greigm81 is in trouble and needs to figure out a way to dodge the enemy jet on his tail. Luckily, Old Ben Kenobi is on his side as he speaks to him through the force. “Use the sun, Luke,” said Kenobi, in all his wisdom.

What happened next would have Darth Vader crapping his pants.

Why You Shouldn't Play Battlefield 3 Drunk

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:34:58 +0000

There's nothing wrong with enjoying an alcoholic beverage but there's a time and a place for everything and the battlefield ain't it. This hilarious video by Quantic Media shows why you should abstain when heading into battle. Seriously, if you're jumping online to play, do your teammates and your liver a favor and enjoy your libations AFTER you're done playing, okay?

Watch Out For Mass Bf3 Downtime Tonight (7Th Feb)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:53:36 +0000

EA just released an announcement stating that online play for Battlefield 3 will be down for a period of time. All three platforms will be affected (Xbox 360, PS3, PC). Gamers will not be able to play Battlefield 3 online for about an hour and a half starting at 5 AM est - 6:30 AM est tomorrow (the 7th.) So if you can't connect to your favorite Battlefield 3 server (let alone EA's servers), do not be alarmed.

Ea Boss Applauds Call Of Duty Elite - Battlefield Subscription Inbound?

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:28:11 +0000

EA CEO John Riccitiello has tipped his hat to publishing rival Activision for successfully introducing a subscription offering for the Call of Duty franchise - and hinted at the possibility of something similar in the pipeline for Battlefield.

While Call of Duty Elite wasn't specifically named during a chat with investors about digital strategies earlier this week, it's clear who the EA boss was referring to when he said (via Seeking Alpha): "When we look at what we do and what our competitors do, there are a number of examples of [what] I would call the best work of our industry in terms of making this work.

"Frankly, I gave a compliment to one of our competitors," he added. "It's got a subscription on the back end of an FPS title. I think that's a best-in-class performance.

"And we study all of these, and by way of example, when we put [FIFA] Ultimate Team out there, we had a competing idea with Madden, none of which I'm sure - none of whom I believe on the call would even know the name of it because it quickly faded and it was replaced with Ultimate Team because we're learning from best practice."

He continued: "So the reason this is such a fast-growing revenue stream for us is we're identifying and implementing best practice across the range of our products, and you'll see lots more to come including an announcement near term that Peter just alluded to."

The upcoming announcement Riccitiello was referring to? Just moments earlier, EA vice president of investor relations Peter Ausnit had said: "We've got plans for all of our major franchises to turn them into more of... games for service that have a constant flow of downloadable content. You're going to hear some announcements from us on Battlefield actually as early as next week in an event we've got in New York."

Battlefield 3 Dlc Announcement Coming Next Week In New York

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:55:28 +0000

Possibly the rumoured All American DLC?

New Battlefield 3 DLC will be announced in New York next week, EA has suggested during an overnight call with investors.

Responding to a question about DLC for titles including FIFA 12 and Battlefield 3, EA VP of Investor Relations Peter C. Ausnit said: "You're going to hear some announcements from us on Battlefield actually as early as next week in an event we've got in New York."

Ausnit didn't offer any further details...

Battlelog Browser Add-On Update

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:31:01 +0000

After last night’s maintenance, DICE’s Battlelog is back up and running with some shiny new improvements.

Battlelog Update #5

DICE Community Manager, Daniel Matros, listed the changes made in the Battlelog Update #5:

The News section is now available without logging in.
Changed browser detection to be less invasive (the yellow bar is no more). Instead, an inline popup will be displayed when trying to launch the game from unsupported software of devices, detailing what is wrong.
Anyone who has played BF3 can now log in to Battlelog. Previously an Online Pass was required.
When getting disconnected from the game, the Game Manager will display a “Reconnect” button.
The game server detail page will now display the server description and server message, if available.
Lots of bug fixes.

Better Battlelog

On January 25th, Add-on Developer, Roland “DJ Brainnrg” Eigelsreiter released the “biggest” version of Better Battlelog (or BBLOG), a browser add-on for DICE’s original social network/stat-tracking service, the Battlelog.
BBLOG, approved by DICE officials, was developed to help bring the original Battlelog to a whole new level of detail in terms of stat tracking and functionality. Currently, it is a simple download available as an extension for the Chrome and Firefox internet browsers. Some of its most striking features are the extremely detailed weapon stats, produced in conjunction with Symthic.com, as well as it’s inline YouTube support (videos can now be embedded into wall posts) and forum functionality, on top of other details that should make all Battlefield 3 player’s experience much smoother. Also of note is that this add-on actually fixes some minor bugs currently present in the original Battlelog.
Check out this full list of features:

High Detailed and “Secret” Weapon Information
Inline Youtube Videos
User Radar
Server Radar
Known Bugs, minor ImprovementsServer Radar
Contextmenu (Right-Click)
BBCode Support
Favorite Threads

What JBRipley from DICE had to say about the BBLOG browser add-on: ”Great work on your extension, it’s really interesting for us at DICE to see what people add by themselves.”
For a detailed explanation of all its features and to download this highly recommended Battlelog browser add-on, visit the official website here.

Battlefield 3 Dlc Rumor - All American Map Pack

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:35:12 +0000

Today, we have a very interesting rumor coming from YouTuber, TheAustrianToast, regarding DICE’s plans for future Battlefield 3 DLC.

In a dual commentary with DCRUColin, TheAustrianToast revealed, ”I have a source telling me that there will be an all American DLC.” He added that these maps would be based on locations like “New York City, Miami, New Jearsey, and I think it was San Francisco.”

Before Battlefield fans get a little too excited, since his sources were never revealed, we have to consider this a fairly wild but rather likely rumor. Rather likely, because if we take a look at the recent Back to Karkand maps, they are already based on various cities in the Middle East. This also seems to be the overall theme with Battlefield 3 – environments within city limits, as opposed to Battlefield: Bad Comany 2′s more open environments. It would make sense for DICE to stick with what the Frostbite 2 engine seems to do really well.

TheAustrianToast later stated in this commentary, ”I mean, the all American DLC pack is a great idea and should actually come out middle, or in the beginning of summer.

Lastly, a while back, DICE mentioned that they weren’t into making “map packs,” but rather “expansions.” This would most likely mean that we would also see a new set of weapons, vehicles, and assignments much like the recent Back to Karkand expansion. On top of Battlefield 2143 rumors, DICE also considered the idea of a snow-themed expansion, something many Battlefield 3 fans have been craving since Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Bf3 - Vehicle Tweaks And New Anti Cheat Measures

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:18:02 +0000

DICE’s Community Manager, Daniel Matros, has more news for those worried about, or affected by, the recent hacking attempts on Battlefield 3 players while Senior Designer, Fredrik Thylander, updates Battlefield 3 fans about incoming vehicle tweaks.

Daniel Matros recently mention to Battlefield fans that a brand new version of Punkbuster was released today and may help alleviate some problems. “Please update to this one as it might solve issues occurring for many users. Arigato!” If you’ve been in the dark recently, a group of hackers began banning innocent PC Battlefield players to protest DICE’s use of Punkbuster.

Also of note is that DICE has recently posted a job opening for an Anti Cheat Administrator, most likely in an effort to ramp up protection against these types of attacks. “The administrator will compose an absolutely vital function to secure the online experience our games represent by actively be a part of the community and keep up to date with the current cheat exposure.” Their job is also to “Monitor and keep up to date with the cheating community online.”

Fans have recently been asking Senior Gameplay Designer, Fredrik Thylander to tweak vehicle scoring in Battlefield 3. In response, Thylander stated that the current “plan is to have driver assist at 50 next patch.” When asked if there was any chance of adjusting AMTRAC points, Thylander responded, “ill try. Can’t detect on spawn that it’s an amtrac but driver assist is going way up, which should help.” To add to this, he also mentioned that “pilot assists are going up as well.”

Battlefield 4!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:33:56 +0000

Check out this awesome Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!

Spoiler

Battlefield 3: Enemy Splat On A Jet’S Windshield

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:03:17 +0000

A YouTube user has uploaded a funny video with Battlefield 3 gameplay. The enemy’s jet is badly damaged and bails, make sure you get the kill by running them down with your jet.

Battlefield 3′s Community Manager Hint At Surprise Release Today

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:25:18 +0000

Daniel Matros, Battlefield 3′s community manager, has just tweeted that some new BF3 stuff are on the way. Obviously DICE is working at something new and Daniel teased BF3′s fans by saying that they are in for a treat, as this ‘new stuff’ will be revealed today. What this nice surprise could actually be? A new DLC? More bans? A new patch? We’ll find out soon enough.

As Daniel tweeted:

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“New stuff happening. Good day today . Fans we’ll be in for a treat later on.”

Stay tuned for the BF3 surprise!

Battlefield 3: Dice Banned This Week A 'significant Number Of Bf3 Cheaters'

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:22:59 +0000

Cheaters. We’ve played against them, we hate them. These people are the main reason we’ve stopped playing BF3 and thankfully, DICE has already started taking care of them. We knew that the company has been banning some of them and we are happy to report that this week, DICE has banned a significant number of BF3 cheaters. This is reasurring – to say the least – and we hope that the company will keep it up. After all, Battlefield 3 was full of cheaters these past weeks.

This was revealed by both Daniel Matros and the game’s official FaceBook page:

“In our largest crackdown yet, this week sees us banning a significant number of cheaters. Because you deserve a fair game.”

Battlefield 3 Core Gameplay Designer Leaving Bf3

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:39:12 +0000

Today, the Battlefield 3 Core Game play Designer, Alan Kertz aka 'Demize99' tweeted that he will no longer be part of the Battlefield 3 team. But he adds, "And no, I'm not leaving DICE. Just departing from the team that's still diligently working on BF3" to make sure no one gets confused that he is leaving DICE.

Alan Kertz was the guy behind most of the gun and balancing tweaking for Battlefield 3's multiplayer. He defiantly was a big part of the team. The job of Gameplay Designer will still be in the "capable hands" of the two other Gameplay Designers Gustav Halling and Tim Kjell. They have already had years of experience in this position, so there should be no problem in them executing the job just as Alan did.

[RSS FEED] Expand your set of dog tags and multiplayer skins for Battlefield 3

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Starting today, players who want to expand their arsenal of dog tags in Battlefield 3 can do so via two different bundles. First, there's the aptly titled "SPECACT and Dog Tag Bundle", featuring a fistful of 10 dog tags plus a set of new multiplayer skins. These items were previosuly only available as exclusive pre-order items for Battlefield 3, and you can now buy them in the "SPECACT and Dog Tag Bundle" for $2.99/€2.99 or the equivalent in your currency.

Grab these 10 new dog tags in the recently released SPECACT and Dog Tag Bundle for PS3 (360 next week).

The other bundle we are releasing today is the “Promo Bundle”. Featuring another set of 10 dog tags plus one extra multiplayer skin. This content was previously only available as promotional items for Battlefield 3 in North America. You can now get these items in this bundle, also for $2.99/€2.99.

Or maybe you prefer these 10 dog tags from the new Promo Bundle?

Both the “SPECACT and Dog Tag Bundle” plus the “Promo Bundle” will be available today on PlayStation 3. The SPECACT and Dog Tag Bundle is available world-wide (hits Asia on January 19), while the Promo Bundle is available everywhere but North America.

Both of these bundles will be available on Xbox 360 in one week’s time for 240 Microsoft Points each, and on PC via Origin.http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=58843

View the full article

Commo Rose 2.0 To Include "shitloads Of Recordings"

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:57:43 +0000

Battlefield 3 will be getting a Commo Rose 2.0, a major overhaul of the com system in an upcoming patch in Febraury. Now DICE voice over producer Tomas Danko reveals that the patch will indeed be a big one, with, as Danko puts it, “it’s not just a small patch, it’s shitloads of recordings with lots of actors + new code support”.

We’ve been waiting for a while for the new Commo Rose to arrive, as the current one is practically useless. The 2.0 version will be a much welcomed addition to Battlefield 3.

Thanks for the news Anand!

Dice Promises Vigilance Against Battlefield 3 Cheaters

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:36:28 +0000

Finding out that cheating has apparently become rampant in Battlefield 3's online multiplayer is somewhat of a travesty, considering how much some members of our staff play it. Neither of our main combatants have ever actually spotted a cheater (at least not in any verifiable way) while playing on Xbox 360, but the game's developer is nonetheless tracking down these nefarious rogues, issuing stat resets and outright bans to offending players across 360, PS3, and PC. The Stockholm, Sweden-based devs at EA DICE "recently banned another batch of several hundred confirmed cheaters," and are only stepping up their efforts all the more as time goes on.

The first measure in this initiative will be an addition to Battlelog, one which allows players to report offenders via their online profiles, regardless of what platform they're playing on. With any luck, between the community and DICE, the contingent trying to ruin everyone's online experience will be stomped out quickly.

So XGC have any of you spotted a cheater yet?