Today, YouTuber shosho10199 brings us one of the funniest Battlefield 3 videos we’ve ever seen.
Here, he documents a truly epic getaway attempt by one particularly creative recon player. Enjoy.
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Source: Reddit
Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling explains why Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2 weren’t policed as aggressively as Modern Warfare 3.
Some Modern Warfare 3 players have been up in arms since Infinity Ward issued a series of bans over the prestige token glitch. One fan argued that all premium Xbox Live players have the right to play “however they like”, Bowling explained that “no player should ever have the right to ruin the experience for another player. Cheating ruins online gameplay.” Bowling assured that the security team doesn’t ban players by taking “reports simply on their word”, player stats and video are verified first. The gist of Bowling’s argument is that “players have the option to opt-out of our code of conduct, by simply not playing online, always welcome to play offline.”
Some fans questioned Bowling on why Infinity Ward wasn’t as strict with its previous titles, Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2. Bowling referenced the technological improvements that Modern Warfare 3 features compared to its predecessors. He stated that Infinity Ward “didn’t have the technology” to ban players for glitching or other offences two and four years ago, and “that was one of the major developments we’ve made in MW3.” Bowling went on to explain that Modern Warfare 3 “was built from the ground up to incorporate and be integrated with this tech.” That’s why the can’t go back to CoD4 and MW2 add banning measures because “it’s not a code agnostic platform.”
Robert Bowling has just revealed via twitter that players with non paid elite subscription will be able to purchase the first collection of DLC in March.
Bowling stated “ELITE subscribers get free monthly DLC content drops for MW3. In March, the first paid collection of DLC comes out for non-subscribers.” If history is any indication, the first map pack will set you back $14.99 on PSN/PC or 1200 Microsoft points. Earlier today, the first two maps have been revealed, Piazza and Liberation (Be sure to check out the behind the scenes video). Of course, the collection of DLC in March will pack in more than the two maps Elite subscribers will be getting later this month. Bowling explained “by the time the collection comes out, there will have been multiple drops. These two maps are just the first Jan drops.”
Keep in mind, the 360 players will have access to the DLC in March meaning that PC and PS3 non elite players will have to wait until April to buy the first collection.
Activision has announced that the first DLC drop coming for Elite paid members on January 24th packs in two new maps, Piazza and Liberation. This DLC drop will be available on the 360 first. If you’re an Elite subscriber, then you’ll be able to download the two maps for free as it’s part of the Elite subscription. Elite members expect monthly 20 pieces of content over the next 9 months.
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In David Vonderhaar’s ongoing discussion with Call of Duty fans, he recently spoke of everybody’s favorite perks: Ghost and Assassin.
Many complaints regarding perk balance in Call of Duty stem from perks like Assassin who’s base version in MW3 grants users immunity to UAV, portable radar, thermal, and heartbeat. The Pro version grants immunity to the CUAV and EMP, as well as hides the red crosshair and name over your character. Considering the minimap and all these other items are such a key component to a players situational awareness, it’s easy to see how many could view a perk like this to be “overpowered.” David Vonderhaar, Treyarch Gameplay Designer, shares some of his thoughts on the subject.
“Is the problem really Assassin? Isn’t it those uber Pro upgrades, too much UAV spam, and stacking with Blind Eye where it starts to derail?” he asked his followers on Twitter. Some followers suggested that it isn’t Assassin that is the problem, but rather the Pro version. Many feel that it shouldn’t block the the EMP or CUAV. Vonderhaar responded, “agreed. Assassin isn’t a problem. Too much UAV spam, stacking with Counter UAV and EMP & good choices in the same category.” When told that Assassin should only block UAV and nothing else, Vonderhaar mentioned, “that’s what I’m thinking. Combined with good UAV tuning.” This is perhaps another change to the perk system that we could be seeing in Treyarch’s next title.
This isn’t the first time Vonderhaar questioned the ways of the Call of Duty franchise. If you haven’t yet, check out Treyarch Dev Talks CoD Gun Balance and Why It’s Broken.
What do you think about the Assassin perk or perks like it? Should it only block the UAV? Should it be rid from Call of Duty completely? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
It is becoming more and more likely that Treyarch, developers of Call of Duty 3, World at War, and Black Ops, are indeed naming their next project “Black Ops 2.”
This most likely will not come as a surprise to many considering the success of the original Black Ops as well as the mass success of the Modern Warfare franchise. Surely, Activision would not pass up such an opportunity.
Yesterday, Fusible.com discovered the domain name “blackops2.com” to be secretly purchased by Activision. While this still does not confirm a Black Ops 2, as Activision could simply be protecting their IP, it does suggest what many of us are already assuming. To build the hype even further, David Vonderhaar, Lead Gameplay Designer on the original Black Ops, has been quite transparent as to what to expect from the next Call of Duty.
The big question is, do you want to see a Black Ops 2, or something different? Let us know in the comments below!
If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out ‘Treyarch Dev Talks CoD Gun Balance and Why It’s Broken‘.
The long awaited Call of Duty Elite app is set to release on iOS devices tomorrow and Android devices next week.
According to Beachhead Studios, the app for Call of Duty Elite will hit the App Store “tomorrow and the Android version is coming next week.” the app should be a universal app to work with any of your iOS devices, iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Speaking to Kotaku, Chacko Sonny stated that the CoD Elite app is coming out on iOS devices some time tomorrow. The app will enable players to discuss and go over their “recent matches” to see “what happened to your K/D”. He suggested that you could “look at the top of the scoreboard and see what those guys were using. OK, that might be a combination that you might want to try. Right from the mobile app, you can configure to those same weapons and try them out the next time you play.” Sonny stated that the Elite issues are long behind them. He explained, “so we’re at a spot where the service is 100 percent operational. Features are in place.” However, there’s more to come. Sonny recalled that “there are things that people are still waiting on. Most notably, clan operations being one of them. And we’re absolutely heads down working to ensure that clan operations experience that people get is the best that it possibly can be.”
Eric Hirshberg previously stated that Elite is an integral part of the Call of Duty universe.
Modern Warfare 3’s creative strategist, Robert Bowling, has touched on several issues regarding patch plans.
While the last patch has improved the lag compensation (host disadvantage) to some extent, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Robert Bowling revealed that Infinity Ward has “further improvements” on the way to remedy this issue. Robert also confirmed that the team behind Modern Warfare 3 is currently discussing “fading objective markers” while aiming down sight and introducing the ability to adjust “music volume in game.” Robert has reiterated that the PS3 should receive an update to patch the voice chat in Modern Warfare 3. He promised that a fix is indeed “in the next update”. PS3 users will also see “theater improvements” to sort out the YouTube link feature.
Unfortunately, the stat loss issue has not been completely ironed out with patch 1.06. If your stats get rolled back, Robert suggests that by “backing out to SP and then reloading MP”, it “will restore a new connection to the server, and hopefully save any stats prior.” However, there is no official word on when the stat loss issues will be fixed for good. On a different note, double tapping Y/ Triangle to skip the reload animation that we featured in our Modern Warfare 3 tips article (tip #8) is not going anywhere. When Robert was asked if the team behind MW3 would consider to change the mechanic, he stated that “we currently have no plans to change that.”
When we asked Bowling on when the next patch, 1.08, will drop, he answered “I do not currently have an ETA on the next title update.” Bowling did confirm that the next patch is coming by the end of the month.
It looks like the PlayStation 3 version of Battlefield 3 could finally be seeing VoIP updates next month.
Tomas Danko, VO Producer at DICE, recently revealed that Battlefield fans can look forward to another patch coming in February. When asked for more details, specifically regarding PlayStation 3 issues, Danko mentioned, “I can say VoIP updates for PS3 next month, but more than that I’ll keep to myself at the moment.” If you’ve been in the dark recently, the PS3 version of Battlefield 3 has been suffering from poor voice-chat quality (voice over IP), making it almost impossible to play with others. It’s good see a fix for it is on the way.
In other, dare we say more important news, Danko also has some news regarding where the jeep horn fix went. “I found the patch where the jeep horn fix was added to but don’t know when it will be released (it wasn’t released yet).”
Expect more updates from MP1st as they become available! For now, why not follow us on Twitter and Facebook?
Battlefield 3 Developer, Alan Kertz, talks about buffs and fixes for certain weapons as well as goes into more detail regarding the upcoming weapon attachment rebalance.
If you haven’t yet, read up on the upcoming changes to pistols and suppressors.
It was recently mentioned that the .44 Magnum could be seeing a buff in the near future. Kertz answered a fan asking this question saying, “it could use some love.” Particularly of concern was the rate of fire and range, rather than stopping power, since it’s already a 2-hit kill at close range. Some players have been reporting a bug that prevents the M9 Beretta (and perhaps other pistols) from firing consistently. Apparently, when firing at a steady rate, a click (pull of the trigger) will not register 100% of the time. So far, it seems to be at random. Kertz has stated that it is a “known issue,” and that there is a “fix coming up.” This most likely has to do with the upcoming fix he mentioned for semi-automatic weapons. Lastly, Kertz further clarifies the situation regarding bolt-action rifles. A few players have been asking, “if bolt-actions will get a deadly hitbox at close range, how close will it be? In meters?” Kertz answered, “15m, like a shotgun slug from the 870.”
As for more weapon attachment details, some players have been expressing concern over the use (or uselessness) of the flash suppressor. Kertz assures that “the flash suppressor will be changed to no longer make auto accuracy worse and will also reduce your recoil more than a suppressor.” The drawback so far is that it still will not hide you from the minimap while firing. Others have been asking what will become of the bipod, which seems to be rather under-used at the moment, except for LMG users. Kertz stated that “bipods will be faster to deploy.” He is also “going to look at fixing several bugs with deploy and similar things to make it more usable.”
So far, it looks like Battlefield 3 is well on its way to being able to boast some of the more balanced gunplay included in an FPS yet. Let’s hope some of these other issues like the PS3 VoIP and Input Lag can be sorted out.
Twisted Metal’s David Jaffe debunks some rumors, talks PS Vita, and more.
A picture of a Twisted Metal Kiosk/Display has been roaming around the internet. This image suggests that there will be Move support in TM; however, Jaffe has confirmed that the image is misleading and that it will support neither or those. In regards to 3D, the team behind Twisted Metal would have liked to support it according to Jaffe, but he goes on to say that there was not enough time or members of the team to get it done. Although there will be tons of online modes including co-op, there will not be online story co-op, which some may have hoped for.
He then goes on to speak about the success of the game, and how it will impact the future support for Twisted Metal. If the game sells well enough, then they will start developing new content for the game. However, at the moment there is nothing planned for DLC. In terms of sales, David hope that it reaches great numbers of 1 -2 millions for full retail price. This is most likely over the course of a lifetime and not at launch. He also goes on to say that in order to be profitable or break even the game must sell at least 2 times that of Twisted Metal Black. Further, Jaffe stated that if the game is a big hitter, then he could imagine Sony allowing a PS Vita version of the game, though it’s not planned.
The team has been working hard on Twisted Metal over the past few years. They are hoping that this is the best Twisted Metal game to have ever released in both the Story and Multiplayer section of the game. They stated that the Single player is probably the best one yet of the Twisted Metal series, though if your someone who’s just going for the Single Player David suggest that you rent the game rather then buy, because the game is heavy focused on Multiplayer. David Jaffe has also confirmed that this will be his last Combat Racing game in a very long time, suggesting that he is “outta gas”.
Be sure to read about the latest Twisted Metal News.
Alan Kertz, Core Gameplay Designer at DICE, gives us even more details of the upcoming weapon attachment rebalance. In cased you missed it, he began going into further detail in yesterday’s post which you can check out here.
For those wondering, Kertz confirmed that “the changes to suppressor and laser will affect pistols” as well. He also mentioned that other semi-auto weapons “should be much better with the ‘jamming’ fix,” which will hopefully be included in the upcoming February patch. It was asked if Kertz had any plans to tweak the the M1911’s minimum damage, considering it can be tough to use with it’s small clip size. He responded, “it’s 3 up close, I can double check the range. Big diff will be its easier to hit the fire rate in next update.”
Many fans are curious about the changes being made to the suppressor attachment and are worried that it might not be as effective as it is currently. “Will the suppressor still be the only attachment hiding me from enemy’s minimap?” one fan asked. Kertz answered, “yes, as it’s the only one with enough other negatives to balance that positive.” However, Kertz mentioned that to balance it out, “the suppressor will no longer cause a damage reduction over long range, thats a nice buff.” Many PDW users favor the suppressor as a go-to attachment, but with the suppressor’s 50% reduction in hip fire accuracy, will these submachine guns still be as effective for those run-and-gun players? “They will have a hip penalty yes, though [PDWs] are so good to begin with it won’t hurt much,” according to Kertz.
On a side note, Kertz clears up the situation regarding the much talked about FAMAS assault rifle. Many have been asking if it will be seeing a nerf in the upcoming update. Kertz clarified saying “no, it becomes balanced with the accessory changes.”
Are you an avid user of the suppressor attachment? Are you concerned about these upcoming changes? Let us know in the comments below.
Two other conversations worth checking out: ‘PS3 VoIP and Input Lag issues‘ and ‘Shotgun Balance‘.
EA discounts Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and its expansion map, Vietnam.
As part of EA’s Xbox Live Sale, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is on sale for $14.99 (25% off). If you already own BFBC2 or you’re planning on picking it up, then you might want to try out one of the best expansion packs in recent memory, Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam. Vietnam, set in the 1960s, packs in four maps, 16 weapons, and 6 vehicles not featured Bad Company 2 vanilla. Luckily, Vietnam will only set you back 600 Microsoft points (50% off). The sale is running until this Monday, January 9.
Daniel Matros gives Battlefield 3 players an update on the input lag and VOIP issues that have been holding back the PS3 version.
We know many of you have been anxiety waiting for an update regarding the issues the PlayStation 3 version of Battlefield 3 is experiencing. Up until now, DICE has only been saying that these are known problems or that they “are investigating the root cause and possible solutions.” Apparently, DICE is “still working” towards addressing the VOIP issues but “making good progress” according to Battlefield 3’s global community manager, Daniel Matros. Daniel went on to promise that PS3 input lag and VOIP “will be fixed eventually.” Unfortunately, there’s “no ETA” on when DICE will release a patch to iron out these issues, but if history is any indication, DICE tries to work in as many fixes in one patch. When Matros was asked on whether these fixes will be included in the much awaited February patch, he explained “no timeframe given” at this point.
We hope DICE releases a patch specially to address these problems as soon as fixes are completed.
David Jaffe discusses a few tips to winning and some game modes information for the upcoming Playstation 3 exclusive, Twisted Metal.
Like any multiplayer games the map knowledge plays an important role in winning. Knowing the layouts, where all the weapons and pickups are, can lead to a win. It’s important that you not only master the vehicle and it’s weapons, but also master the maps to learn of all it’s secrets such as short-cuts and entrance points to hard to reach places according to Jaffe. Carnage mode main focus is how much damage is being done and your skills with weapons rather than how many kills a team has. The amount of damage you receive is taken away and given to the other team and vice-versa. The value of offense and defense is greatly increased compared to other matches. Other ways to earn points are from kill bonuses and survival bonuses (survive 45 seconds or longer). It offers a “totally different gameplay” from that of death matches. Every weapon and vehicle are “equal” according to Jaffe; however, they are carved to be played in different style, which may make them more useful in certain situations than others. Bugs and exploit will be checked for constantly after the game has been launched.
According to the recent ESRB rating details, Twisted Metal will feature a Capture the Leader type of mode. As mentioned in our previous post, there will be certain areas in the game that will be inaccessible unless you do an excessive amount of damage to certain structures. These areas usually contain the locations of the fractions leaders. Once the leader is captured they will then be dragged, leaving a large blood trail from behind the vehicle. Along with this gruesome death, players will get the opportunity to use old time favorites such as the Machine gun, Chainsaw, or the Flamethrower.
In a few weeks an onslaught of new videos will be released. These videos will range from your standard “Making Of” to a more in deph look at multiplayer such as hosting and other multiplayer features. If you missed any other Twisted Metal news make sure to visit here.
Alan Kertz, Core Gamepley Designer on Battlefield 3, goes further in depth into weapon attachments and what the functions of different combinations will be once his changes take effect.
First, to be clear, Kertz stated that “the accessory balance goal [which you can read all about here] is to give each accessory a playstyle.” As an example, Kertz mentiond that the “Foregrip + Suppressor will be the clear CQB combo.” One fan asked, “Foregrip + Laser sight won’t be the clear CQB combo?!” Kertz responded, “Laser is the Run and Gun king,” since it will heavily reduce hip fire recoil.
As for roles of the Heavy Barrel and Flash Suppressor, he simply put it, “Heavy Barrel long range, and Flash Suppressor midrange.” However, we can “expect a full, detailed description of the change when it goes live.” One fan mentioned that the Heavy Barrel currently increases recoil, so why should it help at long range? Kerts answered that “it’s getting buffed to help at range.” Other fans were confused as to why the suppressor would be primarily for CQB. Kertz clarified that “the Suppressor is stealth but short ranged. Another option would be the Laser Sight for greater hip accuracy.”
Don’t forget to check out Kertz’s latest response to Shotgun balance in Battlefield 3.
Given what we know so far, why type of combinations do you think you will be trying out? Let us know in the comments below!
Alan Kertz of DICE has recently done some follow-up work on weapon and weapon attachment balance issues. For a full explanation, check out ‘Big Changes To Weapon Balance In Store for Battlefield 3‘ and ‘Battlefield 3 Dev Defends Weapon Attachment Re-Balance‘.
Kertz recently announced that he “playtested the accessories changes yesterday for several hours.” He concluded that “big buffs to heavy barrel and flash suppressor seem to have converts.” More interestingly, he also mentioned Shotguns in Battlefield 3. According to an in-depth analysis by YouTuber NitroGamingNet, shotgun balance is currently rather… not balanced. We highly recommend checking out his analysis.
In regards to this video, Kertz has stated that he has “taken direct action on the great suggestions.” He also mentioned that “for those who hate the USAS with Frag, the USAS didn’t have the reduced frag rate of fire like others. Expect that to be fixed.”
Let us know your thoughts on the balance between shotguns in Battlefield 3 in the comments below!
Battlefield 3 Patch in February, DICE Looking Into Squad Stability and Other Bugs
Dylan Jobe gives details about the upcoming Starhawk public Beta and how you can get in along with details about 1.2 patch and upcoming ones.
If your a part of the few selected players who participated in the closed Beta, there is some good news for early access. Dylan Jobe states that all closed beta players are automatically part of the public Beta once it launches; however, he advises that you do not delete the game off your HDD as it could potentially disqualify you. No word if re-downloading the beta will fix this. Once the public beta goes live you’ll be prompted to download patch 1.2, which will enable the public beta version of your download. The patch will be released worldwide, so players of other regions will not have to wait while others are playing it.
It was reported last month on the PS Blog that something was being planned for PS+ members, and Dylan has now confirmed that they will be granted early access along side with those who bought Uncharted 3 or were apart of the Private Beta However, if your someone who doesn’t meet any of qualifications stated above, then you’ll have to wait a while as the public Beta won’t be available to everyone for quite some time.
As requested, those who are familiar with the old style of Warhawk gameplay will be pleased to know that Classic Arcade flight-mode will be returning in the latest update. Though there are concerns, we won’t fully know how well the Classic controls will fair against the new controls. As always, the team will continue to follow players of the public Beta and take the feedback to apply it in potential future patches. Dylan says that the Public Beta will have plenty of updates and also stating that the Public Beta isn’t the final build of the game.
Robert Bowling goes into detail of every possible ban that Modern Warfare 3 players might receive for various offenses. With the recent bans going out to prestige token exploiters, Bowling has listed on the official forums what every offence entails.
Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of organizing cooperative or single game play for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks.
( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset.
(ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.
(iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.
Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of unknown boosting, glitching, hacking or other related offenses for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks.
( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset.
(ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.
(iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.
Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of organizing cooperative or single game play for the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks. Examples: Exploiting map holes, the javelin glitch, and participating in modded lobbies
( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset.
(ii) Second Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 48 hours and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.
(iii) Third Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 7 days and a stats reset, and a permanent ban from leaderboards.
Any player demonstrating ‘game abuse’ in the form of modifying the executable or creating infected lobbies with or without the purpose of gaining experience, prestige, score, weapon levels, icons, titles or other related in-game unlocks.
( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is console banned.
Any player demonstrating in-game verbal abuse, harassing, or other related behavior deemed as universally unacceptable to other players.
( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is banned for 24 hours
Any player demonstrating an offensive in-game gamer tag, to be decided as universally unacceptable to other players.
( i ) First Offense: With proper verification, user is reputation banned 5000. A reputation ban that exceeds a certain threshold can lead to bans from playing.
Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling explains what awaits the people who have exploited prestige token glitch.
Robert tweeted an image, which you can see below, of what goes on behind the scenes when the security team behind Modern Warfare 3 bans exploiters. Recently, we reported on the fact that Bowling had threatened prestige token exploiters with imminent bans. Bowling made good on his promise when he invited the Call of Duty community to “witness as the MW3 ban hammer falleth. Prestige Token exploiters banned, stat reset & removed from leaderboards.” It’s worth noting that a while back Bowling mentioned a “2 day ban is planned result of prestige token glitchers” along with the aforementioned punishments.
In other Modern Warfare 3 news, an update is on the way to address the spawn system.
