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BF3 – Gameplay Changes to Beta Including Recoil, Post-Launch Projects, and Much More

  by   David Veselka  
September 22, 2011 1:44 pm in News

Before we begin today’s Battlefield 3 news round-up, I think it’s important to clarify a few things that many Battlefield fans have been wondering about.

 

Alan Kertz, senior gameplay designer at DICE, officially clarified what exactly is needed to gain access to the M1911 pistol and what the deal is with the Veteran Weapon.

In a response to this question on Twitter, Kertz answered, “The M1911 is available to both Gun Club [members] and Veterans, however there are additional Veteran bonuses.” What exactly these Veteran bonuses are have yet to be revealed. MP1st will make sure to keep you posted!

Also, we recently wrote an article detailing how Medal of Honor Limited Edition owners can gain early access to the Battlefield 3 beta, however, it seems like Kertz tweeted some details that are conflictin to the official beta website. When asked for details about when we would be receiving emails with early access codes, Kertz responded, “You don’t need a key, if your EA account is entitled to MOH LE then you get the beta access automatically early.” This makes sense, but it’s not what the official site states. Stay tuned to MP1st for more clarification on this matter!

Another big question on everyone’s mind is what exactly is DICE going to do after the final game is released in terms of support? Kertz assured us that DICE has “planned updates and additional content support, plus there is Always other projects…” What these other projects could be, we have no clue. Again, stay tuned to MP1st for clarification!

Kertz also talked about a few more gameplay changes that should be making it into the Beta at the end of September. Some fans concerned about the under-barrel grenade launcher attachment asked Kertz the reasoning behing it being a one-hit kill. He assured us that there is “much smaller splash, minimum arm timer, and only direct.”

Recoil has also been a hot topic when it comes to gameplay changes. I find this next tweet to be particularly interesting because it has to do with burst-firing a weapon, a technique many of us have gotten used to in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and many other games. Kertz was asked if burst firing would be harder now that we have selectable fire rates for weapons. He responded, “Tap firing has a larger recoil than the same rounds fired in full auto actually.” He later continued, “If you tap fired as fast as full auto the spread would [be] the same. Control recoil and pace your rounds. It’s better.” It seems odd that burst fire and full auto will the same spread, but I’m sure we can trust DICE to make the right decisions.

Make sure to Follow @MPFirst for timely updates on Battlefield 3!

Interested in joining the PTFO movement? Read here to see what it’s all about and spread the word!

 

Tags: 360 Alan Kertz Battlefield Battlefield 3 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Beta BF3 BF3 Beta Demize99 DICE Early Access Gameplay Grenade Launcher M1911 Multiplayer PC Playstation 3 PS3 PSN Tomas Danko Weapons Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

David Veselka

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Home > News

Gorgeous Custom BF3 PS3 Casing with Mounted Claymore

  by   Fahed Jaradat  
12:52 pm in News

After looking at this Battlefield 3 PS3, I think the word “gorgeous” has a new meaning. Click on the image to full size.

 

 

Yesterday, a picture of a custom Battlefield 3 themed PlayStation 3 leaked via Reddit; however, the source of this custom was unknown. I did some digging, and I believe I found the makers of the beutiful beast you’re feasting your eyes on. I think it’s the accessories company, Calibur11, behind the costum PS3, Calibur11 specializes in adding additional protection, cooling, and stability to Xbox 360s and PS3. It has recently released a custom Gears of War 360 console.

 

While the 360 owners can purchase the Gears 360 console right now, I believe the PS3 owners will be getting the BF3 custom cover when Battlefield 3 comes out. It’s worth noting that the 360 cover retails for $89.99, so I expect a similar price tag for the PS3 casing, unless the claymore is live. Then, it’ll make you slim PS3 look cool and protect against theft! Make sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter for all your Battlefield desires and also to get some gaming sessions going with MP1st’s readers and editors on the 27th! PTFO!

 

Tags: Battlefield Battlefield 3 BF3 Claymore Console Custom Mod Playstation 3 PS3 Themed

Fahed Jaradat

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BF3 – Beta Will Now Be Available on PC in Asia and Pre-Order Bonuses Available for Purchase

  by   David Veselka  
September 21, 2011 5:17 pm in News

On DICE’s official beta information page, it was listed that the beta would be available in North America, South America, Europe, Southern Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. You will notice that Asia, a potentially substantial market, was left out of this list all together.

However, recently, EA Singapore has released some good news for Asian countries on their Facebook page. They stated, “This is to confirm that we are now a go for the PC Open Beta for all of Asia!” The beta will be available on the same day as the rest of the world; September 29th, but as stated in their quote, only on the PC. Unfortunately, no word on the console version yet.

Learn how to enter the BF3 beta early here!

Many Battlefield fans have been wondering if any of the Battlefield 3 pre-order bonuses like the SPECACT Kit or Dog Tag Pack would be available to purchase separately on a later date. As it turns out, they are available for purchase right now, but only for EA Origin members.

You can find these two DLC items on two different websites listed here:

www.mmoga.com

www.g2play.com

To stay up to date on all the latest Battlefield 3 news, follow @MPFirst on Twitter and check out our recent blog: Forget Your K/D Ratio and Play the Objective.

Make sure to check out the Battlefield 3 PC Minimum and Recommended System Specs.

Tags: "Pre Order Bonuses" Asia Battlefield Battlefield 3 Beta BF3 BF3 Beta DICE Dog Tag EA EA Singapore Early Access Multiplayer Origin PC PC Specs SPECACT Kit

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Home > Features

Battlefield – Forget Your K/D and Play The Objective

  by   David Veselka  
3:50 pm in Features
PTFO – Play The F***ing Objective.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m really excited to see this trend catching on more and more in my gaming sessions of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and maybe even more importantly, in the YouTube community. I say this is perhaps more important in the YouTube community because it’s where less experienced players go to watch their favorite, veteran players as they post their footage of the ways that they like to play Battlefield games. I think it’d be pretty safe to say that these guys have a lot of influence over the community since YouTube is so accessible, and it’s usually the first place people go to learn a thing or two about how to become a better player. We’ve obviously seen a lot of great gameplay footage of amazing kills and killstreaks by some of the best players on the internet, but I think many gamers are beginning to realize that the Battlefield franchise has a lot more depth to it than racking up head shots and no-scopes. I think the Battlefield community is in the midst of seeing a shift away from kill-oriented game play to objective/team-oriented gameplay.

While BFBC2, for example, doesn’t really reward players with killstreak bonuses for playing as a team, only a decent amount of points, there aren’t many other games out there that give you this many options or opportunities to really work together and work towards a common goal. What I mean is that a lot of shooters out there are simply about shooting things. For the most part, your goal is to shoot stuff, maybe capture a flag and perhaps arm a bomb or two. Of course these are huge staples of the Battlefield franchise as well, but what other games out there allows you to heal teammates, resupply comrades with ammunition, repair friendly vehicles, and spot enemies for your entire team to see? It’s our job, as gamers, to take advantage of these gameplay mechanics and make the most of them. It’s also these types of actions that I believe reward the player with the most self-fulfillment. It makes you feel like a part of something bigger than yourself. I think this is also, in part, due to the fact that deep down, you know you are actually helping out another human being somewhere on the other side of the world, or maybe just down the street. You are making his or her Battlefield experience a much better experience than it could be otherwise, while at the same time, satisfying your own sense of accomplishment.

What Is The PTFO Movement?

PTFO is the simple idea of being less concerned about your kill to death ratio and being more focused on accomplishing the task at hand. Of course, this mostly applies to games like Battlefield where the game types are mainly objective-oriented. You may have noticed that Battlefield is a game who’s winner is determined by which team plays together and fights for the objective. You may be an amazing shot, and have reflexes like a cat, but it won’t win you a game in Battlefield unless you have a strong team behind you, who you’re willing to work with.

While its origins do not have an exact beginning, and while many players have adopted this play style since the birth of Battlefield, the PTFO movement has seen a recent boost in popularity, especially in the YouTube scene. I think this is, in part, due to the many commentators that have begun preaching this ideology in their YouTube videos, especially in preparation for Battlefield 3. However, I’d like to mention one commentator in particular who has had a big influence in the way I play Battlefield games, and who I think was one of the first to really start introducing this idea to the Battlefield community. While the entire DCRU (Demolition Crew) is a great source of inspiration on YouTube, DCRU Colin has some amazing videos that I think clearly define what the PTFO movement is really about and why I think it elevates the Battlefield community above the rest. I’ve included three of Colin’s more important videos at the end of this article, but I highly suggest checking out his, and the rest of the DCRU’s YouTube channels.

The K/D Mentality.

One question you might have is why do we even need to be inspired to play the objective? Doesn’t everyone just realize that it’s the right thing to do? Well, ironically, it seems to be the developers themselves that are placing the emphasis on your K/D ratio and other trivial stats. Personally, I was quite let down to see your K/D ratio included in the in-game leader-boards of Battlefield 3, alongside your total score for the match. I would much rather see something like a ‘score per minute’ instead. Of course, K/D is something that should be kept in personal stats, but I don’t believe it needs to be emphasized in the leader-boards. If I’m not mistaken, I believe your K/D ratio even played a large role in determining your skill level in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, which I don’t think is a true representation of how someone plays Battlefield.

Another factor that I think has played a large role in emphasizing K/D is the Call of Duty series. Now, to many, this games centers around your K/D ratio, which is fine, especially in TDM game types. Putting emphasis on kills is perfectly suited to this style of gameplay, and with the mass amount of popularity this franchise has gained in the past few years, this mentality is bound to seep into other FPS franchises. You may have noticed that videos of awesome kills and epic killstreaks became all the rage on YouTube, and It was quite natural for players of other FPS games to want to imitate this style of play. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t fit the Battlefield franchise. I’m sure many would agree that it just isn’t what this game is about. It’s not what ‘Battlefield‘ means to our community.

Competing With a Team, Not Against

To speak from personal experience, I eventually became discouraged with the Call of Duty series when it got to the point where I felt like I was only playing for a high K/D, rather than playing to have fun. This is because deep down, I knew that it was the sole determining factor, at least that other players/friends could see, that dictated what kind of player I was. See, I think that once you start becoming an experienced player, your expectations begin to rise. Call of Duty was loads of fun for me in my earlier days of gaming until I began to expect to have good games with a high K/D all the time. Later, when I couldn’t meet those expectations, I became all the more disappointed than I would have been otherwise, if I were less experienced. I almost feel like when I play call of duty, I’m actually competing against my own teammates, not with them.

This is why I found the Battlefield series to be a breath of fresh air. When I made the switch, I began playing for different reasons. I began playing for the challenge of completing an objective and for the thrill of fulfilling an important role in my squad. Lifted was my burden of maintaining a high K/D ratio.

Two things I want to make clear before I wrap things up. First, I’d like to mention that while I think stress shouldn’t be put on your K/D, especially in non-TDM-type games, it’s obviously still important to be able to shoot well. Shooting down enemies is still one way to help your team. However, when it gets to the point where you are no longer concerned about your squad or the objective, then things may get a little out of hand. Second, I still enjoy Call of Duty and don’t want readers to believe that I think ill of it. These were just my own personal challenges I had with the series. Maybe, I should go see a psychiatrist.

Moving Forward.

So, what can you do to play your part in this movement that has been gaining more and more momentum? Simple: play the objective, help your team, and spread the word. Oh, and play Battlefield 3 when it comes out!

Make sure to let me know what you think in the comment section below. Do you think your kill to death ratio should be as emphasized as it is in this generation of shooters?

Want to get some Battlefield 3 games going with the MP1st team? Make sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter and check out some of our other Battlefield 3 articles:

DICE On Competing With MW3

Killcams in Battlefield 3 – An Unwelcome Feature?

Lastly, make sure to check out these DCRU Colin videos below and subscribe to his channel!

Continue reading “Battlefield – Forget Your K/D and Play The Objective”

Tags: 360 Battlefield Battlefield 3 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Beta BF3 BF3 Beta BFBC2 Call of Duty CoD Community DICE Gameplay Gaming Multiplayer PC Playstation 3 PS3 PSN Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

David Veselka

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Home > Features

Gears of War 3 Multiplayer: the Good, the Bad, and the “Meh”

  by   Graham  
12:43 pm in Features

The title for this piece originally read “Gears of War 3: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” but Gears of War 3 doesn’t do Ugly. Gears passes Ugly on the street and purposefully avoids her, and when Gears goes to the club, he has a velvet rope that delineates his territory: no Ugly allowed. Seriously, the game is beautiful. Any criticism aimed at the game’s visuals is hard to take seriously; the game looks so good, it makes you wonder how much of its fidelity came about due to the delay from last April. If the delay and the tremendous visual clarity are related, Microsoft should start delaying more games.

Along with its iconic “destroyed beauty” art style, Gears of War 3 brings polished gameplay in spades. The multiplayer is unique in its close-combat configuration and brooding ambiance and environments. Gears of War 3 multiplayer is intense. Its trash-talk fueled lobbies are a harbinger of bad things to come; they’re foreboding. Actually, foreboding is too light a word to describe the tense knot that forms in your stomach when your first round of Gears begins. It’s the same feeling of dread you might get if you woke up one morning to find your refrigerator filled with nothing but headless Barbie dolls and sandpaper: Something disturbing is about to happen. I don’t know exactly how it’s going to pan out, but something wild and primal is definitely on the horizon.

Sandbar: A Perfect Getaway…For Carnage

The Good

Did I mention this game looks great? It’s not just the graphical fidelity; the animations and character models are a serious step up. The menus are incredibly streamlined and easy to navigate. Joining or hosting a party is as easy as a couple button presses, and the matchmaking is surprisingly smooth and quick for launch week (they took some obvious inspiration from Halo: Reach’s friend-finding and party-starting components). Granted, there was a day-one patch, and Epic are running the game on dedicated servers now. It helps.

The gameplay is as tight as ever, and the additional weapons are a joy. The digger fires a round that literally digs into the ground and then pops up like a claymore to disintegrate your foes. The refined Hammerburst is a beast, and the tweaks to its fire rate and damage have put it at the top spot. Downing rushing shotgunners or bayonet chargers is far quicker than using the Lancer, and it’s precise and accurate, unlike the more powerful but wildly inaccurate Retro Lancer.

The Level design is solid, if not a little too familiar. A few of the maps feature natural choke points, but most are symmetrical in design (even if they are asymmetrical in aesthetics). The environments are mostly bright, open, and colorful, which is a fun departure from the drab grays and browns that populate most modern shooter maps. Although, the third iteration of fan favorite Gridlock is shrouded in spooky shadows, and looks like the setting of a Halloween slasher flick. It fits the Gears theme very well.

The unlocks, medals, and ribbons pop up constantly, giving the player a steady reward/feedback on his accomplishments and failures. I’ll admit, I’ve received the F.I.F.O. medal many times (First In First Out – first to die in a around). These snazzy elements in turn unlock new characters, weapon skins, mutators (for the Unreal fans), and titles.

The game modes are similar to past Gears titles, with the welcome addition of an actual Team Deathmatch, with each team fighting to retain the most lives out of a collective pool. Annex has been transformed into the better and more standard King of the Hill, and the game returns to Wingman, Warzone, Capture the Leader, and Execution as well. They all work well within their defined ruleset, but Capture the Leader and Wingman matches definitely require constant communication in order to succeed.

The Bad

It’s hard to complain about Gears of War 3, but there are a few niggles that bear mentioning. First off: the shotgun(s). Yes, gamers have been both praising and damning the dreaded two-piecer for years now, but it still metes out as quick a death as ever. It one-shots from a decent distance, pauses chainsaw animations, and can be used effectively without aiming. While they’re not a huge detriment, the numerous one-shot opportunities tend to distract from the “stop and pop” core gameplay put on show with the other weapons. Utilizing the shotgun effectively will gain kills and enemies, but loses the methodical combat element of the other weapons. Fortunately, the maps are designed in such a way as to provide decent amounts of cover to dodge close-combat fire, and to set up returning ambushes. Basically, if one-shot kills get your blood boiling, stay away from Gears of War 3 (because we haven’t even discussed the other one-shotters: Hammer of Dawn, Oneshot, Longshot, Boomshot, Grenades, etc.). While it’s an accepted facet of Gears multiplayer, it does sometimes raise questions of balance.

Pictured: The Source of My Rage 

The “Meh”

The Hammerburst is a great weapon. It’s incredibly effective at a variety of ranges, and is very accurate. Why they added first-person iron sights to it, I’ll never know. They look out of place and generic, and the design choice adds no distinctive element to the combat or gameplay. It’s not a bad thing, just seemingly unnecessary and decidedly “meh.” In addition, as balanced as the maps are, a couple look pretty generic. In contrast to Sandbar, a beautiful Uncharted-esque beachfront populated with rusting oil drums, the game offers up maps such as Trenches, a gray-and-brown map that offers no distinctive or unique architecture, and a very limited color palette.

Any other complaints, and we’re just splitting hairs. The game is an absolute joy to play online (and includes bots and split-screen support for both on- and offline multiplayer). The round-based matches are timed well, and the maps flow in such a way as to keep the games moving at a quick pace (camping is pointless and dangerous in this game). New or easily frustrated players might want to play a few (or more) practice bot matches before taking the fight online, but every multiplayer shooter fan owes it to himself to play Gears of War 3.

Stay tuned to MP1ST; we’ll be bringing you updated impressions and reviews of Gears of War 3’s cooperative Horde and Beast modes. In addition, we will be providing continuing competitive multiplayer coverage, and will keep you up to date on the latest DLC, patches, and updates.

Make sure to follow MPFirst on Twitter and check out some other Gears of War articles:

8 Delicious Candies Playable in Gears of War 3

The Day-One DLC Dilemma

Three Ways Gears of War 3 is the New Lois Lane

Tags: "Gears of War" 360 epic Epic Games feeling of dread gears Gears of War 3 GoW GoW3 Multiplayer Review Review Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Graham

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Home > Features

8 Delicious Candies Playable in Gears of War 3 (Humour)

  by   Graham  
September 20, 2011 6:48 pm in Features

Gears of War 3 offers a unique blend of horror, brutal combat, and hyperbolic gore. Cliff Bleszinski and his ultra-talented multiplayer design team have nearly perfected the third-person, cover-based gameplay that has become so popular this generation. However, it is fairly obvious that while crafting the game, the team had snacks on the brain. Many of the game’s characteristic executions and killer strategies have been incontestably derived from delicious candies.

Need proof? Here are the top 8 candies playable in Gears of War 3:

The Now and Later

Upon downing an enemy in Gears of War, the player has the option of performing weapon-specific executions. When armed with a pistol or grenade, the player can pull off an execution called a Now and Later. The Now and Later player rips off the arm of his downed enemy and beats him to death with it. “I’ll take your arm now, and beat your ass with it later. Your sweet, grisly death has caused me to pucker my lips and smile.”

The Skittles

The Skittles is a classic Gears move used as a preeminent demoralizer. After downing an enemy, the Skittles player will follow him as he helplessly crawls towards nonexistent safety. As he mercilessly delays the downed player’s execution, the Skittles player will fire celebratory shots into the air, while encouraging his bleeding opponent to “Taste the rainbow, bitch!” The Skittles player receives bonus points for successfully pulling off a Skittles with trash talk while armed with a rainbow-skinned weapon.

The Pop Rocks

The Pop Rocks maneuver showed up early on in the original Gears of War’s multiplayer, and remains as delicious and hilarious as it was back in 2006. After a Pop Rocker downs an adversary, he and his teammates will tag the downed player’s body with smoke grenades and wait until he bleeds out. The Pop Rocker won’t get an execution, but the consummate humiliation suffered by the Pop Rock victim is worth it.

Pictured: Gore and Viscera as designed by Cliffy B

The Cadbury Egg

The Cadbury Egg tactic (also colloquially known as the Chain-Sodomy) is a simple chainsaw execution from behind. While jamming the chainsaw into his enemy, the Cadbury Egg player gets to witness all of the juicy insides spilling out around his feet.

The Jawbreaker

The Jawbreaker requires the player to perform an execution by equipping any weapon other than the Torque Bow, Longshot, Boltok, or Boomshield, and pressing “Y’ over a downed enemy. The player will literally break his enemy’s jaw by punching it. Over, and over, and over. Scrumptious.

The Life Saver

The Life Saver ploy is actually a failed execution, or “Reverse-icle.” If a player downs an opponent, but dies before he can successfully pull off an execution, he has just performed a Life Saver. He should hang his head in shame. Sweet, butterscotch-flavored shame.

The Butterfinger

The Butterfinger is also a failed execution, and occurs when a player takes a downed enemy as a meatshield, only to have him either die before being executed, or freed upon death of his executioner. In order to not pull a Butterfinger, players should not delay the execution of an enemy, unless a Pop Rocks or Skittles opportunity presents itself.

The Fun Dip

The Fun Dip is essentially a gentleman’s tea-bagging. After a successful kill or execution, the victorious player slides into cover, and repeatedly crouches. Fun Dipping can be combined with a Skittles for maximum hilarity and succulence. Mmm-mmm, good.

Sweet, sweet, corpse-humping.

In the mood for another Gears 3 article? Read Three Ways Gears of War 3 is the New Lois Lane.

Tags: "Gears of War" 360 Candies Candy CliffyB Delicious Epic Games gears Gears 3 Gears Candies Gears of War 3 GeoW3 GoW3 XBL Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Graham

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Home > News

Crysis 2 – Double XP Weekend Inbound

  by   David Veselka  
5:02 pm in News

As a last “hurrah” before the release of Crysis on Consoles, Crytek is hitting the switch on another double XP weekend for Crysis 2 multiplayer across all platforms.

 

Double XP will be available from September 23 at 12:00 pm BST/3:00 am PST to September 26 at 11:00 am BST/2:00am PST.

Are you excited for Crysis’s release on consoles this October? Maybe this weekend will put you in the mood!

Make sure to check out one of MP1st’s earlier blogs on Crysis 2 and its endangered multiplayer community.

Don’t forget to follow @MPFirst on Twitter!

Tags: Crysis Crysis 2 Crytek Double XP Double XP Weekend Multiplayer PC Playstation 3 PS3 PSN Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live XP

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Home > Title Updates and Patches

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 PC Patch Releases Wednesday

  by   David Veselka  
2:14 pm in Title Updates and Patches

This Wednesday, a new patch for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is being released for the PC.

“Its main goal is to address stability problems with the game and performance issues. It is not intended to address game logic fixes.”

The patch will be 2.6GB in size and will include the following fixes:

  • Removed some memory leaks
  • Fixed crashes when the game attempted to render lots of content (high detail, high FOV or multiple-monitor modes); this should particularly help multi-monitor users
  • Chat window no longer causes lag spikes
  • Chat window reworked opacity & visibility-time is controllable through settings in settings.ini
  • Clantag is remembered when using auto-login
  • Banner URLs can be up to 252 characters in length
  • SecuROM wrapper removed from non-Steam version
  • Minor performance enhancements
  • Reduced rubberbanding on servers with more than 24 active players
  • PrintScreen takes a screenshot, file stored in Documents\BFBC2\Screenshots directory

Please check out the Official Battlefield Blog for full details.

The Battlefield 3 beta has been officially announced, so make sure to read up on how to enter early, what the recommended/minimum PC specs are, and check out the BF3 veteran weapon.

Follow @MPFirst for community play dates and for more Battlefield 3 news!

Tags: Battlefield Battlefield: Bad Company 2 BFBC2 DICE Gameplay Gaming Patch PC

David Veselka

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Home > News

BF3 – Veterans Get M1911 Exclusively, Operation Metro Different in Beta, & Graphics Cards

  by   David Veselka  
1:46 pm in News

Consider this the first Battlefield 3 news round up of many to come, post-beta-announcement.

 

 

 

UPDATE: M1911 is available to all Gun Club members. No need to be a Battlefield Veteran.

Many have been wondering what the new Veteran Weapon will be in Battlefield 3 and it seems that the EA Gun Club has officially revealed exactly what that weapon would be:

The M1911 hand-gun.

Members of the EA Gun Club will also have access to the following, on top of the M1911 veteran weapon.

  • Challenges: Show off your shooter skills.
  • Badges: Collect badges by playing games and interacting in the Gun Club community. Some badges are just for fun, while others are needed to redeem rewards.
  • Rewards: Get exclusive access and deals for being a Gun Club member and early access to game betas.
  • Community: Get updates from your friends, visit the forums, and get active on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Media and Intel: Get the latest details on EA’s hottest shooters.
  • Much more.

Included in the information blowout today was the fact that Operation Metro would be the featured map in the Battlefield 3 beta. Alan Kerts, aka Demize99, was asked on Twitter whether or not more maps would be included, to which he responded, “Commenting on this later. Beta will maybe show a different map. Need to check back with the dev team.” Being a while since the Alpha version of BF3, many fans were also wondering whether or not the featured Operation Metro map has been modified at all since then. To this Daniel Matros, aka zh1nt0, answered, “Yes. We´ve made a lot of changes to it.”

Wondering about PC system specifications? Dice has officially clarified minimum and recommended system specs which you can view here. Trying to get more specifics, one fan asked Mr. Matros if one GTX580 could run the game on ultra setting, or whether or not two would be required. Mr. Matros simply replied, “2.”

Make sure to read up on how to enter the Battlefield 3 beta early!

Follow @MPFirst on Twitter for much more news to come and to get some gaming sessions going with MP1st’s readers and editors!

Tags: 360 Alan Kertz Battlefield Battlefield 3 Battlefield 3 Beta Beta BF3 Daniel Matros Demize99 DICE Multiplayer news PC Playstation 3 PS3 PSN Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live zh1nt0

David Veselka

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Home > News

Battlefield 3 PC Minimum and Recommended system specs released

  by   MP1st Staff  
12:16 pm in News

A lot of new information about Battlefield 3 has come out today, including the minimum and recommended system specifications for the PC beta. These are the requirements for the beta so they might still change a bit, but don’t expect miracles. This late into the development cycle they probably won’t make drastic changes anymore. Enough disclaimers, let’s get down to the numbers:

 

Minimum System Requirements

OS: Windows Vista (Service Pack 2) 32-Bit
Processor: 2 GHz Dual Core (Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or Althon X2 2.7 GHz)
Memory: 2 GB
Hard Drive: 20 GB
Graphics Card (AMD): DirectX 10.1 compatible with 512 MB RAM (Ati Radeon 3000, 4000, 5000 Or 6000 Series, with Ati Radeon 3870 or higher performance)
Graphics Card (Nvidia): DirectX 10.0 compatible with 512 MB RAM (Nvidia GeForce 8, 9, 200, 300, 400 Or 500 Series with Nvidia GeForce 8800GT or higher performance)
Sound Card: DirectX compatible
Keyboard and Mouse
DVD-ROM Drive

Recommended System Requirements
Os: Windows 7 64-Bit
Processor: Quad-Core CPU
Memory: 4 GB
Hard Drive: 20 GB
Graphics Card: Directx 11 Compatible with 1024 MB RAM (Nvidia GeForce Gtx 560 Or AMD Radeon 6950)
Sound Card: Directx compatible
Keyboard and Mouse
DVD-ROM Drive

 

The first thing that’s obvious is something we’ve known for a while now. Windows XP will not be supported at all. The game requires at least a DirectX10 compatible graphics card and an operating system that also supports DirectX10 (Windows Vista or Windows 7). The minimum specs are pretty mild. The HD3870 and 8800GT are very old cards released in late 2007. Combined with the 2GB RAM and the dual core CPU pretty much every system sold in the past 3 years with a dedicated graphics card should be able to run this on at least minimum settings.

The recommended specifications are more striking. A quad-core CPU and 4GB of RAM isn’t that special, but the recommended graphics cards are in the mid to high-end part of the very last generation of graphics cards. It’s also pretty odd that they compare the GTX560 with the HD6950. The HD6950 is almost 100$ more expensive and is quite faster in most games. price and performance wise the HD6870 is on par with the GTX560. Does this mean the engine might run better on Nvidia setups? Either way these are some pretty impressive specifications. Let’s hope the engine also scales down to the lower end well so even people with an older or less powerful machine can play this with decent graphics.

If you still have questions, please leave a comment below and/or head on over to the official beta page.

Details on How to get BF3 Beta Early for each Platform

Make sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter for all your Battlefield desires and also to get some gaming sessions going with MP1st’s readers and editors once the beta is up!

Tags: Battlefield 3 Beta BF3 DICE Multiplayer news Official PC PC Specs

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Details on How to get BF3 Beta Early for each Platform

  by   Fahed Jaradat  
9:26 am in News

The open beta will go live on September 29, but you can get it early, September 27, if you own Medal of Honor* or pre-order Battlefield 3 through origin. The beta will run until  October 10.

*Update: The official Battlfield blog explains which versions of Medal of Honor are eligible for early access. “If you pre-order Battlefield 3 (PC digital download version) on Origin before September 25th, or if you have registered your first-hand copy (by activating its Online Pass) of Medal of Honor: Limited Edition/Tier 1 Edition, you will get 48 hours early access to the Beta, meaning you can start playing Tuesday, September 27th”.

Therefore, only the Limited and Tier 1 Editions qualify for early access. Sorry, regular edition owners.

Straight from the horse’s mouth, here is how you can enter the beta early on each platform:

Xbox 360

You will receive an email with instructions and your personal early access code. Note your code and follow the instructions.

PlayStation 3
The early access open beta will automatically appear for you in the playstation network store.

Like I explained in the comments, DICE’s Daniel Collin clarified “you don’t [have to sign up]. Just grab it [the beta] from PSN when it’s released.”

PC
Medal of Honor owners:

You will receive an email with instructions and your personal early access code. Note your code and follow the instructions to redeem the code on origin.

Origin pre-orderers:
You will receive an email from EA/DICE with instructions on your early access. The cut-off date for receiving early access by pre-ordering on origin is September 25th.

If you own Medal of Honor on, for example, the PS3, you won’t be able to play it early on the 360 or PC. So, even though you have a unified EA account, early access, September 27, is platform specific. However, you will have access to the open beta, September 29, on all platforms regardless of your early access.

Remember, you don’t need the Medal of Honor disc in order to have early access.

Are you a member of the Gun Club? Check your exclusive weapon here.

If you still have questions, please leave a comment below and/or head on over to the official beta page.

Make sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter for all your Battlefield desires and also to get some gaming sessions going with MP1st’s readers and editors on the 27th!

Tags: Battlefield Battlefield 3 BF3 Beta Multiplayer Playstation 3 PS3 Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Fahed Jaradat

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

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Battlefield 3 Beta Date Officially Announced

  by   David Veselka  
9:22 am in News

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

Ladies and gentlemen the Battlefield 3 beta is arriving.

DICE has officially announced the Battlefield 3 open beta to begin on September the 29th for all Battlefield 3 Fans. The closed beta will begin on September the 27th (two days earlier) for owners of the Medal of Honor Limited Edition and for those who pre-ordered Battlefield 3 on Origin.

For more information, visit this link below:

http://www.battlefield.com/battlefield3/1/beta

Follow @MPFist on Twitter for more details!

Tags: 360 Battlefield Battlefield 3 Battlefield 3 Beta Beta BF3 BF3 Beta Closed Beta DICE EA Limited Edition Medal of Honor Multiplayer Open Beta Origin PC Playstation 3 PS3 PSN Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

David Veselka

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Home > Features

The Day-One DLC Dilemma

  by   Graham  
September 19, 2011 8:06 pm in Features

134 dollars. That’s how much you could possibly spend if you purchased all available day-one DLC for Gears of War 3. Between a slew of new weapon skins and animations, and a “season pass” for all DLC released over the next year, Epic has offered gamers an unprecedented opportunity to split with their cash. Day-one DLC is one of the most divisive practices facing gamers, and is becoming standard procedure for many developers. While message boards and forums across the internet fill themselves with spiteful posts targeting the “greedy” developers and publishers, it’s worth stepping back and taking an objective look (from both sides) at day-one DLC.

One of the most prevalent (and harmful) elements of this debate is that of hateful rhetoric. Using derogatory words and slandering developers and publishers helps no one, and only exacerbates the issue. Developers who release early DLC are not “greedy,” and they are not “lazy.” Those words are vague, and the derisions are unfounded. Yes, of course developers and publishers want money. They’re creating a product, and it’s one that takes years of man-hours and resources. Lazy? No, studios that charge for day one DLC are not lazy. Laziness does not produce quality games, and poor games do not garner fans, and without fans, there is no market for DLC. Are there lazy developers? Sure, but their games aren’t the ones offering DLC, patches, and upgrades (whether charged or free).

Gears of War 3 offers over 100 dollars of launch day DLC, but none of it affects gameplay at all. From reading through the top posts on the internet’s most popular gaming forums, you’d think Epic were charging customers extra to use a gun in the game, or to access multiplayer. It’s a simple cosmetic/aesthetic purchase that affects nothing in the gameplay department. Could these skins have been included in the game? Obviously, since they’re available on launch day. Does that make Epic jerks for removing content? I don’t think so. It’s like purchasing a DVD of a movie that features “10 minutes of deleted scenes and bonus footage.” Why didn’t they include those hilarious moments in the original cut of the film? I am not upset because (presumably) the original cut contained an entire experience, and was worth the money. That’s how I view Epic’s take on day-one DLC. It’s content that in no way improves the experience (which is whole), but you’re more than welcome to pay a little extra for it if you like.

As far as DLC being announced on launch day, this should be a nonissue. it would be ignorant to believe that developers finish a game the week before it ships. On the contrary, many development teams have finished their games weeks (or longer) before the ship date. What should they be doing during those days/weeks before launch? Working on supporting the game. Because they know what the first DLC will contain does not in any way mean they cut it from the game. While I’m sure that may be the case occasionally, it’s still down to each individual gamer to decide if the day-one product is complete and worth it in his eyes. My wife likes to play Madden. We don’t buy every yearly release, because we don’t think they are worth the money; we believe it’s an incomplete experience for the payment required. Many people appreciate having annual updates; more power to them.

I find it odd that more criticism isn’t being leveled at other companies, such as DICE for their preorder bonuses attached to Battlefield 3. Preordering from select retailers will garner a gamer a pack of new weapons and items. That affects gameplay. It might not affect balance very much, but certain players are receiving in-game components that other gamers are without. Whether it becomes a balance issue or not, the playing field is off-kilter from the start (for the record: yes, Gears has multiple preorder bonuses, but all of them are cosmetic).

One of Gears of War 3's DLC Weapon Skins

Rage developers id Software have received backlash due to their implementation of free DLC to customers who purchase the game new (another soon-to-be standard practice). The distinction to make here is that the content is downloadable; players are not locked out of on-disc content because they bought the game used. That being said, the missions in the DLC create a disparity between customers (even though it’s single-player only material), and it obviously could have been included with the game. id Software could have gone with the multiplayer/co-op online pass that so many EA and Activision games have used recently (that’s a subject for another time).

Another recent shooter, the excellent Warhammer 40k: Space Marine, was touted before release as having a cooperative mode. Only weeks before the game launched did Relic announce that the co-op aspect would be future DLC. It will be free, but many players preordered the game with the intent to play cooperatively with their friends.

It’s an interesting generation as gamers, developers, and publishers try to figure out the fairest and most efficient means of incentivizing game purchases while still offering a complete (and fair) experience on launch day. I’m a firm believer that as long as day-one DLC does not affect gameplay, create a disparity between users, or simply unlock on-disc content, developers can produce and charge as much as they want. Don’t want it? Don’t buy it.

This is obviously an opinion piece; I would enjoy some MP1ST reader feedback. Are customers being taken advantage of? Or are developers just finding unique ways to incentivize their products? Let me know in the comments.

 

Tags: Battlefield 3 DLC epic Epic Games Gears of War 3 Multiplayer Rage Space Marine Warhammer Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Graham

I teach, and I game. That is all. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 3 Beta Announcement Tomorrow? + Beta is Multiplayer Only

  by   Fahed Jaradat  
4:27 pm in News

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: DICE has officially announced the Open Battlefield 3 Beta to begin on September 29th. Medal of Honor owners and Origin pre-orders will have a 48 headstart. View more details here!

Battlefield 3 Beta Date Officially Announced

BF3 – Veterans Get M1911 Exclusively, Operation Metro Different in Beta, & Graphics Cards

I don’t think we can wait any longer for the Battlefield 3 Beta, and DICE has just hinted at a big announcement coming tomorrow.

After weeks of denying many beta rumors, DICE has stirred up the pot with 3 hints. On the official Italian Battlefield page, DICE teased “guys, tomorrow follow us, there is news about something you have been waiting for a long time.“ However, the teasing didn’t stop there. Dainel Matros, Battlefield’s global community manager, tweeted “this week is going to be off the hook BF3”, and his coworker, David Goldfarb, reassured that this week is “gonna be a great week. BF3”. 

My guess is that the long-awaited Beta will go live tomorrow or will be announced tomorrow to go live next week.

If you were wondering whether you’re going to get a taste of the singleplayer in the upcoming beta, DICE’s Ian Tornay re-clarified “BF3 beta is multipalyer only. There are some rumors to the contrary circulating.” 

So, there you have folks, now at least we have something to cling on, tomorrow should be the big day we’ve been dreaming about.
Make sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter for all your Battlefield desires and also to get some gaming sessions going with MP1st’s readers and editors once the beta is up!

What do you think tomorrow’s announcement will be? 
 
More BF3 Beta News:

Medal of Honor Disk is NOT required for early access

BF3 – Beta Stats & Unlocks Won’t Carry Over + Waiting For The Beta
Tags: 360 Battlefield Battlefield 3 Beta BF3 Multiplayer PC Playstation 3 PSN Xbox 360

Fahed Jaradat

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

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7 Day Battlefield Promotion on the EA Origin Store

  by   David Veselka  
12:24 pm in News

EA is celebrating the launch of Battlefield 3 with a week-long sale on select Battlefield titles and add-ons.

 

 

Head on over to the Origin Store to get %30 off on these titles:

  • Battlefield 2
  • Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam
  • Battlefield 2: Complete Collection
  • Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Digital Deluxe Edition
  • Battlefield: Bad Company 2 SPECACT Kit Upgrades

 

Offer ends on September 25th.

Follow @MPFirst to keep up to date on Battlefield news and deals!

Tags: Battlefield Battlefield 2 Battlefield 3 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 BF3 BF3 Beta EA Origin PC

David Veselka

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Home > Features

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine Multiplayer Review

  by   Graham  
September 18, 2011 7:55 pm in Features

Space Marine is quite the departure for Relic, whose Dawn of War series solidified them as the premier handlers of the Warhammer 40k license. While Dawn of War focused on tight, balanced real-time strategy gameplay, Space Marine is a gutsy, gory, badass third person shooter. The campaign is a twisted tale of betrayal, in which Captain Titus sets out to rid a world of the dreaded Orks. While the campaign in an excellent romp through the Warhammer 40k universe, the competitive multiplayer is an exceptional addition that should not be overlooked.

There are 2 game modes: Annihilation (think team deathmatch), and Seize Ground, which is identical to Domination from the Call of Duty series. Annihilation matches are quick, brutal games that end when one team reaches 40 kills. Seize Ground is just as brutal, but has a much different cadence. There is a deliberate ebb and flow as each team vies for control of the capture points (3 or 4 depending on the size of the map). The game ends when one team reaches 1000 points (each captured flag nets 2 points per second).

While there are only 5 maps, they are designed very well, and don’t get stale; the superb level design is a true testament to Relic’s multiplayer team. Many objectives will have a staircase leading to them, or require terrain traversal in order to reach, but the Assault class can jetpack from a closer location to get there. This multilayered design approach to the maps negates forced chokepoints, creating a different flow of battle on each play. The one exception is the very small map Shattered Bridge, which is basically a grinder. Even that map is a blast, though; it’s fun trying to gain some ground to the next cover area in an effort to capture the middle base. The death toll will become astronomic, but capturing the middle point is an almost guaranteed win.

The action is always close. You have a default “safe” spawn zone as well as the ability to spawn on any captured flag (if you’re playing Seize Ground). Also, there is a perk that allows players to spawn on you. From rank 1-4, you are equipped with this perk and cannot change it. It’s nice, because when a player spawns on you, you get 50 XP, so newbies can rank up quickly whether they are killing/capturing, or not.

The unlock system. Holy crap, the unlock system. When the Customizer trailer premiered in which Relic claimed to have over 1 billion customization options, many gamers called “Foul!,” and assumed it was the kind of hyperbole that Gearbox used in promoting Borderlands.

…not so. Every rank up will net you a new weapon or class. But the real meat of the progression system comes with the challenges. A challenge system seems like a prerequisite in shooters these days, but Space Marine’s is far above average. Weapons have 4-8 challenges, most involving assists and number of kills. In addition, there are 16 sets of armor challenges, each with 5-8 challenges, that require you to do anything from die 50 times due to explosives, to amass 25 killstreaks as a Chaos warrior, to win 15 games as a Space Marine. The level cap is 41, and it should take an average gamer around 25-30 hours to reach that cap. The upcoming (free!) cooperative DLC will actually operate like the multiplayer does; you will be able to continue ranking up and completing challenges while you massacre the Ork hordes with your friends.

Each passed challenge nets you an XP bonus, a piece of armor, and (possibly) a perk. The perks are excellent. It’s hard to decide between them, though: should you go for the increased damage rounds for my bolter, a refined targeting system, or the ability to have my jetpack explode when you die, killing nearby enemies?

The armor system is so in-depth and amazingly customizable that it becomes a diversion in and of itself, much like the extensive customization options found in RPGs such as Too Human or Fable (the game features a vast array of color schemes).

While it is an amazing experience, Space Marine’s multiplayer is not wholly perfect. It takes a couple of minutes to find a game (however, once you’re in, you stay in the lobby from match to match, so it’s not too bad). Also, when the game ends, it occasionally displays a “migrating host” screen for about 8-10 seconds before it shows you “Defeat” or “Victory.” It seems like a weird bug that could be patched out. The only seemingly negative aspect of the actual gameplay, however, is the high amount of “one-ht kill” scenarios. There are 4-5 weapons that can kill a player in one shot, and it can get frustrating for players who have yet to learn the ins and outs of the maps.

I highly recommend fans of brutal combat and focused, competitive games try out Space Marine’s suite of multiplayer options. While it may not be as varied or diverse as the heavy hitters about to drop (Gears of War 3, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, etc.), it definitely deserves some of your time.

Relic has detailed an upcoming patch addressing connectivity issues and weapon balance. Stay tuned for an update to this review detailing the patch as well as October’s “Exterminatus” co-op update. Any significant gameplay changes or additions will be reflected in this review.

Tags: "Warhammer 40k: Space Marine Multiplayer Review" "Warhammer 40k: Space Marine Multiplayer" Dawn of War MP MP1st Multiplayer PC Playstation 3 PS3 PSN Relic Review Space Marine Warhammer 40000 Warhammer 40k Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Graham

I teach, and I game. That is all. Subscriber

Home > Features

Current Multiplayer Reviews are Broken – Introducing Dynamic Reviews

  by   Fahed Jaradat  
3:25 pm in Features

Tomorrow, MP1st turns one month old, and this is my first feature to celebrate this occasion. To all of you loyal MP1st readers, I can’t thank you enough for making MP1st a success.

 

Post Launch Support, Glitches, and Balancing

We live in a time and age where post launch support is crucial to any game’s success, especially on the multiplayer front. Developers and community managers are spending countless number of hours fine tuning and expanding on the original game. However, many big and small gaming sites just publish a review on launch day and leave it to collect dust (or views if you know what I mean). By post launch support, I don’t mean paid DLC and add-ons, it’s the patches and free add-ons that I’m examining. The way I see it, any paid DLC warrants its own review, not a revision to the original game’s review. My thinking here is in line with other publications, which do post separate reviews for DLC. On another note, not only should patches alter a review, but if a glitch/hack becomes popular and begins to hinder the gamer’s experience, then it should be included in the review until it’s addressed by the developers or not. Another thing that should be factored into revisited reviews are, not glitches, but rather gameplay mechanics such as One Man Army with grenade launchers, in Modern Warfare 2, becomes more widespread, or dare I say exploited. This in turn affects game balance and should be reflected upon in the review. Remember, people and sites that do day one reviews haven’t had a chance to play multiplayer with the general masses, so those glitches and balancing issues haven’t even surfaced yet.

Multiplayer and MP1st’s Ideology

Enter multiplayer to the mix and post launch support is more important than ever. Post launch support for multiplayer can make or break a game. To point this out further, please check out MP1st other co-founder’s, Veselka, article on how Crysis 2’s multiplayer died, cleverly titled “Community in Crysis”. Unfortunately, the fact is many sites rarely update their reviews. This lack-of-updates phenomena was one of the reasons that prompted Veselka and I to start this website. Read here for more about why MP1st came into existence. The MP1st ideology, which you may share, is to only review games that we believe we can support post launch. Yes, it’s the dynamic way.

The New System and Examples

This brings me to my next point: Dynamic Reviews, copyright pending. The whole idea behind this concept is to patch a game’s review every time the game itself is patched. For a couple of examples, Treyarch watered down (nerfed) the AK74 and Famas in Call of Duty Black Ops because those weapons were kind of overpowered at launch. From the Battlefield series, the Siaga-12 in Bad Company 2, was overpowered in long range and was subsequently toned down. Now, if dynamic reviews had existed at these games’ launch dates and we reviewed them, then we would’ve touched on these overpowered weapons to let you, our awesome readers, know which weapons you should use and make sure that you know that the multiplayer balance is not top notch. Take, for example, a game which review had to be revisited multiple times, Grand Turismo 5. It’s a game I haven’t personally played, but I have been following every tidbit about it. GT5 has been patched 11 times. Many of these patches didn’t just address some gameplay mechanics but added new game modes and more. In terms of hacks/glitches, how can I forget the ridiculous javelin or infinite care package glitch from Modern Warfare 2 that dragged on for way too long (months).

Review Scores and Patches

In this part, I’m not going to touch on what qualifies a person to review multiplayer in games, or how to go about it, and such. These topics might be of another feature. Back on topic, I like checking review scores, collectively on metacritic and individually. If a reviewer is in line with my thinking in some particular genre, then I put more weight to their review and consequently their score. Don’t get me wrong, I like scoreless reviews as well; a score is an added thin layer to a review and doesn’t stand on its own. A review’s score could also be revisited with every patch or a popular hack. If Modern Warfare 2 had received an ‘8’ at launch, the score should be altered after the aforementioned glitches got popular, and when they got fixed the score would reflect that as well. This sounds cumbersome to “traditional” reviewers, but if you are part of a game’s community for months, then updating reviews only makes sense. However, updating a game’s review score, or even scoring games in the first place, isn’t really necessary, it depends on each reviewer’s vision.

Our Responsibility and Defense of the Old System

The out-of-the-box-mentality is lazy but has some merit. Many sites and reviewers always hide behind this argument. The argument is that people who buy the game will experience what’s on the disk. This is true for singleplayer and maybe co-op because gamers can play these modes without an internet connection, but this argument doesn’t hold an ounce of water when multiplayer comes into play. Almost all mp related patches are required in order for the player to actually play the game online. Therefore, a not-too-hardcore-gamer who’s interested in buying, for example, Gran Turismo 5 right now, at a little under a year since its release with 11 patches exactly, and goes on their favorite site to find out that day one GT5 isn’t what they covet, they wouldn’t buy the game. That’s a sale lost because of the lack of review updates, and I believe it is our responsibility as gaming press to not only serve our readers but also the developers who worked hard pre and post release on their games. Basically, day one review is rarely representative of a year old game that focuses heavily on multiplayer. A case to be made for the old system, if the reviewer is long gone from the site, then an editor-in-chief should try to find someone else to play the game after a patch or a popular glitch comes to existence. If it is impossible to do every single game justice, then start with the popular ones that have massive online communities behind them. It’s a good start. These online communities, like us, tend to be vocal and maybe start fan sites or multiplayer websites.

Closing Thoughts

We are firm believers in dynamic reviews, and we’d be happy if other gaming sites were to adopt this system. It all boils down to supporting a game’s community, and this hypothetical community is bleeding new members because some rely on reviews in their decision making. The system is unfair to gamers and developers alike. If you’re still here and share some of our opinions and what MP1st stands for, then please share this article with whoever you can from friends to game developers. I really want this message to get across to as many gamers as possible.

Follow @MPFirst on Twitter if you think dynamic reviews should be adopted.

A huge thank you goes to my fellow editors, Veselka and Graham, for their help on this article.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the current review system does multiplayer justice?

Tags: "Current Multiplayer Reviews are Broken" Battlefield Broken Community Dynamic Reviews Gaming Losing Sales MP1st Multiplayer Online PC Playstation 3 PSN Reviews Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Fahed Jaradat

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

Home > News

BF3 – Beta Stats & Unlocks Won’t Carry Over + Waiting For The Beta

  by   David Veselka  
September 17, 2011 9:51 pm in News

Can you feel it?

*Cue ‘Down With The Sickness’ by Disturbed*

The Beta is almost here ladies and gentlemen, I can sense it. I’m obviously speculating, but part of the reason is also because it seems the DICE devs have been rather quiete these past two days. I can’t help but think something is in the works. Anyways, I’ll stop feeding the hype.

It’s been tough to gather news and updates during these past two days but alas, MP1st has managed to scrounge up some tid bits, as well as some thoughts of the DICE developers regarding the whole “waiting-for-the-beta” situation.

First, you may find it interesting to know that stats and unlocks that you earn in the upcoming beta will not carry over to the final game, according to Alan Kertz, aka Demize99. When asked if they would carry over, much like in the Gears of War 3 beta, Kertz responded, “No, we will use the beta feedback to tweak the full game.” The second part of the answer may not have made much sense after that particular question, but at least he’s assured us once again that we will see improvements between the beta and the final version.

If you’ve seen Daniel “zh1nt0” Matros’ Twitter feed lately, you may notice the bombardment of beta questions he’s been receiving. While this would normally be extremely enduring for any normal human being, he seems to be taking it quite well. Of course, there are some gamers showing sympathy for Mr. Matros and letting him know that there are at least a few patient fans out there. To these folks he responds that there are simply just some “hardcore people [out there] who love the game.” Interestingly, when asked whether he thinks communication regarding the beta could have been better, he answered, “I’ll tell you that right now.”

Could DICE have communicated about the beta any better than they already have? I think it’s a simple case of them telling us when they know, but what do you think?

While you wait for the beta, it may be a good time to catch up on some of the latest trailers. Including the debut of the Xbox 360 versions of Battlefield 3!

Make sure to Follow @MPFirst on Twitter for more Battlefield 3 news and while you’re here, check out some of our latest articles!

DICE On Competing With Modern Warfare 3

Three Ways Gears of War Reinvented Itself 

Tags: 360 Alan Kertz Battlefield Battlefield 3 Beta BF3 BF3 Beta Daniel Matros Demize99 DICE PC Playstation 3 PS3 PSN Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live zh1nt0

David Veselka

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Home > Features

Three Ways Gears of War 3 is the New Lois Lane

  by   Graham  
2:33 pm in Features

Remember in the 1978 Superman movie, when Superman fails to save Lois Lane from her grisly earthquake/car crash demise? He rectifies this by flying so fast around Earth, it spins backwards and resets time. He then has ample opportunity to save her from death.

In the same way that Superman raped the fabric of time and “started over,” Gears of War 3 has essentially pulled the same stunt in the gaming universe. The Gears franchise has become so badass and ahead of its time that in order to innovate, it’s had to circle the industry’s history and infuse more established standards of gameplay into its repertoire of features.

These are three Gears of War 3 elements that prove Epic studios is following Superman’s lead:

3. The Bayonet

This is how you know your game franchise is ridiculous: your weapons are so esoteric and bizarre that including a normal, real-world and physically functional weapon is seen as a ballsy move. When introducing a weapon that was used prevalently during the Napoleonic wars is a “new feature,” something’s amiss. In their crafting of the game’s weapons, Epic’s design team had obviously reached an impenetrable brick wall of awesomeness/insanity that would not budge. Their solution? Reverse time and start adding normal weaponry. I’m guessing we’ll see catapults and blowguns in Gears of War 4.

2. Team Deathmatch

Gears of War 2 featured a multiplayer game mode in which players took turns seeing who could hold onto a dying monster the longest without getting killed by the other team. Where do you go from that? When you have successfully created your own version of capture the flag featuring locust corpses, what’s the next logical step? Well, apparently, the only way forward is backward. Team Deathmatch. Not only the oldest, but the first actual multiplayer mode in shooter history. Epic literally started from square one; it takes a certain brand of crazy to admit that your online game is so bonkers, your best bet is to skip back to the past and begin fresh.

1. Horde Mode’s Strategy Mechanics

Many classic strategy games are getting reboots these days, and almost all of them are transformed into shooters (promoted with the usual game-advertising rhetoric: “visceral,” “cinematic,” etc.). The long-rumored Starbreeze title Syndicate was recently officially announced with plenty of fanfare, despite the fact that’s it’s an entirely different game from its predecessor. X-Com was a favorite of mine in middle school; the (you guessed it) shooter reboot has been poking its head into games conferences throughout the last year. Shooters sell, they’re easy to justify, and they have a dedicated audience, no matter the subject matter. So what do you do when you have created one of the shootiest shooters to ever shoot? Why, you go back in time, cherry pick game features from decades ago, and add strategy elements. Gears of War 3’s Horde 2.0 includes base-building, currency mining, equipment deployments, and supply management. I guess we’re lucky Epic didn’t travel farther back in time; we could be using those bayonets to carve our names into tombstones after dying from dysentery (hmmm…actually, I want to hunt buffalo with a lancer).

So, to recap:

Gears of War 3 is Lois Lane. Epic Games is Superman. Epic/Superman knew that the game/Lois Lane would not last if it did not innovate/save her. However, Epic, like Superman, was apparently doing literally the best they could. So, the only possible course of action was to go back in time to save Gears. And Lois Lane. My head hurts.

Enjoyed this article? Make sure to Follow @MPFirst on Twitter for more funny stuff and more on Gears of War 3! Meanwhile, check out The Three Worst Types of Online Gamers and the 10 Best New IPs of This Generation.

Tags: "Gears of War" 360 Bayonet Epic Games Gears of War 3 GoW GoW3 Horde Mode Louis Lane Super Man Team Deathmatch XBL Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Graham

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MW3 – Revamped Leveling Curve, Guns Have More Recoil, P2P Best Solution, and more

  by   Fahed Jaradat  
3:47 am in News

Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist, has revealed a ton of information about Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer.

Leveling Curve

As in previous iterations (except  for Black Ops), Modern Warfare 3 has upped the level count for prestige. Now, you have to go through 80 levels in order to prestige. One fan asked Bowling why MW3 has hit 80 levels, to which Robert answered, “We’ve rebalanced the leveling curve (not a grind at the end now) and this helps with that. Higher but smoother.” So, don’t let the number throw you off; they’ve changed the leveling up curve to be flatter. Here’s the history of level counts in the Call of Duty series:

55 levels in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
65 levels in Call of Duty: World at War
70 levels in Modern Warfare 2
50 levels in Black Ops (but 15 levels of prestige, instead of 10)
80 levels in Modern Warfare 3

Let’s Talk Guns

If you noticed in our gun lists, primaries and secondaries, we didn’t include the stat bars because we were told that they weren’t final. Robert confirmed that when he stated “the stat bars were not correct in the CODXP build.” He went on clarify that “we’re constantly rebalancing and changing and don’t set those till last.”  Recently, we reported that the ACR was the most popular gun throughout COD XP. Interestingly, Robert Bowling’s professed his love to the gun by saying “Yes, the ACR 6.8 is one of my favorite guns in MW3.” We, here at MP1st, thought that the ACR was a tad too forgiving on recoil in MW2, but Robert reassured that weapons in Modern Warfare 3 have “more kick and recoil than before. There are also Weapon Proficiencies that help you specialize and reduce that.” Click here to check the complete list of proficiencies along with an explanation of each. I don’t know about you, but I liked being able to customize my weapon’s reticle. You might be glad to hear that “there are [in MW3] a number of reticles to choose from as you rank up each individual weapon.”  Speaking of color options, you’ll be happy to know that “there is a Color Blind Assist option in multiplayer to help you out.”

Dedicated Servers

For those of you who are hoping to get dedicated servers on consoles, Robert Clarified “Matchmaking and Dedicated servers on PC. Only P2P matchmaking on consoles.” However, the reason why consoles aren’t getting dedicated servers is “because there are 30 million people who play it. P2P is the best solution for the time being.” I guess we are stuck with P2P for another year, but on a brighter note, “[Matchmaking] is not the same as Black Ops. Lots of improvements went in for party + local searches.” 

For those of you who are looking forward to the Spec-Ops, please read MW3 Spec Ops and The Importance of Self-Revive.

Be sure to follow @MPFirst on twitter for all of your Modern Warfare 3 desires!

Tags: "Modern Warfare 3 ACR" 360 Bowling Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 MP1st MW3 PC Playstation 3 PS3 Robert Robert Bowling Xbox Xbox 360

Fahed Jaradat

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

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