Reported as set for an official announcement today, EA have done just that with the news that Battlefield: Play4Free is real, opening up registration for its closed beta. The title is PC only and allows players to embark on a soldier career, jumping in and competing in 32 player action. The game is created by the team behind Battlefield Heroes, though this time out EA are ditching the cartoon look and going with gritty realism. Here’s the first teaser of the action.
So, how is it free? Well, it’s all down to the 5% model. Ben Cousins, head of EA’s free to play division at DICE, Easy Studios, explains:
“Five per cent want to customise their character, they want to look cool, they want a slightly cooler weapon, they feel they can get advantage over other players by buying stuff. Those guys fund the experience for everyone else. It’s a classic free-to-play business model, which we’re really comfortable with and we’ve got really good at now.”
Via: Eurogamer
Voganlight
I like what EA is trying to do, Hope these Play4Free games come to consoles as well.
Ryan1991
PC only makes me sad :(
Spotter5
Same :(
GranTurismo-Disciple
Pathetic, i play for free on my ps3 lol
BrendanCalls
My understanding was that you actually get the whole game for free, not just the opnline experience. I may be wrong though!!
JoshHood
Nope, you’re right – the whole game is free, like Need for Speed World and Fifa Online etc.
ElGuason
yep its like Metal Gear Online well except you won’t pay for the character but you will pay for upgrades on gear, weapons, etc…
Kovacs
You are not wrong.
aphex187
About time BF came home to PC only, the Frostbite Engine was made for Consoles in mind and we PC gamers have been put on the back burner for too long now with DICE.
Shadow0410
Already signed up for the closed beta when I saw the tweet :) it’s looking pretty good IMO especially for a F2P game.
minerwilly
I will have to start saving for a new PC , I only bought my PS3 when i heard BFBC1 was console only . Where Battlefield goes i follow . That map looks suspiciously like everyones old favourite Strike at Karkand . Think i have over 200 hours just on that one map on BF2 !!
DJ-Katy
Goodness. The pre-owned market must really be hurting them bad. /sarcasm
td_rules
Maybe if Sony/MS didn’t charge to host content, royalties etc there would be more free games on consoles
I kinda feel like this is just to help people cope with the wait until BF3 anyway
fps_d0minat0r
or maybe its too expensive developing for consoles when theres hardly any money to be made?
5% of free pc gamers is waaay larger than 5% of free console users.
i bet this game on pc will be downloaded more times then there are xbox’s/ps3’s in the whole world.
DJ Judas
Woo pc only! So glad its not BF3, I just hope its infinitely better than heroes.
Tuffcub
*cough* Am I good or WHAT? :D
moshi
Hmm your not Bad I guess