Home > Videos

Battlefield 3 PS3 Patch Impressions By TheEnd

Our friend “TheEnd” provides Battlefield 3 players with his first impressions of the recently released PS3 patch. Luckily, PS3 users have been able to enjoy this patch for a few days now, with PC users not so far behind. We are still awaiting news of an Xbox 360 patch. Make sure to let us know in the comments below what you think about the patch!

A few days ago, we also featured some initial Battlefield 3 PC patch impressions by YouTuber d0n7bl1nk so make sure to check that out as well!

Lastly, don’t forget to check out a list of unadvertised PS3 patch notes.

Warning: Strong Language

[youtube id=”sUT4Bvo_jOg” width=”600″ height=”350″]

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Modern Warfare 3 Patch 1.11 Now Live on Xbox 360, Modded Lobbies Removed (March 31)

The team behind Modern Warfare 3 has released patch 1.11, title update #11, on Xbox 360. Loopholes allowed for modded lobbies appear to be resolved.

When you fire up Modern Warfare 3 on Xbox 360, you’ll be greeted to a 5MB mandatory update to install. Although the official patch notes haven’t been released, the new update on Xbox 360 is not similar to patch 1.11 PS3 users received two days ago. The PS3 patch was intended to integrate the platform’s newest Elite map with the game. However,  the Xbox 360 version of MW3 has been under attack by modded lobbies to derank players and such, you can read about that here. The new patch 1.11 has removed various modded lobbies done through theater mode exploits according to several tipsters.

We’ll update the article as more players report on the changes of the latest update, and you’ll be the first to know if you follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook.

On a side note, Infinity Ward has turned on Double XP on the new community playlist according to MP1st reader Alex. You can check out gameplay of new game mode “All or Nothing” here.

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > Features

Battlefield 3 Console Server Guide by Leutin09

Since the latest Battlefield 3 PS3 patch, many will have noticed that console players now have the ability to rent their very own private servers, much like their PC brethren. Of course, this feature will be available in the upcoming Xbox 360 patch as well. While a very welcome and valuable addition, there still are some questions concerning the use and function of these servers. Luckily, YouTuber “Luetin09″ has provided us a detailed console server guide that should, hopefully, answer many of your questions.

Check out the video below and if you have any further questions, leave them in the comments below and we’ll do our best to help answer!

[youtube id=”Kc1TvoG70s4″ width=”600″ height=”350”]

Thanks, Pixel Enemy

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Sony Shuts Down Zipper Interactive, Makers of SOCOM and MAG

Sony has confirmed to GameInformer that Zipper Interactive is no longer under the PlayStation label. After a few weeks of rumors and speculation, one of the most prolific multiplayer developers has closed doors.

The official statement reads, “Sony Computer Entertainment can confirm the closure of Zipper Interactive, a Seattle-based internal game development studio that has been part of the global development operation of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS).

The closure is a result of a normal cycle of resource re-alignment within SCE WWS. Zipper has completed all work associated with its most recent project, Unit 13 for PlayStation Vita. Zipper titles MAG, SOCOM 4 and Unit 13 will continue to be supported, including the new Daily Challenges in Unit 13.”

Zipper Interactive was one of the first studios to adapt online multiplayer well on the PlayStation 2 with the SOCOM series. In MAG, the studio succeeded in bringing 256 player multiplayer gaming to consoles. We wish the best of luck to the former members of Zipper in their future endeavors.

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

MW3, Black Ops, FIFA 12, and BF3 Lead the Top Played Xbox 360 Games (Week of March 19th)

Microsoft’s Major Nelson has revealed the top 20 games played on Xbox Live for the week of March 19th. The activity is measured by uniques users, not hours played. As long as the console is hooked to the net, whatever you’re playing (single-player or multiplayer) counts.

Compared to March 5th’s numbers, many games held their positions over the past few weeks. The top five titles remain unchanged with MW3 leading the charge. Check out the list below, and tell us what you’ve been playing on 360 lately.

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
  2. Call of Duty: Black Ops
  3. FIFA 12
  4. Battlefield 3
  5. Halo: Reach
  6. Modern Warfare 2
  7. Mass Effect 3
  8. NBA 2K12
  9. Skyrim
  10. Gears of War 3
  11. GTA IV
  12. Forza Motorsport 4
  13. Madden NFL 12
  14. Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City
  15. NHL12
  16. Saints Row: The Third
  17. Halo 3
  18. Red Dead Redemption
  19. Call of Duty 4
  20. NBA 2K11

Special Note: The response to the first 360 activity charts article was more than positive. We’ll keep running this series as long as you enjoy it.  Unfortunately, there is no official activity numbers for PSN and PC (impossible to track due to multiple services and independent ones).

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Black Ops 2 MP Leak – Heat Vision Alluded To, Map Voting System Likely To Carry Over, Health Regenerating Perk Cut From Black Ops

By now many of you may have stumbled across a recent list of leaked Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer features. If you haven’t been so fortunate, you can check out the list we broke last week right here. You’ll notice a number of details regarding game modes, pointsreaks, perks and much more. However, the big question on every Call of Duty fan’s mind is, “is it real?”

So far, no officials have been able to comment on the matter, but we are not left without a few hints. The first and most striking hint came from the Twitter account of Treyarch Developer David Vonderhaar, who wrote, “Repeat after me. ‘I want a way to wall bang campers.'”

One of the most notable additions in the leaked feature list is the inclusion of a pointstreak reward called “heat vision,” which is supposedly only attachable to primary weapons. Its main function “is it’s ability to detect enemies through most walls,” according to these notes. Could Vonderhaar be mentally preparing CoD fans for the introduction of “wall banging” in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2? If so, this lends to the credibility of this list.

Additionally, when Vonderhaar was asked via Twitter if the rumors can be considered true, he wasn’t able to deny the notion. Instead, he gracefully (and understandably) avoided the question and opted for a more humorous response.

This isn’t the first time Treyarch’s upcoming Call of Duty title has suffered from a leak. A few weeks back, the release date for Black Ops 2 was leaked by a Spanish online retailer.

As for some additional features that we can expect from the next CoD, make sure to check out our in-depth Black Ops 2 coverage! Also, Vonderhaar gives us a few extra clues on Twitter.

It’s safe to say that the map voting system will carry over as Vonderhaar stated, “I like the previous map vote (after we changed it so you could only do it 1x).” Though he admitted there is still “room for improvement.” He added, “what I didn’t like as much was that a random vote really meant random (including previous map) from all maps in the playlist.”

One fan mentioned his dislike for claymores not being included as a “lethal” piece of equipment. Vonderhaar responded, “I don’t disagree. Everything is easy with the benefit of hindsight, however. Learn and adapt!” So we can expect changes in this area as well.

The idea of a faster health regenerating perk was introduced to Vonderhaar as well, to which he revealed was, “prototyped and cut on Black Ops. The game plays better when health and damage are predictable and constant.”

Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below! Do you think the leaked Black Ops 2 feature list is official? Do you agree with the changes? Make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for more Black Ops 2 news!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Videos

New Modern Warfare 3 Game Mode ‘All or Nothing’ Gameplay Footage

The new Modern Warfare 3 community playlist is now live on Xbox 360 and PS3, still no official word on whether PC players will be getting it. The playlist features four game modes, two Gun Game variations, One in the Chamber, and All or Nothing. You can learn more about every game mode in detail here.

The Call of Duty community is quite familiar with Gun Game and One in the Chamber with both being featured in Black Ops’ wager matches. However, except for private matches, this is the first time All or Nothing is introduced to the masses.

YouTube channel NextGenTactics has uploaded a Modern Warfare 3 gameplay on All or Nothing with commentary by SpiderBite.

Check it out below and let us know what you think of the new game mode in the comments.

[youtube id=”hnpV3AZZpls” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Image credit: Deviantart

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

[Updated] BF3 Battlelog Updates Hint at E-Sport Features and Spectator Mode

Along with the recent PS3 and PC patches came some mysterious and unannounced updates to Battlefield 3’s social, stat-tracking service, the Battlelog.

You’ll now notice, upon hovering your curser over the “Multiplayer” tab on the Battlelog, that two new options under “Matches” appear: “View matches” and “Create a match.” Upon clicking “Create a match,” you’ll be taken to this screen below:

Nothing yet. But we do know that this feature will be available across all three platforms. Of course, many speculate that this feature will help open up Battlefield 3 to the e-sport audience, as DICE has admitted it being a goal of the team for quite some time now. Could this also be one of the features that Senior Designer Gustav Halling teased in our earlier reports?

Others speculate that we may soon (finally) be seeing a spectator mode or Battlerecorder make its way to Battlefield 3. A few things lend to this idea, one being that one of the new menu items is titled “View matches.” On top of this, we’ve also gathered a few clues ourselves to a Battlerecorder which you can check out right here. Lastly, a user on the Battlelog posted these codes found within the Battlelog:

platoonbattleteamsetup
platoonbattleteamsetup-spectators
invitedTeamLeaders
platoonbattle
team1Roster
team2Roster
SPECTATOR_ADDED
SPECTATOR_KICKED
ID_WEB_PLATOONBATTLE_COMINGSOON_HEADER_”
maxSpectators
Platoon DEMOTED
matches/betasignup/

Notice the word “spectator” a few times? It’s certainly obvious. Perhaps the inclusion of “matches/betasignup/” signifies that DICE will first run a beta to test this new feature as well. Hopefully we’ll be hearing more of these features soon.

Update: As QwietStorm has mentioned in the comments below, “My Matches” in the main menu of Battlefield 3 mentions e-sport matches. We’d also like to thank Geoff for providing us with the image below of the notice given to players when selecting this item in the PS3 multiplayer menu.

On a less official note, “Better Battlelog” has recently teamed up with BF3Stats.com to provide the ultimate stat-tracking add-on to the Battlelog service. You may remember a while back our report on the Better Battlelog browser add-on which allows for much more in-depth stat-tracking than the original Battlelog provides. Having recently partnered with BF3Stats.com, players can now view extremely detailed graphs and tables of a wide range of stats. Check out the image below to see a quick example of how this updates tracks stats like your score per minute, kill/death ratio and win/loss ratio.

Image provided by “Colonel Ramirez

You’ll notice the ability to track your stats over time, making it much easier to see your progression throughout your BF3 career.

Make sure to give the Better Battlelog service a try and let us know in the comments below what new features you think DICE will be providing in the near future!

Thanks, PCGames

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Modern Warfare 3 Fans Threaten a Global Blackout on April 20th Due To “Lack of Support”

It seems that even Activision and Infinity Ward are not safe from global community blackouts.

Last month, the community behind Battlefield 3 rose their voices and pitchforks in an effort to gain the attention of developers DICE and publisher Electronic Arts. The goal: To pressure EA into allowing freer communication between developers the community by threatening a global BF3 blackout. This ended rather quickly as communication came to a satisfactory medium within the week.

This time, it’s Modern Warfare 3’s turn. YouTuber HC4MALiTe posted a video (featured below) detailing the issues that a number of Call of Duty community members are currently concerned over. This video also urges any wishing to get involved to participate in a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 blackout on April 20th, 2012 at which point all members involved will refrain from playing the game on this day. Their demands are the following:

  • Lag Compensation
  • Matchmaking options which include the ability to enable disable local search and base search off the party leader when playing with friends
  • The broken Spawn System
  • Full featured Theater mode
  • Individual volume controls in the options menu
  • Tac insert removed from Kill confirmed
  • More Hardcore game modes
  • Better Elite playlist options
  • Objective stats on in-game scoreboard
  • Akimbo machine pistol nerf
  • Removal of any assault kill streaks from the support package
  • Removal of death streaks and Fix Local Area Network settings for Competitive events

This comes at an awkward time coinciding with the departure of Creative Strategist Robert Bowling from Infinity Ward and Activision who was one of the main coordinators between the community and those on the other side of fence. It will be interesting to see what becomes of this movement.

Check out the video below and let us know what you think in the comments!

[youtube id=”sAozpepj8hw” width=”600″ height=”350″]

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Videos

Battlefield 3 PC Patch Impressions by d0n7bl1nk

YouTuber d0n7bl1nk, who recently hit his two-year YouTube anniversary, gives us his first impressions of the latest Battlefield 3 PC patch that went live earlier today.

If you’ve missed it, make sure to check out what the latest PC patch brought to the table by reading up on some of the patch notes here. PC players should notice a brand new commo rose system, an improved mini map, and a number of additional updates as featured in the video below.

Thanks to community feedback, we were also able to gather what the current state of Battlefield 3 is after both the PS3 and PC patches. Make sure to read up on this report for some valuable information, including the MAV glitch, input lag, private servers, PC glitches, and the whereabouts of the Xbox 360 patch.

If you’re a Battlefield 3 PC player, make sure to leave your thoughts of the patch in the comments below!

Without further adieu, here are d0n7bl1nk’s informative first impressions of the recent Battlefield 3 PC patch:

[youtube id=”L5DzoMvVyYg” width=”600″ height=”350″]

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

MW3 Gunplay Playlist Hits Xbox 360 and PS3 March 30, Features Gun Game, One in the Chamber, and More

Infinity Ward has announced that a new FFA Modern Warfare 3 community playlist, Gunplay, will be dropping this weekend on Xbox 360 and PS3.

“The FFA Gunplay playlist cycles 4 different modes,” explained BanCandy on the official forums. The playlist will go live on March 30th, and marks the third community playlist to be added to Modern Warfare 3. It’s unclear whether the other two community playlists, Drop Zone and Infected, will both stay or not. Last month, Infinity Ward decided to replace Drop Zone with Infected at first. That decision was met with anger from the fans that lead to Drop Zone being reintroduced. Update (thanks to James): Infinity Ward confirmed that the other two playlists will stay put. Ban Candy explains, “not losing anything, this [Gunplay] will be in addition to Infected and Drop Zone.”

Fan favorite Black Ops wager match game types, Gun Game in 2 variations and One in the Chamber, will be included along with player named All or Nothing. All four game modes will be available tomorrow on Xbox 360 and PS3. It’s unknown if PC players will get the playlist at some point.

Here are the four different modes detailed as written by BanCandy:

There are 2 Gun Game variations.

  • One variation uses an 18 gun progression including 2 sniper rifles to separate the men from the boys.
  • The second variation cycles 6 guns 3 times (no sniper rifles) so learn the 6 gun progression and pace yourself through the 3 waves.

One In The Chamber uses the P99 handgun.

  • Players begin with one bullet and earn a bullet for every kill (with gun or tactical knife).
  • Elimination occurs after 3 deaths but the last 3 players will be visible on the mini-map to keep the action rolling.
  • Eliminated players can chase remaining players in spectator mode and back a winner of their choosing by selecting them.
  • Selecting a player that you’re spectating gives you 150 XP for each of their subsequent kills so you can still stay in the game after you’re eliminated

Lastly there is a new variation on Free For All that was created by our community and we LOVE.  Players call it All Or Nothing.

  • All players spawn with the USP .45 handgun with no ammo and a Throwing Knife.
  • The loadout includes the Hardline perk and Specialist point streak with Scavenger in the first slot.
  • As you get kills, you pick up scavenger packs and get ammo.
  • Once you’re killed you spawn back with no ammo and start again.
  • It’s like One in the Chamber meets Infected with plenty of hilarity mixed in.

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Modern Warfare 3 PS3 Patch 1.11 is Now Live

The PS3 version of Modern Warfare 3 has received patch 1.11, title update #11, shortly after the latest Elite drop was released.

Earlier this morning, paid Elite PS3 users received a new drop, Overwatch, but the map was completely unplayable in the first few hours following its’ introduction. Players were reporting freezing issues on the new map. Since then, patch 1.11 went live for Modern Warfare 3. It seems that the patch fixed the issues with Overwatch. The patch is mandatory, and is 23MB in size.

As it was the case with the last Xbox 360 patch, the patch notes haven’t been made public at the time of writing. On a side note, Robert Bowling used to share the patch notes either on the forums or Twitter, but he no longer works at Infinity Ward.

Be sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Modern Warfare 3 news.

Thanks to DAROCK2300 and ESmorgue for the tip!

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

[Updated] The State of Battlefield 3 – MAV Glitch, Input Lag, Private Servers, PC Glitches and Xbox 360 Patch

So, what’s the state of Battlefield 3 after the recent PS3 and PC patches? Besides many, many good things, PS3 servers are selling like mad, input lag is ‘sort of’ fixed, the MAV is still ridable, a few PC glitches, and the Xbox 360 patch is still nowhere to be found.

Since the recent PS3 patch, the Battlefield community has been hard at work discovering what unadvertised tweaks came along with it. Luckily, with the help of many community members, we’ve been able to compile a list of unannounced PS3 patch notes. Of course, these notes apply to the PC and upcoming Xbox 360 patch as well. Luckily, PC members were also treated to some nice commo rose and mini map changes among many other things. Read here for a full list!

Along with the PS3 patch came the ability for users to rent private servers. You can check out the full list of prices here. Some frequently asked questions surrounding these servers include: Can server owners give admin rights to another user? Are servers region locked? Where are all these servers? To these questions, Global Community Manager Daniel Matros has the answers. Well, sort of. According to Matros, “indeed you can” give admin rights to another user if you are the server owner. Unfortunately, he has “no clue about Sony region locks. You will have to ask Sony as it is their platform.” [We will update when we can.] As for where all the servers are, “PS3 Servers are being rented like this was the last day on earth,” according to Matros. He also added that as of this morning, DICE has “now increased the number of available servers to rent on PS3. Expect more increases to follow shortly.” A few hours later, “another big batch of available PS3 servers to rent now available in addition to this morning’s increase.” That adds up to two increases so far so hopefully PS3 users will be able fo find servers more easily.

For more information regarding how to rent servers, including a FAQ and Xbox 360 pricing, check out the official Battlefield 3 webpage.

What did not make it into the PS3 patch, however, was colorblind mode. “Colorblind mode did not make it in time for this patch,” according to Senior Designer Gustav Halling. Though, many users have been reporting a much more visible user interface after the patch. So while colorblind mode may (or may not) still be on its way, at least DICE has taken steps towards better visibility.

Many know by now that the infamous MAV glitch seems to have not been fixed in the latest patches. At least, not entirely. While players cannot stand on the MAV to raise themselves to higher platforms, it is still possible to lie prone in order to accomplish the same effect. Matros admitted, “yes, Mav fix failed. We will have to make a new fix.” Similarly, Halling mentioned, “we know MAV riding still can be exploited. Admins: I will ban players doing this on servers I admin, suggest the same until fixed.” In fact, he added that “MAV exploiting is against the rules of conduct. You shouldn’t be suprised if your stats are wiped after being found MAV exploiting.” He continued, “using the software in wrong way is baked into the agreement you accept when installing.”

Also still prevalent in the PS3 version of Battlefield 3 is traces of input lag. Though results have been mixed – some reporting improvements, others not so much – DICE claims to still be hard at work looking for solutions. Matros told his followers “we’ve released a fix [the option to turn of AA] that smoothens it for most players. Still working on it though.” Our friend, “TheEnd” was able to povide a quick demonstration of the current state of input lag on the PS3 that you can check out here! Hopefully we’ll hear more of this soon.

Update 1: As ‘Dean’ mentioned in the comments below, Jet heat seekers seem to have been rendered ineffective since the patch. You can check out a video of the PS3 version here.

PC users will also notice a few unadvertised changes to their version of Battlefield 3. One in particular that was revealed by Web Software Engineer Elton Muuga, was the inclusion of a squad privacy function. You can view an image of it here.

Unfortunately, the PC patch did not come without its shortcomings either. Some have been reporting glitches such as the one demonstrated here. Matros assures fans,”we’re reproducing it here in the studio to see how/when and under what circumstances this happens.” Some players have also been reporting no changes made to fall damage, which was originally promised to be tweaked in the upcoming patches. We also hope to hear more on this soon.

Update 2: Gustav Halling has set up a thread on his personal blog where Battlefield 3 players can report post-patch bugs that we highly recommend you utilize if you happen to come across any. You can check out his blog here.

Lastly, we’ve still yet to hear any word of the Xbox 360 patch. Community Manager Ian Tornay has been rather busy on Twitter lately explaining why: “It was broken. We’re fixing it. Date ASAP.” Despite what many seem to suggest – that it is due to platform favoritism – DICE assures that it is simply a technical issue. We’ll be sure to inform our readers of any updates regarding the Xbox 360 patch to make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook!

What are your thoughts on the current state of Battlefield 3 after the PS3 and PC patches? Love it? Hate it? Waiting for the Xbox 360 patch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

DICE Expands Battlefield 3 Deathmatch – Spawn System Improvements and New Play Areas

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

DICE Expands Battlefield 3 Deathmatch – Spawn System Improvements and New Play Areas

Battlefield 3 level designer reveals the issues that the DICE team encountered when it came to perfecting the newly added Team Deathmatch mode and how they’ve improved it in the recent patches and updates. Team Deathmatch was an exciting addition to Battlefield 3, but it didn’t come without its headaches.

Level designer Diego Jiminez explains in the latest Inside DICE, “while we were quite happy with the end result, spending lots of time playing the game online as well as listening to the community’s feedback made it clear to us there were specific areas with room for improvement.” One of the most common points of feedback is that players were spawning too close to each other.

For those interested in how the spawn system actually works, Jiminez reveals, “the whole map is divided into different spawn zones corresponding to areas of the level that a team will naturally fall into or attempt to defend. As combat progresses, the system tracks which team controls which zone and attempts to spawn players close to their team mates.” While a seemingly ideal system, many players reported it to be not working properly.

The Back to Karkand update did include some steps to correcting these issues. Here, the spawn “Protection Radius” was cut in half on maps like Noshahr Canals and Kharg island. Also, spawn points were reconfigured on maps like Caspian Border, Davamand Peak, Noshahr Canals, and Kharg Island. However, it was apparent that further tweaking was needed. Jiminez admits that “while the Karkand update generally improved the spawning-related issues for the aforementioned maps, we felt over the following weeks that Kharg Island was still not up to par.” Taking additional steps, the team removed certain spawn positions in order to avoid spawning players in high traffic areas.

Check out the pictures below for a visual example of what fixes took place.

Battlefield 3 version of Kharg Island (TDM)
Back to Karkand update of Kharg Island (TDM)

Another proposal was to move spawn zones further away from each other in order to avoid players meeting enemies too quickly after spawning. Jiminez explains, the new version of the layout [below] we came up with involved opening up a previously blocked off area on the west end of the map. The extra space allowed us to add a new spawn zone on the southwest (colored as light brown below), bring back the yellow-colored spawn zone, and simultaneously shift the original blue zone farther to the west.”

Recent update of Kharg Island (TDM)

Tehran Highway also carried its fair share of issues. Linear spawn positions made for very repetitive gameplay as players had a very limited number of areas at which fights would be carried out. Of course, the lack of flanking routes was a big hindrance as well. However, this issue seems to have been resolved in the latest update.

Jiminez explains, “through our recent playtests, we’ve found this to be much improved by allowing access to the western half of the map and effectively establishing spawn locations on the other side of the highway. As players can now engage each other across the highway, or fire from elevated positions like the pedestrian overpass or the construction site, the action feels more unpredictable and caters to a wider range of playing styles.”

Check out the differences below.

Original version of Tehran Highway (TDM)
Updated version of Tehran Highway (TDM)

While expanding the play area of Tehran Highway proved to beeffective, the opposite was true for Squad Deathmatch on Davamand Peak. Many players complained of being too spaced out due to squads spawning too far from each other. Jiminez lays it out, “we have now play tested a version of this level that removes two spawn zones we judged to be too out of the way (see the now removed orange and dark green areas on the pictures below).”

Original version of Damavand Peak (SQDM)
Upcoming version of Damavand Peak (SQDM)

Additionally, Jiminez reveals that the team “has also managed to fix a code bug where a small amount of players would spawn within a cluster of enemies at the start of the round, and I have been busy with a whole slew of tweaks to individual spawn points and spawn zones for other Team Deathmatch setups in maps like Seine Crossing, Strike at Karkand, and Sharqi Peninsula.” On top of this, he added that players “can similarly expect significant improvements on the Squad Deathmatch layouts for Noshahr Canals and the aforementioned Damavand Peak.”

What do you think of the recent changes made to the Team Deathmatch and Squad Deathmatch experiences in Battlefield 3? Let us know in the comments below! Remember, if TDM is for you, then you’ll love the upcoming Close Quarters DLC!

Also, make sure to check out a list of unannounced patch notes that made it into the latest PS3 patch as well as the official PC patch notes that released today!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Modern Warfare 3 Elite Drop ‘Overwatch’ Now Available on PS3

The third Call of Duty Elite drop, Overwatch, for Modern Warfare 3 is now available to PS3 owners to download. The map was released for Xbox 360 Owners on February 21st.

If you’re a paid Elite player on the PlayStation 3, you can now install the third Elite drop through the in-game “store” option in the multiplayer menu. The map will set you back 85MB in memory.

No changes have been made to the Elite playlists:

  • Popular game modes TDM, Domination and Kill Confirmed only
  • ELITE Objectives
  • Hardcore Ricochet and Mosh Pit

Next three Elite drops, Black Box, Negotiator, and Black Ice, will release in April. However, no official time frame has been released.

Thanks Mat and Jonny ‏for all the help!

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 3 PC Patch 1.04 Now Live

The big Battlefield 3 patch, which PS3 users received two days ago, has gone live on PC packing in a plethora of tweaks and fixes along with the introduction of an improved version of commo rose.

Thanks to b0rk3d_GB for sharing the screenshot.

DICE has released the fourth Battlefield 3 patch on PC. The update introduces commo rose 2.0, improved mini-map, shortcut bundles, and more. You can download the patch 1.04 right now through Origin. The update weighs in over 1.5GB. At the time of writing, the Battlelog is still undergoing maintenance, we’ll update the article once it’s back online.

Update: Battlelog is back up.

Two screenshots courtesy of Incep710n, Commo Rose 2.0 and Minimap type additions.

You can read about these improvements here, and be sure to read the official patch notes and the unannounced ones.

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 3 – Additional PC Patch Notes for March 29th

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you’ll know that DICE has officially announced the Battlefield 3 PC patch to go live tomorrow, March 29th between 9 and 11:30 CET [5am-6:30am EST]. Wondering what additional, PC-specific content will be included this time around? We’ve got you covered.

EA Community Manager Ian Tornay has posted on the official Battlefield 3 blog a list of changes and tweaks that PC users can expect in the upcoming 1.6GB update.

New and improved commo rose:

Some of the new commo rose updates, inspired by community feedback, include:

New global call-outs – “You can now use the commo rose at any time to request ammo, health, or repairs. Using these requests will trigger appropriate icons on the minimap.”

Moved orders to commo rose – “We moved orders so that they are now exclusive to the commo rose. This means that you will no longer accidentally place an order when you in reality wanted to spot an enemy standing near a flag, for example.”

Improved mouse handling – “The mouse movement is now always tracked from the center of the commo rose, to make navigation more intuitive.”

Quicker activation – “You now activate a call-out simply by releasing Q, which should be snappier than the previous implementation.”

Improved readability – “We tweaked the layout and design of the commo rose to improve readability and give clearer and quicker confirmation of which call-out is currently highlighted.”

Call outs will now be context sensitive, meaning actions will change depending on your current situation. Also, “players should keep an eye on the minimap for these icons [below]. If you see them flashing, a team mate is requesting aid via the commo rose.”

Improved Mini Map:

The mini map mode can be change by pressing [B] (though is, of course, mappable). Players can also set their preferred mode in the options menu and can tweak the opacity for satellite textures.

As explained on the blog (visual examples below):

Map mode shows the most important tactical geometries such as buildings, objects, roads and water.

Satellite mode displays a top-down photograph of the level for increased terrain detail.

Hybrid mode combines the Satellite view with a Map overlay, offering a mix of quick tactical awareness and terrain detail.

Additional content includes:

Beep beep! We have horns!

Yes! We have added horns to all jeeps in the game! Nothing says “Get in and man the machine gun so we can take back the airfield!” like three short beeps of the horn. Just press [SPACE] to make your presence known to friendly forces. Warning: Beeping also heard by opposition. Suggest limiting beeping when in enemy territory to keep vehicle in working order. This feature is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday (activated by L1).

Giving all players IR flares

To balance the battlefield and give budding pilots a fighting chance from day 1, we are now giving IR flares to all players. These will be automatically available to you in all air vehicles in the game. So if you’ve had a hard time staying up in the air previously, it should be easier to dodge incoming threats from now on. We hope this small but significant change will mean more players take to the skies and mix up their play style. This feature is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday.

More awards for skillful heli flying

One of the balancing items we have done in this game update is to better reward skillful heli pilots. To do this, we have increased the pilot’s score for transporting passengers who make kills from the heli. The assist score for heli pilots is now 50 points/kill. In a fully loaded transport, four passengers who make 1 kill each will give the pilot a sum total of 200 points. This balancing change is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday.

Making the SOFLAM a passive income gadget

The Recon gadget SOFLAM (laser target painter) has been given a new feature. Now, when a Recon player places it and then leaves it, it will continue to paint targets entering its area of control, continuously giving the Recon player a passive points income. This means a Recon player can place a SOFLAM in a strategic position, then leave it to find a good sniping spot. Combined with fixing a few scoring error in the SOFLAM, it should now be a much more viable source of experience points for Recons. This balancing change is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday.

Suppressing is team play, too!

Another balancing change that reflects how we want every player to be able to contribute to the overall effort is the lowered threshold for achieving the Suppression Ribbon. From a previous requirement of 7, players now only need to perform 3 suppressions in a game to be rewarded the Suppression Ribbon. This means the Support Kit player can rack up scores by skillful use of his LMG. We’ve always know suppression helps  – now we are more generously rewarding those team players who help disorient the enemy so we can move in for the kill. This balancing change is also present in the PlayStation 3 update that went live yesterday.

For a list of features that weren’t advertised in the official PS3 patch notes, read our List of Unannounced PS3 Battlefield 3 Patch Notes!

What features are you most looking forward to?

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

New Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Community Challenge – Operation: Raptor

Last weekend, BioWare commenced Operation: Fortress, in which all players were granted a 25% bonus in experience points. The weekend before that, players were welcomed to the first community challenge, Operation: Goliath. This week, BioWare continues the series of challenged with Operation: Raptor.

In this particular operation, players are tasked with promoting 150,000 characters or more as a community in the ME3 multiplayer, according to the official BioWare Blog. If this community challenge is met, all player will receive a “Victory Pack” the following week. As an individual challenge, players will also have the chance to earn a “Commendation Pack” for promoting 2 characters throughout the course of the weekend.

This even will take place starting at 5PM PST Friday, March 30th and will end at 5AM PST Monday, April 2nd.

Once again, this challenge is only open to Xbox 360 and PC users, though BioWare is working to extend these challenges to the PS3 community. “We are continuing to work with Sony to enable these types of Operations on the PlayStation 3 platform. We appreciate your patience, and we expect an update later this week regarding Operation Raptor and the PlayStation 3,” explained BioWare.

Remember that in order to receive your reward, “Upload Gameplay Feedback” needs to be turned “on” in the online options.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Gets First Gameplay Video – Bullet Time, Gang Wars and Payne Killer Revealed

Rockstar games has released the first multiplayer gameplay for Max Payne 3. The video showcases two modes, Gang Wars and Payne Killer, and introduces how Bullet Time will work in multiplayer.

As for perks, only Bullet Time was revealed. Bullet Time works in a very unique way. Only enemies in your line of sight will enter Bullet Time. Other perks will be revealed later.

[youtube id=”_Z72JTrknOE” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Armored Kill Dev Wants Scout Choppers “To Be a Bigger Part of BF3,” No 2-Man Artillery Units, Mortar Tweaks and More

Our latest Battlefield 3 report looked at a few interesting bits of information regarding DICE’s upcoming DLC, Armored Kill as Lead Designer Gustav Halling answered some burning questions that hardcore BF fans are dying to know. Lucky for us, he isn’t done yet. Halling, head of the Armored Kill project, speaks more on the subject or artillery, vehicles, server issues and hints at some upcoming surprises.

In our last report, Halling mentioned that things were still up in the air in terms of artillery, though some guidelines were in place. One suggestion thrown around was the idea of 2-man artillery – a popular request for air vehicles as well. On the Battlefield 3 UK forums, Halling made it clear, “I dont want the artillery to be a 2 seater.” The rather humorous reason for this “is a well proven concept where in 1942 you drove your artillery into the perfect place and as soon as you switched to fire some noob took it and drove away with it, making you unable to use it,” according to Halling.

He did reveal that players “will not be able to drive and shoot at the same time,” however. He continued, “the way that I want you to switch between driving and shooting is that you switch stance as in a Jet when firing different weapons.” Although, “it will not require the ArmA styles since I dont see it fit the BF3 gameplay because its not a simulator,” he added. Halling also stressed the importance that players “can’t use the artillery system to span around the map spotting everything.” To him, “a goal about teamplay is that it should feel very close to how you are used to help players today, for example using soflams etc.”

When it comes to mortars, Halling explained, “I do actually like the mortar system since it docent give you a direct camera view over the area but only shows spotted or firing enemies.” However, “I do agree there should be tweaks done to it, I would like that audio spotting isn’t seen over the whole map when using a carbine etc but I can’t make any promises,” he added.

Scout helicopters were also in discussion between fans and Halling, as was earlier between fans and Senior Designer Alan Kertz. “I also love Scout helicopters and I want to see more of them. I can’t specify more atm but I want them to be a bigger part of BF3 on all SKUs,” stated Halling. So far, we’ve already seen an additional scout helicopter added to Sharqi Peninsula in the latest PS3 unannounced patch notes.

Lastly, Halling touched on the lack of Hardcore servers ever since the latest server update: “Saw some comments about adding more options to sort out Hardcore servers. I like that too and will forward to the Battlelog team.” So, hopefully, we can expect to hear more about this subject in the near future.

What are your thoughts about artillery, vehicles and the direction they should be headed in for Armored Kill?

Make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for more Battlefield 3 DLC details!

Source: Battlefield 3 UK Forums

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber