EA announces Battlefield Play4Free, a new free-to-play multiplayer shooter to launch in the spring as the new Battlefield game announcement they teased earlier this week. They are currently accepting applications to participate in closed beta testing of the game, which they say will offer 32-player online warfare and the chance to experience the career of a professional soldier. There's also a story on MCV quoting EA's Ben Cousins saying this has a chance to "disrupt" the triple-A console market: "At what point do the hardcore gamers switch over from spending $60 a month on console games to spending that much a month on microtransactions for an online title?" Cousins asked the audience at the London Games Conference. "There's an opportunity in the next two to five years to cause a significant disruption to the traditional triple-A console market. I want someone considering buying a game on a Microsoft console to think 'But these games are free over here'." This teaser trailer offers a glimpse at the game, and here's a bit from its announcement:

Combining the most popular maps from Battlefield 2 with the familiar classes and powerful weapons of Battlefield: Bad CompanyTM 2, players have access to 16 vehicles including the Mil Mi-28 attack helicopter, its nemesis the F35 VTOL jet fighter, the massive Russian T-90 main battle tank, and the hard to catch LSV light strike vehicle. Players progress through the game to learn new combat skills, and earn in-game currency to spend on a massive array of devastating weapons and equipment.