EA: Next Battlefield game will be free

Tuesday 22nd January 2008 - 17:00

Adverts to support web distributed game, Sonic and Mario reclaims the top spot and Dead Island PC screens

Veteran games publisher EA is all-set to shake up the industry by deciding to launch the next Battlefield game for free, on the web! Battlefield Heroes is touted as a more accessible and slightly more cartoon-like version of the award winning soldier shooter series. It is also EA's first title that is offered completely for free, and features a built-in matchmaking system to ensure that players of equal skill are paired together for fair play. Developed by DICE in Stockholm, Battlefield Heroes is leading EA's new web-focused free to download, free to play business model which generates revenue through in-game advertising and micro-transactions.

"Online gaming garners a massive audience," said Gerhard Florin, EVP Publishing Americas-Europe at EA. "People want to play games in new ways, with easier access that is quick to the fun. With Battlefield Heroes, EA brings its first major franchise to North America and Europe with a new distribution model and pricing structure adapted to the evolving way that people play."

Could this be the start of no longer having to pay for games? Well, it's not an entirely new concept as we remember it was introduced with the Team Fortress Half-Life game from yesteryear. We guess it all depends on how intrusive the adverts are! A release is scheduled for the summer.

Meanwhile, it's all change in chartland as Sonic and Mario once again take the top spot in this week's all-format Top 40. Call of Duty 4 now slips to second place with The Simpson's Game holding firm in third position.

Over in PC-land and we're pleased to offer some brand new screens of Dead Island forthcoming on both PC and Xbox 360. There's no release date as of yet - all we know is that it's coming from little known developer TechLand and is a first person survival horror shooter. More details as we get them.

To view more images, click here