BF4 NEWS FOR OCTOBER 2013

Battlelog 2.0 Now Live On iOS and Android Devices, Battlefield 4 Section Now Open
David Veselka October 01, 2013
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The exclusive Battlefield 4 beta is only a few hours away, but you can get a head start by exploring the game’s recently updated social stat-tracking service, Battlelog.

Battlelog 2.0 is now available for download on iOS and Android devices, according to the development team behind the service, including support for the Battlefield 4 beta and tablet use.



You can download the app from each respective store, or simply update your current app. Need a reminder of Battlelog 2.0′s newest features? Check out the demo below:



Users will also notice a brand new “Battlefield 4″ section on the browser-based Battlelog, which will fully unlock once you have created your soldier within the Battlefield 4 beta.

New Battlefield 4 Footage Shows Off Flood Zone Map and More Multiplayer Action
David Veselka September 30, 2013
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Watch DICE multiplayer designer Thomas Andersson flood an entire map in Battlefield 4 as he shows off more aspects of “Levolution”, a concept which the game’s entire multiplayer will heavily revolve around.

Matt Cuttle of FTW once again sits down with Battlefield developers at DICE to talk multiplayer, this time with a specific focus on the design of the new Battlefield 4 multiplayer map, Flood Zone. You might recognize it from recent Battlefield 4 multiplayer trailers showing off a destroyed dam holding water that floods an entire map.

You’ll get to see it in action in this video presentation below. You can also catch some brand new multiplayer footage near the end, so stay tuned.



Be sure to check out Battlefield 4′s entire multiplayer map list right here and don’t forget to participate in the beta starting tomorrow for early access invitees, October 4 for the public.

DICE Claims ‘Battlefield 4′ Will Fix The Mistakes of ‘BF3′
Oct 3, 2013 by Andrew Dyce
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For fans of the FPS genre of shooter who know that sales numbers don’t tell the entire story, it’s hard to think of a more respected development studio than DICE, the makers of the Battlefield series. With a devoted fan base and commitment to massive online battles based on tactical deployment and teamwork, Battlefield 3 was, in many ways, a major step forward for both the genre and the company.

Just don’t tell them that. According to the Swedish studio, one of their main goals for the upcoming Battlefield 4 isn’t just appealing to more gamers than ever before, but righting the wrongs of BF3. The last installment in the series may have been met with rave reviews, but to those who made it, the fumbling of the user experience and customization systems is something they “should be slapped” for.

The developers have stated in the past just how obsessively they examine feedback from customers, and for those keeping a close watch on BF4, it’s clear some issues have been placed in the spotlight this time around (the new ability to test drive vehicles outside of multiplayer is no surprise).



Since several major publishers and developers have fallen into the pattern of ‘streamlining’ their games to appeal to a massive audience, diehard fans of Battlefield might bristle at the notion of DICE re-designing the user experience, possibly to make it more palatable to anyone other than the existing community. But in an interview with VG24/7, BF4‘s creative director Lars Gustavsson explained that the systems being changed aren’t ones that new players had issues with – they’re the ones the developers weren’t pleased with:

   “We’ve added a test range where you can learn to fly the transport helicopter, not crash it into your friends. We’ve reworked menus to give you a much better understanding of how you customise – comparisons when you add attachments that give you a better understanding, just like racing games. We have reworked the spawn menu, just the concept of spawning in; in most games you just end up somewhere random, but here we have a choice. We have to try to show that in a much more visual way. So we’ve done rigorous testing on that one. Game mode movies and so on. We’ve definitely done a lot to smooth the learning curve.”

No one will oppose the idea of creating seamless interfaces and more easily-readable menus, but there’s no overlooking the elephant in the room: EA wants nothing more than to make Battlefield a direct competitor with Call of Duty. But even if executives at DICE have blamed Activision’s annualized series for stagnation in the FPS space, there’s no question that there is a reason Call of Duty remains so popular with hardcore gamers and casual fans alike.

After all, massive armed battles incorporating tanks, fighter planes and helicopters can easily scare off newcomers – especially if the spawning or customization systems are more obtuse than they have to be. It’s DICE’s hope, then, that a ore streamlined and intuitive user experience will address the concerns of their devoted fans, while giving beginners the tools they need to join the action:

   “We shipped Battlefield 3, which we should be slapped for, with probably the worst set ups ever… As a pilot, you had to fly your plane and only kill other planes with your cannons. You didn’t have any counter-measures; you didn’t have any missiles. And that’s basically for the best of the best pilots; that’s what they should do to show their skills. [As a beginner], you should have counter-measures, you should have heat-seeking missiles to give you a smooth ride into the game and then from there on you should customise.”

Lest anyone accuse DICE of trying to have their cake and eat it too – bringing in a more-complicated-than-ever Commander Mode, while giving newcomers fewer barriers to entry – Gustavsson reminds players that there is more than one way to be effective in their shooter:

   “The key thing I’m after here is that even though we have score play and we now have Commander, it doesn’t mean that you have to play it that way. We have many modes where we don’t even have scores, or the focus on teamplay in that way. It’s you and only you, and only your kill-death ratio matters.

   “It’s totally up to you, but if you want to, even in the more complex mode, you can do your own lone wolf career. But if you want to there is a traditional layer – for those who want it.”



   “That’s the big thing. It might sound like a marketing pitch: play your ways. It’s sincerely what we believe in, that we shouldn’t dictate how to play Battlefield.”

Only time will tell how successful DICE will be, but the game has impressed so far. What did you think of the customization and vehicles of BF3? Are you more likely to try Battlefield 4 knowing these issues are being addressed? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

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Battlefield 4 releases October 29, 2013 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. PS4 and Xbox One release dates have not been announced.

Battlefield 4 on PS4 could use touchpad to throw grenades
DICE multiplayer producer says developer has tested "a bunch of things" for DualShock 4's new feature, but has not finalized plans just yet.
by Eddie Makuch on October 14, 2013
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The PlayStation 4 version of Battlefield 4 could use the DualShock 4's new touchpad to allow players to throw grenades, but no decisions have been made yet, DICE has said.

Multiplayer producer Aleksander Grondal told OPM in a new interview that the Swedish developer has not yet decided how it will make use of the PS4's new controller features.

"We’ve experimented, but haven’t exactly nailed how we want it to behave just yet. Obviously flicking to throw a grenade is an option," he said. "There’s a bunch of things we’re testing out--we just haven’t settled on anything."

The PS4 version of Battlefield 4 arrives for the next-generation console as a launch title, meaning its release is just one month away.

Meanwhile, the Xbox One version of Battlefield 4 will support Kinect and may even feature head-tracking, DICE said last month.

Battlefield 4 arrives first for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on October 29. The game's open beta launched on October 1 and ends tomorrow, October 15.

DICE isn’t trying to make Battlefield 4 look the same on all platforms
Developer DICE aims to make BF4 look as good as possible on all platforms.
October 16th, 2013
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It’s common for developers to try and get their games to look the same on all platforms, even if it means that it has to be toned down on some systems in order to achieve graphical parity. Not so much with Battlefield 4, says developer DICE.

According to DICE’s Patrick Bach, they aren’t trying to make Battlefield 4 look the same on all platforms. Instead, their goal is to make it as good as possible as each of the platforms allow. Of course, this means that the game will look better on some systems compared to others, which in return attracts a lot of fanboy love/hate.

For example, Battlefield 4 will run at 900p resolution on the PS4, but only in 720p on the Xbox One. Bach says that no matter what, people will compared the different versions and “judge us based on that, rather than comparing us to other games on the platform”.

Bach points out that Battlefield 4 should be compared to other games on the same system, not against other platforms altogether. Battlefield 4 will launch on both current and next gen systems, and the PC. The PC version will be the best looking one, depending on the kind of hardware players have. Check out the recent screenshots to see just how realistic the game looks on the PC.

The full interview can be found at OXM

Leaked GameStop Ads Put Call of Duty: Ghosts And Battlefield 4 $50 and $30, (ALL PS3 VERSIONS) Respectively, on Black Friday
David Veselka October 18, 2013
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According to leaked Black Friday deals from video game retailer GameStop, some of our most anticipated upcoming games like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefield 4 will be receiving some very notable discounts during said holiday.

If you take a gander at the leaked catalogue below, spotted by Kotaku, you’ll notice Battlefield 4′s price tag reduced to $29.99 USD, nearly half off, while Call of Duty: Ghosts sits at $49.99 USD, about $10 off.

Check out some of the highlights below, and let us know if you’ll be holding off on any games this holiday in hopes to score a neat deal during Black Friday.

   Xbox 360 250GB Bundle – $199.99 USD

   PS3 250GB Bundle – $199.99 USD

Battlefield 4 – $29.99 USD (PS3)

   Call of Duty: Ghosts – $49.99 USD (PS3)

   Diablo III – $39.99 USD

   PayDay 2 – $19.99 USD

   Halo 4 – $29.99 USD

   Splinter Cell: Blacklist – $24.99 USD

Battlefield 4 Multiplayer Aim Assist Changes, Frame Drops for PC Fixed + New Controls on PS3 & 360!

Today I go over the information released about Battlefield 4. The changes will be welcomed as these particular issue were very prominent during the Beta.

‘Battlefield 4′: DICE Outlines Improved Leveling System, Talks Keeping Fans Happy
Oct 21, 2013 by Anthony Taormina
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With both Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts making the jump to the next-gen, both franchises will need to work even harder to set themselves apart from each other. Yes, graphics boosts can deliver that initial appeal, but it’s what is underneath that glossy sheen that will keep players playing well into the New Year.

For Battlefield 4, keeping players invested means a deeper multiplayer ranking system, which includes dozens of ribbons, medals, rewards, and many other incentives. There are so many minute changes to the leveling systems in Battlefield 4 that DICE saw fit to write a lengthy post detailing each one for new and veteran players.

While a lot of the post reveals features Battlefield veterans will be well familiar with – ribbons for completing objectives, medals for collecting a certain number of ribbons, and the 1 to 100 ranking system – there are a few elements that are completely new for Battlefield 4. For example, players will now be rewarded with Battlepacks at specific level intervals.

Battlepacks come in three flavors – bronze, silver, and gold – and include any of a number of customization items (weapon accessories, weapon paints, vehicle paints, soldier camos, dog tags, and unique knife designs). As DICE points out, many Battlefield 4 beta participants are now familiar with the Battlepack, as the first one is awarded at level 3.



Another new feature for Battlefield 4 is the ‘Field Upgrades’ system, which rewards in-game squads for completing objectives and racking up points. As the squad does so, they will earn special field upgrades – like faster sprint, more grenades, and better cover from enemy spotting – to share as a group. The only caveat is that one member from the squad must be alive at all times, or else the Field Upgrades are reset.

The rewards post is a worthwhile read for those Battlefield 4 newcomers, as it outlines specific ranking differences – kill assists count as kills, for example – between other military shooters out there. As well, it details how best to earn points to improve one’s rank, and how DICE has tweaked those systems. But rest assured, those gamers who have been playing Battlefield for years, or even those who came on board for Battlefield 3, will find themselves in familiar territory.



To that point, DICE Executive Producer Patrick Bach said in an interview with VG24/7 that, despite some new changes to the formula, Battlefield 4 will not alienate fans. DICE’s goal is to help bring in new gamers without disturbing the core of the game.

   “So for us, it’s about creating the best Battlefield game that we can ever create. Staying true to our core values; staying true to what we feel is best for the franchise. With Battlefield 3, we set quite a high bar and we know it’s hard to beat that especially since BF3 was in development for such a long time. There were things we wanted to introduce to the game and to the franchise without disturbing the core of the game – you don’t want people to feel alienated by crazy features and crazy changes.”

Thus far, it appears that DICE is sticking to the formula that made Battlefield 3 a success, almost to a fault. There is talk of revamping the single player campaign, but our time with the game’s multiplayer didn’t showcase anything that fundamentally changed the experience. That could be a good thing for the franchise, which is slowly creeping up on Call of Duty, or it could hurt its appeal. We will have to wait until a little later this month so see.

What do you think of the improvements DICE is making to the ranking system? What keeps you playing a multiplayer shooter like Battlefield 4?

Battlefield 4 releases October 29, 2013 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360; November 12th for the PS4; and on November 19th for the Xbox One.

Battlefield 4 Commander tablet app launches on November 19th
The dedicated commander iOS and Android app launches three weeks after the game.
October 27th, 2013 IN News
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Battlefield 4 launches in less than two days, but it won’t be with all the promised features. At least when it comes to the new Commander mode. While players will be able to play as the Battlefield 4 Commander on PC and consoles, the dedicated tablet app will launch a few weeks later, on November 19th.

DICE confirmed that the app, which is a separate app from the Battlelog app, will launch on iOS and Android devices on November 19, roughly three weeks after the game is released. Players will be able to use the app to play as the Commander and lead a team, even if the actual match is taking pace on PC or consoles.

The Commander feature gives one player the role of leading their team in a match, and can help his team in various ways, from dropping supplies and vehicles, to UAV scans. The Commander can even launch Tomahawk missiles against enemy targets.

While the Commander app will be separate from the Battlelog app, there will be integration between the two apps. The regular Battlelog app is expected to receive an update as well.