According to Pete Blumel, a producer at Infinity Ward, the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has gone gold.
Pete has just tweetedthat “MW3 for Xbox is Gold!” No word on if the PS3, PC, Wii and DS versions of the game have been completed. It’s worth noting that the 360 version is not considered the lead platform of the game, at least among consoles, as Inifinty Ward’s Robert Bowling clarified, “we [Infinity Ward] don’t have lead platforms, we develop each version alongside each other.”
Robert Bowling also pointed out to a fan that all that’s left for the studios behind MW3, Inifinity Ward and Sledgehammer games, is to “send the game off for certification on consoles, address any feedback provided, shift remaining focus to PC specific features.”
Modern Warfare 3 releases on the 8th of November. Don’t forget to follow @MPFirst on twitter for the latest on Modern Warfare 3.
My last post regarding the three worst types of online gamers may have netted me the reputation of a Negative Nancy. While that may be accurate, I still thought it necessary to identify the best types of online gamers as well. In gaming culture, like most niche communities, often times the negative aspects of the populace are advertised and highlighted more often than the positive aspects.
In an effort to be fair and balanced, and to let the decent gaming folk know we at MP1ST haven’t forgotten about them, here are the three best types of online gamers:
The Gentleman
The Gentleman is easily the best kind of teammate you can have. Always rational, never becoming emotionally invested in the game, he tries his hardest and invariably remains calm, cool, and collected. Killed and tea-bagged by an opponent? He remains low-key and attentive to the task at hand. A teammate steals his care package? No worries, he’ll steadily wait until he earns another one, appreciative of the fact that he helped out his squad.
The Scholar
The Scholar has a comprehensive knowledge of the game at hand. Need to know the best route from A to B in a match of Battlefield Conquest? He’ll tell you, and won’t be a bit condescending or sarcastic. What’s the best loadout to use if you’re taking advantage of the Ghost perk in Call of Duty? He’ll give you three, each for a specific map or gametype. Not having any luck at Mario Kart Wii? He’ll take the time out of his own game to teach you how to use Funky Kong and the Flame Runner, and you will be eternally grateful.
The Frozen Yogurt
The Frozen Yogurt gamer is the great peacekeeper. When friends or lovers are upset, they head to a neutral place to get some frozen yogurt and take a break from whatever argument has them riled up. Teammates will squabble, fight, and argue, and relationships are tested in the virtual arena. Fortunately, the Frozen Yogurt gamer is there to mend fences, bring peace, and help all parties relax with a kind word, helpful advice, or a witty quip regarding the opposing team’s mothers and their propensity for promiscuity.
It’s my wish, dear reader, that you refrain from being a DJ. Don’t be a Mouth Breather. Cease all One and Done activity, and instead be a Gentleman. A Scholar. Be the Frozen Yogurt your team truly needs.
Don’t forget to follow @MPFirst for more humour pieces like these! To learn more about how to become a better FPS gamer, check out our article on the importance of Playing the Objective.
Update 2: The beta should now be live on the PS3 in North America.
Update 1: as of 5:22 pm est the PSN store still hasn’t updated, so no beta for NA PSN users yet. The official word from BF3’s community manager is “If your beta hasn’t showed up in PS3 yet please be patient – it’s propagating out.”
Merry Christmas everyone! The Battlefield 3 closed beta is now live. If you owned either the Limited Edition or Tier 1 edition of Medal of Honor, or if you pre-ordered BF3 through Origin, make sure to check your emails or the for those early acces beta keys or check your PlayStation Network and follow the instructions included.
Emails in the EU should have all been sent by now, for the most part. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, DICE tweeted that you could contact support.ea.com for assistance. You can also follow @askEAsupport on Twitter. DICE has also stated that “In NA, early access emails have been sent for PC & X360.” However, DICE is still “waiting for Sony to post the Beta on PSN; email delivery starts at 11am PSTFor those who are still waiting on the PSN.” By the time you’r reading this article, the PSN should, hopefully, have the beta up and running.
While many of you may think that the beta is a little late to the party, remember that DICE is still taking all of our feedback through the Battlelog and will be either implementing changes on day one, or within the first week or two after Battlefield 3’s release date. Keep an eye out for those bugs, glitches, or things that you think should be tweaked, and make sure to report them in the proper thread in the Battlelog forums.
Remember, the beta opens up to the rest of the public at on September 29th, just two more days away! Hang in there guys.
On a side note, Seeson Mahathavorn, Battlefield 3 Community Manager, tweeted last night, “Whoever steals crash7800’s [Ian Tornay’s] dog tags FIRST tomorrow during the early access BF3 Beta will get a BF3 dog tag!” You can check out Crash7800’s Twitter page for his gaming ID’s. We’re comin’ for ya!
Be sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter for more timely updates on the Battlefield 3 beta and to take part in some epic gaming sessions with fellow MP1st readers and editors! Make sure to stay tuned for MP1st’s first impressions of the Battlefield 3 beta.
See you on the Battlefield, and most importantly, remember to PTFO!
In order to distinguish the different breeds of Call of Duty competitors, I devised a specific and foolproof classification system in order to aid gamers in handling communication with, between, and about their opponents and teammates. You might be asking yourself why identifying certain players by labeling them as a dance is necessary. Here’s an example: A player enters your game and joins your team. He tags along with you, but runs away at the first sight of the enemy. To help out the rest of your teammates, instead of attempting to describe his absurd behavior, you simply have to say, “Guys, we have a Moonwalker on our team.” They’ll know never to rely on him, and you’ve helped out your team by identifying its weakest link.
We're having clan tryouts...but you're not invited.
Here are eleven dances that are also Call of Duty Players (each description is followed by a typical in-game reference):
1. The Thunderclap
The Thunderclap dance entails a knee-bending bob punctuated by “dust-off” claps aimed towards the sky. The Thunderclap Call of Duty player bends his knees to camp in corners, punctuating every kill (probably 1 or 2 per match) with an ear-shattering scream such as “Get some!”
Example: “Man, we need to private chat; I can’t handle this Thunderclapper much longer.”
2. Swag Surfin’
The Swag Surfin’ dance involves using your body to mimic an ocean wave and show off your swag. The Swag Surfin’ Call of Duty player comes in two distinct flavors. The “Swag Surfin’ Pro” has all gold weapon camouflage, 15th prestige, and the awesome skills to back it up. The “Swag Surfin’ Joe” has all gold weapon camouflage, 15th prestige, and the terrible skills that prove his booster status.
Example: “That guy’s definitely a Swag Surfin’ Joe. How do you get to 15th prestige and not know how to navigate Nuketown?”
3. The Moonwalk
The Moonwalk was Michael Jackson’s iconic dance in which he would gracefully move backward, while creating the illusion that his feet were stepping forward. The Moonwalk Call of Duty player creates the illusion that he is going to join you in a firefight, or help you capture B, but then gracefully runs away at the first sign of enemy contact.
Example: “Well, we could have killed their last two guys, but that damn Moonwalker wouldn’t get my back.”
4. The Running Man
The Running Man is a classic party dance, and basically requires the dancer to run in place with exaggerated movements. The Running Man Call of Duty player takes a more literal approach, and runs all over the whole damn map, bypassing teammates in need and ignoring the hell out of everything except his desire to get back to his sweet camping spot.
Example: “Um…their flag is literally wide open and unguarded; that Running Man just completely bypassed it.”
5. The Carlton
The Carlton is a dance made famous by Alfonso Ribeiro in the show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Playing spoiled rich kid Carlton, Ribeiro would dance to Tom Jones and mimic dance moves first used as comedy bits by the edgy and profane Eddie Murphy in Raw. The Carlton Call of Duty player is the spoiled and profane child who shouts nonsensical swears and insults that can only really be pulled off by legitimate tough guys.
Example: “That Carlton’s racist rants are getting old; I wish kids had bedtimes like they used to.”
6. The Cabbage Patch
The Cabbage Patch is the dance older people will usually do because they haven’t seen anybody really dance since 1987. It involves putting the fists together and churning the arms in a horizontal direction. The Cabbage Patch Call of Duty player is either a new gamer or an older person just getting into games. They want to fit in and be a part of the verbal ruckus, but end up ruining the fun by squeaking out some awkward slang like “Ain’t no thang, homey!” Minutes of uninterrupted and awkward silence ensue.
Example: “Dude, that Cabbage Patch just made a Fraggle Rock reference. I kind of feel bad for him.”
7. The Safety Dance
The Safety Dance is a dance made famous by the 80’s band Men Without Hats. The Safety Dance Call of Duty player never leaves “safe” zones. Afraid of possible combat and enemy contact, he never leaves the spawn, except to shoot noob tube rounds over the closest buildings in a last-ditch effort to snag a kill.
Example: “Man, stop Safety Dancin’, and help the team for once!”
8. Peanut Butter Jelly Time
Peanut Butter Jelly Time is a dated song, dance, and meme that has somehow remained popular and is still amusing. Nobody hates PBJT, and even though that dancing banana has been plastered all over every corner of the internet, the dance hasn’t suffered the same fate of obscurity as so many other dances and memes. The Peanut Butter Jelly Time Call of Duty player is basically a successful Cabbage Patch. He might be hauling out vernacular from 1993, or dropping quotes from “In Living Color,” but his delivery is so amicable and impeccable that he’s a joy to play with, and brings little half-smiles to his teammates.
Example: “Holy crap, Crazy Jim just joined up. Invite him to the party; he’s always Peant Butter Jelly Timing it!”
9. Crank That (Souja Boy)
Crank That (Soulja Boy) is a dance popularized by rapper Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em. It requires the dancer to exhibit braggadocio that reaches levels of parody, and encompasses dance moves similar to the movements seen in physical therapy classes for disabled people and the elderly. Crank That Call of Duty player might consistently place last on the scoreboard of every game he plays, but that doesn’t stop him from putting down his teammates, insulting the sexuality, mothers, and skills of his opponents, and promoting his own abilities and humongous genitals.
Example: “Crank That needs to shut his mouth; he went 2-17 and four of our guys were AFK.”
Hip-Hop dance or CoD player after getting a nuke? You decide.
10. The Stanky Legg
The Stanky Legg is an unfortunately-named dance coined by the GS Boyz that involves keeping your knees bent at extreme levels and grinding one leg around in obscene circles. The Stanky Legg Call of Duty player is essentially an evolved tea bagger or corpse humper. After a kill, he becomes so infatuated with the remains of his victim that he crouches and squats over it, moving rhythmically from side to side. After a particularly spectacular victory, The Stanky Legg might actually go prone and pantomime necrophilia with the twisted carcass of his opponent.
Example: “Stanky Legger has been crunching that guy’s dead ass for like a minute.”
11. You’re a Jerk (Jerkin’)
You’re a Jerk (Jerkin’) is a dance created by the New Boyz in 2009, and it is basically a backwards skip-in-place with the occasional squat popping. The Jerkin’ Call of Duty player can do myriad things that will earn him this title, including: standing in a doorway and not moving, causing a traffic jam, and forcing his teammates to find alternate paths to a basic objective; standing in odd corners of maps to snipe during objective games, and completely refusing to help in any meaningful way; and spamming invites to prestige lobbies.
Example: “Stop jerkin’ it in the doorway and help your team!”
You thought this was hilarious, wait until you read one of these:
DICE’s Lead Designer, David Goldfarb, has nothing but kind words for the two major Call of Duty development studios.
Recently, you might have read about EA and Activision going at it in a very competitive manner. We even compiled all the stories for you here. Last month, we reportedon what Robert Bowling had to say about Battlefield 3 after getting a taste of the awesomeness. It was a really nice gesture on Bowling’s part as he was talking about Call of Duty’s number one rival and sharing that with his 200,000 plus followers.
Many people are still baffled by the war between EA and Activision, so when a fan complained to David Goldfarb about Battlefield’s bashing of Call of Duty. He said “how bout bf3 stops with the bashing of cod. I love both games and it is annoying. Not going to buy it if you keep it up.” Goldfarb repliedwith a very interesting answer; he distanced DICE from EA’s actions by saying “DICE has nothing to do with the bashing of COD, we have mad love for IW and Treyarch, anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong.” It’s good to see developers not middling in publishers’ affairs.
Recently, Robert Bowling mentionedthat he’s going to play Battlefield 3 when it’s comes out. He replied to angry CoD fan who’s going to switch to BF3 this year with “I’m sad to hear that man. They’ll both be great games, so maybe I’ll see you online there then!” I wonder if Bowling will play the betathat comes out tomorrow. We, at MP1st, have always stated that both games are different enough to satisfy different FPS needs.
What do you guys think of Goldfarb’s comment?
Please follow @MPFirst on Twitter to keep up with the latest BF3 and MW3 news and to get in MP1st’s some of weekly community gaming sessions!PTFO!
What do you think of our new logo? Do you like it? Or, should we change it?
If I were to ask you what’s one thing that was done really well in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, I think many would agree that the in-game audio really stood out. I’m sure many fans are excited to see what kind of improvements they’ve made in Battlefield 3. Check out one of our earlier posts on sound design and soundtracks in Battlefield 3.
Tomas Danko, VO Producer at DICE, has revealed some interesting audio facts about Battlefield 3 on Twitter recently, as well as some info regarding map sizes.
We’ve all seen the tyrannosaurus BF3 pictures circling the internet. One fan suggested to Mr. Danko that it would be rather funny to make a mock VO for it anyways. Interestingly enough, Danko responded to him saying, “Who said there is no t-rex audio in BF3?” What does this mean exactly? We don’t know. But we will make sure to let our readers know at the first sign of any Tyrannosaurus Warfare DLC pack! This fan also asked exactly how many lines of VO are in Battlefield 3, to which Danko responded, “In total around 18 000 wave files of VO, not counting localized languages.”
Bad Company 2 has been known for their intense, and sometimes hilarious VO lines that can be heard during the heat of battle. One fan commented on this subject, asking if soldiers would still be screaming insults every time they knived a door or a fence down. He also added that he though it really added to the immersion of the game. Dankoanswered, “Never any VO when knifing to begin with.” This could perhaps come as sightly bad news to many, but DICE could have felt that insults did not have any place in Battlefield 3.
Lastly, Danko was also asked about map sizes, specifically, whether or not any maps would be bigger than 2,000 square meters. Danko confidently responded, “How about more than twice that size…”
DICE seems to be hard at work at every aspect of Battlefield 3, including the audio. I hope you’ve all upgraded your sound system just as much as you’re PC or TV.
Be sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter for more timely updates on Battlefield 3.
See you on the Battlefield, and don’t forget to PTFO.
With the beta just around the corner, right now might be a good time to catch up on the latest Battlefield 3 news.
First off, a couple reminders. Today (Sept. 25) is the last day you are able to pre-order Battlefield 3 on Origin and still receive early access to the beta. Any pre-orders after today will not be allowed early access. Yesterday was the last day to have registered your Limited Edition of Medal of Honor in order to receive early access as well. It is also most likely that early access beta keys will be handed out tomorrow, the 26th, the day before early access begins.
Onto some news and articles that you might have missed!
We hope you found this news round-up during of the last, hectic, week before the beta to be useful. Make sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter for more, plus for some impressions of the beta once it comes out.
With the release of Battlefield 3 just under a month away, and the beta dropping in a few days, this would be the perfect time to hop onto Battlefield Bad Company 2 and hone the destructive killing machine that is you. The following 3 tips are sure to help your game and will allow you to place higher on every scoreboard, not just with kills (PTFO), but with your overall performance on the battlefield.
Know Your Role
Ok, so this may be a very obvious point, but still the battlefield is littered with guys not knowing an RPG from a grenade launcher when it come to taking down vehicles. Know what your role was designed for and use it to your advantage. Are you playing as an engineer? Then take out those foul tank whores and show them who’s boss. Playing recon? Use your motion detection mines and binoculars to spot enemies and reign death upon the enemy from the sky. You will be surprised at how many points you will be racking up just from playing your class right and playing tactically, instead of trying to re-enact your own version of Rambo. However, in addition to playing your class right, you must also know the limitations of the role that you play on the battlefield. If you are an engineer then do not expect to be pulling off long range kills with your SMG as this is not what you were designed to do. If this is your style, then pick up the assault kit or recon kit because with the engineer, you are a complex vehicle killing machine, not a sniper. So, know that with the responsibility of becoming an engineer you will be facing death quite a few times during a round as you will have to put yourself in harm’s way in order to rid the warzone of tanks and helicopters. The same goes for recons. Do not expect to be able to go toe to toe with an assault class in CQB because you will get your ass served on a platter if you attempt to do so. Hang back, spot, use your mortars, and do everything to assist your team. There is a difference between being a bush wookie and being the spotter on your team.
Vehicles are there for a reason
Is there a helicopter at your spawn? Is there a patrol boat just sitting there waiting for it to be commandeered? Then you should be the new proud owner of that vehicle and use it to flank the enemy or take the fight to them head-on. It is no good letting all of your vehicles go to waste and attempting an attack on foot when the enemy team has set up shop in buildings around the objectives. Use a tank to blow them out of their fox holes or use the patrol boat to blow a hole in the objective building in order for your teammates to gain better access to it. With the vehicles, you will, however, become an immediate target for enemy RPG teams, so stay on your toes and watch out for those pesky RPG launchers as they can very quickly turn your day sour. Make sure that you do not vehicle whore though, vehicle whores are the people who will camp a vehicles’ spawn location in order to gain access to it. Now, normally you shouldn’t be too bothered by this, but when it is 3 or 4 of your guys camping the same spot and making no effort at all to try and take the objective, then it becomes a problem. So, make sure you know when the situation is right for a vehicle and you will quickly be racking up those points and kills.
Flank, flank, flank!
Flanking the enemy is probably the most effective way to rack up your kills and get those sneaky M-Com plants. Instead of charging head on into the battle zone like a headless chicken and getting your body pumped full of lead, find the route less traveled and sneak up on your enemy from behind, steal some dog tags and arm that objective! It is surprising how many teams don’t expect a flank and you will become an instant killing machine once you get the jump on the enemy. Not only will you have the great advantage of being able to kill your enemies and get some M-Com plants without the enemy knowing, you will also be a mobile spawn point for your squad. This means that if you stay alive behind enemy lines, then you can have 3 guys supporting you which greatly increases you and your teams chances of success. This means that the enemy will have no choice but to try and take out you and your squad who are casually hanging out in some buildings behind their lines of defense. This immediately opens up a door for your teammates to go and plant the bomb at the objective while you provide covering fire. Flanking can be the key to success and could turn the tides of battle in your favor! So, never underestimate the power of stealth and agility to gain you those valuable points and kills you need in order to become a better Battlefield player.
By applying all of these tactics you should instantly see a jump in your performance and hopefully be doing a lot better than the average Joe and his rifle on the battlefield. Of course, you should not follow any tips as gospel, as you all have your own playstyle and preferences. These are only meant to be guidelines for you to be able to play more competitively in matches, and not to make you to change the way you play the game.
Do you have any more tips and tactics for other players? Let us know in the comments section below!
While your here, make sure to join the PTFO movement and spread the world. For more on Battlefield, follow @MPFirst on Twitter.
Wedbush Securities’ Michael Pachter in the latest episode of his weekly series, thePach-Attack!, touched on online passes and their influence on single-player and multiplayer in gaming.
In a response to the question “Do you think that online passes are a step to split up single player and multiplayer, or make the public more accustomed for full digital downloads?”
Pachter answered “I don’t. I think online passes are a feeble attempt to wipe out the used game business. I think what the publishers who put them in are trying to do, is say we think we have an increasing number of people buying our game who want to play multiplayer and we don’t want that game resold and have somebody else play it. So, as a practical matter, you’re probably right. A used version of a game with an online pass is more likely to be bought by somebody who just wants a single-player experience.” He went on to state that “The conflict is that more and more games now have multiplayer features built in. I think in few years all games will be multiplayer, so I don’t think there will be any desire to split up.” Before we jump to any conclusions, Pachter might have meant to say that all games will have multiplayer features in them (that’s why we added the second part of the title). He explained the reasoning behind his claim by saying “Just anecdotaly, by talking to Call of Duty players, I’d say 5 out of 6 that I talk to never even bother with the single-player campaign. They buy the game and go right in the multiplayer. So, I think that’s the way the industry is headed, and I think this will keep going.”
Being a site dedicated to MP doesn’t mean we don’t play single-player. Some of our favorite games of this generation were either SP only, such as Mass Effect 2 and Heavy Rain, or we loved their SP campaigns because they were much more realized, like Red Dead Redemption or Uncharted 2. We don’t think single-player games are going the way of the dinosaur. However, more single-player campaigns will have a hint of MP added to them, and obviously the best example is Demon’s Souls. Our views mirror those of Cliff Bleszinski, when he recently told Gamasutra, “Look at what things like Dragon’s Dogma is doing, or Dark Souls [spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls]. You can have multiplayer, and a large RPGish-type environment, just with asynchronous elements. The big takeaway for us is having an enthusiasm for asynchronous gameplay, because that is where a lot of the future is going to go.”
What do you think? Will all games have multiplayer features in them? Or, will the current traditional form of single-player stay intact?
In an interview with GamerSpawn, Karl-Magnus Troedsson, General Manager at Dice, answered a few tough questions regarding the date of the Battlefield 3 beta. First, he does admit that it is coming out a little later than the DICE team would have liked, saying, “I know that some people are saying it’s coming in a bit late, but we’re still happy to put it out there.” He also went on to assure us that, “what’s also very important here is that when we launch Battlefield 3, that is just the start. We’re going to take care of this product for quite some time afterwards.”
Even though the beta is coming out seemingly quite late, it seems that the DICE team could still have used more time in preparing it. When it comes to the coding in the beta, Troedsson also admitted that “it’s a couple of weeks behind. So, there might be problems in that that we’ve already fixed [since then].” This is important for many Battlefield fans to know so that they are not so thrown off by potential bugs that could be found in the beta.
The Battlefield 3 beta was originally planned as a closed beta to which only the Medal of Honor Limited Edition owners would be invited. However, DICE seems to have changed their mind. Troedsson comments on the thought process: “I think it’s important for us to get as many people in as possible, and it’s quite a bit of a hassle to actually to hand out codes, you know, if we want to get to a large number of people. So, at some point we just decided, let’s go with an open beta and have as many people as possible come in. For the people that have some special incentive etc. …we’ll give them early access to the beta instead.”
With the beta quickly approaching and the DICE team probably working many long and hard hours to get Battlefield 3 polished and ready for launch, Troedsson mentions that “The atmosphere is quite intense… The team is really really fired up.” He continues to admit that “There’s a lot of nerves involved. There’s a lot of things that need to come together. During the last month of game development, a lot of tough decisions need to be made, you know, to hit the dates.”
Wondering how DICE decided which maps would be making it into their first expansion pack, Back to Karkand? Troedsson explains that, being the spiritual successor of Battlefield 2, “it felt very natural to us that when we did the first expansion pack, that we actually would, you know, use the most played maps of Battlefield 2, and that’s actually how we selected them. We just looked at the stats.”
If you just can’t get enough of Battlefield, you’ll be happy to know that Troedsson revealed that DICE has “a lot of ambitious plans for the post-launch of Battlefield 3.”
Make sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter for more Battlefield 3 info, and don’t forget to read up on the PTFO movement!
Robert Bowling shares his thoughts on cross-platform gaming.
In a recent Australian Gamer interview, Robert Bolwing was asked about cross platform play and if Infinity Ward was looking into featuring it in future titles. Robert answered “We [Infinity Ward] take things one game a time. There’s no Cross platform play in Modern Warfare 3. Right now, we’re completely focused on that [MW3], and we’ll look at it [Cross Platform Play].” He went on to express his thoughts on cross-platform gaming “I think it’s something cool that a lot of people are doing well.”
Shadowrun had one of the earliest implementations of cross-platform play in the current consoles generation, but a more recent example, which Bowling might be referring to, is Portal 2’s PS3-PC co-op feature which worked quite well. Also, Valve has recently announced Counter Strike: Global Offensive, which will feature cross-platform play between PC, PS3, and Mac. However, there hasn’t been a game that pitted console players, PS3 and 360, against each other.
After being overshadowed by a slew of imitators over the last three years, Gears of War’s grinder-style Horde Mode made its triumphant return this past week. The second iteration of the cooperative gametype features an array of new innovations and mechanics, but its real secret weapon is the little friend it brought along: Beast Mode.
Beast Mode is itself similar to Left 4 Dead 2 or Dead Space 2’s versus multiplayer offerings, and even features the money management and time-based restrictions of many popular tower defense games. The concept, while not as in-depth as its big brother Horde Mode’s, works beautifully, and could easily create its own sub-genre (much like Horde Mode did).
Beast Mode is playable on any of Gears of War 3’s multiplayer maps, and is playable solo, or with up to four teammates. Before each match, a short cutscene will display a group of Stranded and anywhere from 1-8 “Heroes” fortifying a section of the map with turrets, laser fences, and spiked floor barriers. Once the layout has been established, players will choose which Locust enemy type to spawn as.
Cute. Deadly. Playable.
Each spawn will cost the player a certain amount of money; to spawn as a small Ticker, the player will only be charged a small percentage of his money. However, as the team of Locust progresses through the 12 waves, the enemies become more advanced, numerous, and dangerous. Whereas in the first wave a handful of Tickers will easily be able to break down any barriers and kill the human survivors, later waves will require some more impressive firepower. Want to spawn as a Locust Drone, sporting a Retro Lancer and the ability to execute Heroes (the iconic heroes are only able to be killed by execution)? That’s going to set you back $450. A rocket-launching Boomer? You’ll have to cough up $1,500.
Shortly after the first couple of waves, the game becomes a tense balancing act; you might need extra firepower to down that Silverback Mech, but buying it will leave you with dangerously low funds for the next round. Each player manages his own cash and spawns, so teamwork and communication are essential as the matches progress.
In addition to managing resources and spawns, players face another implicit threat: time. The Locust horde starts the match with one minute to eradicate all Stranded and Heroes. When a player destroys a blockade or turret, time is added. When a Stranded is killed, or a Hero is executed, even more time is added. The final waves of Beast Mode become filled with a frantic yet concentrated tension. Choosing the right Locust spawn while managing cash is harrying enough; add in a steadily decreasing time limit and Beast Mode becomes a gametype that truly has no comparison. Not many games let you play as the bad guys, let alone ruthlessly dismember and destroy the game’s iconic good guys.
He may look intimidating, but that changes when you put your Locust boot to his face.
Many gamers will find only a minor diversion in Gears of War’s latest mode, but those craving an intense, unique take on cooperative gameplay will find a true gem. It may be just one of the many bullet points touting Gears of War 3’s variety, but don’t be surprised if other developers once again follow Epic’s lead.
Stay tuned to MP1st for more of our continuing Gears of War 3 coverage, including competitive multiplayer, Horde Mode, and any updates, patches, and DLC.
Multiplayer in games today is huge. Ten years ago, we were lugging our Xboxes over to our friend’s house while PC gamers have always enjoyed the power of online frag fests. Flash forward to 2011, and now the Xbox, PS3, and other consoles/handhelds have those same capabilities along with the PC, and we can all enjoy multiplayer, whether it be online or spilt-screen. But still a question myst be asked of any game developer’s foray into multiplayer: Is it necessary and/or what makes your game different?
Here are five things that make multiplayer work, and what developers should do to stand out from the crowd:
The Carrot Factor
What makes the gamer keep playing your game, or specifically multiplayer for that matter? Why do I want to level up, what new weapon do I unlock, what perks? What entices me to keep going? What makes me what reach the last rank of the game? This my friends is the “The Carrot Factor.” What is it you ask? It’s the object the developer puts in front of you when you’re ranking up. It’s something new to help your experience feel better and more rewarding. It’s that new scope, gun, or attachment. It’s the object of your desire to make you feel like a badass. “The Carrot Factor” is the driving force of any multiplayer game that wants to thrive in the Call of Duty and Battlefield world and ultimately keep your attention on that particular title for a little while longer.
Matchmaking
For the love of all that is great in multiplayer gaming, if you don’t have matchmaking….don’t even have multiplayer. In fact, just abandon the idea of it…entirely. Matchmaking is the system that helps gamers play not just with other players, but with people whom they can (hopefully) play a fair and honest game with. What I mean with that is that if I play a game of CoD, and I’m a level 12 I want to be matched up with other level 12’s or maybe even a level 13 or 14. Hell, anything that doesn’t jump into the twenties is perfect, but don’t throw me in a match with level 50’s or Prestige whores who laugh at my low rank. I want to play with my skill level. Now there are some exceptions to this, like co-op or a “horde” like mode, but even still retain some form of matchmaking. Matchmaking is the balance of all multiplayer games, and it keeps everything in some form of coherent unison. When I jump into multiplayer, I want to play with people I can adequately compete with, and people I can in some way stand up too even when my team and I are getting a beat down. Matchmaking is the web of multiplayer. It connects everything together, makes the most balanced games possible, even if hackers, and glitches pop up from time to time. But no matter what, if you want your multiplayer to even have a pulse, you must make sure the players are connected through the web of matchmaking. Want a good example? Bungie. The progenitors of it all (well, since Halo 2).
Gameplay
Gameplay. Gameplay. Gameplay. The skeleton of your game. Its infrastructure. If this doesn’t work, everything else fails. Even more so than ANYTHING else on this list. Why? Simple. Without gameplay, no one will play your game, plain and simple. How are the controls? Do your vehicles work? Is your hit detection off? Can I eat my ponies without exploding into rainbows? Is your game actually playable? Without good…no, decent gameplay, your game will go nowhere. I can’t express enough how some games have “single-player” gameplay incorporated into multiplayer *cough The Darkness cough*. This is a “must not” no matter what, and cannot be ignored under ANY circumstances. I honestly can’t stress this enough. I’ll leave it at this: broken gameplay means broken game.
Post-Launch Support
This is the energy, the adrenaline of the game. Basically, in the grand scheme of things, this proves how much you care about your game after its release. How’s your DLC coming along? Are you giving us Quantity and Quality? Will you cheap-shot us and make us pay fifteen dollars for four maps? Two which are remakes, the other which are brand new (yeah, you know who I’m talking about)? Or will you give us a nice steady stream of DLC, that’s both rightly priced, and has a good amount of content. I don’t think a lot of developers know how to do DLC right. They either give us lousy content for an insane price, a reasonable amount of content but spam us with it way too much in a short time span (meaning, we’re getting new DLC about every month), or we get nothing at all. It’s seldom that developers get it right and know how to give us everything we want in DLC for not only the right price, but the right space in between each release as well. I won’t lie: I think DLC is a tricky thing for developers, but it can be done right. If anything, I suggest DLC every two to three months, but hey, what do I know?
Community
The heart of it all. The fans. The gamers. The players. Do. We. Care? We the fans have bought your game, we have laid down our sixty bucks, and abandon our social life for a few momentous hours for your awesome game. Obviously, we care enough to have bought your game, but do you care about us? We have fan-fiction, cosplay, and numerous sites dedicated to your game, your franchise, but do you care? How do you reward your loyalists, we faithful divine customers of your product? Can you give us stat-tracking? Bonuses to having been players of your game for a number years? We the players, the community as whole, will support you, even with your game’s flaws. Hell, even if your gameplay is shit, we’ll help you fix it. We’ll do our part, you do yours and deliver that sequel or patch or DLC, but support us, and we’ll support you. You know that old saying: “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours?” Well, that’s what we’ll do. Do you really think Halo, Gears, CoD, Battlefield, hell, even Duke Nukem would have gotten numerous sequels and/or spin-offs if the fans hadn’t supported them? Sure, the actual games sold well, and critics praised them, but ultimately we bought the game, we made machinimas, and we took the time out of our marriage, school, and job lives to create a frigging movie, just to showcase how much we love your game! We the fans, the gamers, freaking love your game, and we’ll support you until the end of time; now can you support us too by giving us more of what we love?
I’m not expecting gaming devs to read this (you better or feel my unlimited gaming powers!), but I, no we, need them to listen to this. Multiplayer is beyond big in gaming today. It has evolved from hooking up consoles to a single TV, to an entire wireless world of online gaming. If you have multiplayer in some way shape or form, first and foremost you need to stand out, then you can get to the nitty gritty details. We the gaming consumers love your game and will support it, but first you have to ask yourself How are we different from any other game that has multiplayer? Ask yourself that, gaming devs, and then decide how well you stand out from the crowd, and if you truly deserve multiplayer.
As mentioned on the official Battlefield 3 beta page, anyone who enters the beta will get to experience the ‘Rush’ game mode on the Métro multiplayer map. While there hasn’t been any official mention on the website of any other map or game mode making it into the beta yet, Community Manager Daniel Matros did mention on Twitter that the beta will, in fact, also include ‘Conquest’. Being under the impression that only ‘Rush’ was going to be featured, fans looked to Matros for verification, to which he responded, “Yes, [Conquest is] there for testing purposes.” Still no word if any other maps would make it into the beta.
Another Community Manager, Ian Tornay also had some interesting tweets for those who bought Medal of Honor second hand. When one fan asked if he could still enter the beta early after purchasing a new online pass code for the game, Tornay mentioned, “you should have early access if you bought the code. Gratz!” So, it seems like if you bought medal of honor used, but also bought a new pass code, you should still have early access to the Battlefield 3 beta.
Excited to test out the Battlelog next week, as well as the game itself? Just be wary when it comes to adding all of your friends and other information into your profile. As it turns out, Matros has stated that the Battlelog is being wiped of data from the alpha to the beta, and will be wiped again after the beta. Be sure to read up on some of the gameplay changes made to the beta!
Many PC users will be using the Battlefield 3 beta as a way to test out their rig in order to make some adjustments before the final game releases. If you were planning on upgrading to a new system before release, you may want to check out some of these Alienware deals. Check out the official Battlefield 3/Alienware page, for 10% off (up to $300 off) select Alienware systems.
If you haven’t already heard, the Official PlayStation Blog has announced that the Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand expansion pack will be hitting the PS3 a week prior to all other platforms. Make sure to check out the Battlefield 3 themed PS3 as well. A junior product manager at DICE, Tommy Rydling, also commented that “The expansion pack Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand comes at no extra charge if you pre-order Battlefield 3: Limited Edition. It will release Winter 2011.” Though we have yet to see an official statement on any of DICE’s channels, it seems we can look forward to those classic maps and weapons before the new year.
Stay tuned to MP1st.com and follow @MPFirst on Twitter for more Battlefield 3 updates.
Both Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 are shaping up to be stellar games, and are both releasing later this year (with Battlefield 3 releasing October 25th and Modern Warfare 3 on November 11th).
Both of these games have gained a huge following and have gained massive amounts of hype in these past months as their release dates edge ever closer. Of course, this also brings along what could only be described as one of the greatest flame wars of our age. This flame war has just about every hardcore Battlefield and Call of Duty fan crying foul whenever a negative comment or opinion is conveyed about their beloved franchise, and many will swear to hunt down and reign death upon any naysayers of their respective franchise.
Many of us at MP1st agree that Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 both look equally stellar in their own respective ways and plan to purchase both games. However, this is considered blasphemy among the fanboys and will have them reigning down a hellish fire of F-bombs upon your mortal being. I believe all of this hate between the people is possibly causing more harm than good for their game of choice. Sadly, some people may see these hell-infested comments about how the other game blows, and it may form a mindset that makes them believe that the game they are actually trying to support will only be littered with these types of people. In turn, these viewers may end up avoiding the title all together. To be truthful, I find these foul-mouthed trolls to be quite ill-mannered and are giving gamers a bad reputation by displaying a failure to broaden their perspective and see that there are actually other games out there than what they play. They will do nothing but talk bad about other games, no matter the genre.
Despite all of the fanboy fanfare, you should buy both of these games.
Modern Warfare 3 is shaping up to be one hell of a good ride as the story intensifies and the multiplayer heats up. I really liked the story in Modern Warfare 2, and found it very intriguing and fun. Plus, who can hate on Captain Prices’ beard? Seriously! That stuff is forged from the gods. Modern Warfare 3 sets out to raise the bar among the saturated FPS market and is looking to do so in fine form. With a revamped points streak system and what looks to be the most exciting and fun Call of Duty experience to date, Modern Warfare 3 looks to be the best title in the series yet. I can’t wait to pick up my own copy, hop online and produce a blood bath of epic proportions.
Now, if only there was a game that could fulfill my realistic shooter needs when I am tired of the fast paced “run ‘n’ gun” style of Call of Duty. Oh wait! There is, and it carries the name Battlefield 3. Battlefield 3 is the sequel to the award-winning game Battlefield 2 which re-defined the way we play tactical shooters. Battlefield 3 is sporting the new Frostbite 2.0 engine and is looking absolutely stunning, even on consoles. The realistic gun physics, animations, sound and destructible environments make this game stand out from the crowd. It gives you a breather from the Call of Duty world and instead throws you into a huge battlefield filled with jets, tanks and helicopters to aid you in your fight. Now, if that isn’t enough to get you excited for this game, then I don’t know what is. To put it simply, this game is looking fantastic and looks to redefine the genre once more.
Will Battlefield 3 outshine Modern Warfare 3 ? Only time will tell. All I know is, is that I can’t wait to pick up my copy of both of these great games and start some chaos online (and get sucked into to both games’ campaigns). Why can’t we all just agree that both games will go on to sell well and both games will be superb in their own way? Why can’t we just love both Battlefield and Call of Duty?
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you shouldn’t care about which game will smite the other’s ass.
Feel free to leave a comment below stating which games you will be picking up this fall and why. See you all in the warzone, people!
While your here, make sure to follow @MPFirst on Twitter and check out some of our lates articles:
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.
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!
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.
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:
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:
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