Battlefield Heroes
Leads the Way for EA's New 'Play 4 Free' Business Model announces plans for
Battlefield Heroes, a free "cartoon-style shooter" in the Battlefield series due
this summer (thanks
Gamer's Hell). If the cartoon part sounds like Team Fortress 2, the
character shot in an
article on the game in the New York Times (thanks Jhereg) and the
Battlefield Heroes
Website also conveys a TF2 flavor. The game is described as "leading EA’s
new web-focused free to download, free to play business model which generates
revenue through advertising and micro-transactions":
MUNICH,
Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the Digital, Life, Design Conference (DLD) in
Munich, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS - News) today unveiled Battlefield
Heroes™, an all-new Play 4 Free cartoon-style shooter that will bring classic
Battlefield gameplay to an all new mass audience. Available for download at
www.battlefield-heroes.com this
summer, Battlefield Heroes is EA’s first title that is offered completely for
free, and features a built-in matchmaking system to ensure that players of equal
skill are paired together for fair play. Developed by DICE in Stockholm,
Battlefield Heroes is leading EA’s new web-focused free to download, free to
play business model which generates revenue through advertising and
micro-transactions. With zero barriers to entry, now anyone can be a hero on the
battlefield!
“Online gaming garners a massive audience,” said Gerhard Florin, EVP Publishing
Americas-Europe at EA. “People want to play games in new ways, with easier
access that is quick to the fun. With Battlefield Heroes, EA brings its first
major franchise to North America and Europe with a new distribution model and
pricing structure adapted to the evolving way that people play.”
Battlefield Heroes is a brand new game from the team behind Battlefield 1942™
and Battlefield 2™. Its fun cartoon-style graphics and gameplay caters to
players of all skill levels. It is easy to pick up and play but with robust
character customization and a deep online meta-game, gamers can spend hours
building up their characters and conquering the world.
“We put a different twist on this Battlefield game going with the cartoon-style
graphics and gameplay,” added Ben Cousins, Senior Producer at EA DICE. “There’s
something here for all types of players -- be it our core Battlefield fans or
casual gamers. With the new online model, we will continually add new content to
keep the game fresh and keep players engaged, while integrating player feedback
in real time. As a game developer, it is such a cool new way to make games.”
Battlefield Heroes will be released for the PC as a free download in summer
2008. This product is not yet rated by PEGI or ESRB. For more information on EA
DICE, please visit www.dice.se or
www.ea.com.