Battlefield (series)
| Battlefield | |
|---|---|
 Battlefield series logo | |
| Genres | First-person shooter Third-person shooter |
| Developers | EA Digital Illusions CE |
| Publishers | Electronic Arts |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 |
| First release | Battlefield 1942 September 10, 2002 |
| Latest release | Battlefield Play4Free April 4, 2011 |
| Official website | http://www.battlefield.com/ |
The Battlefield franchise is a series of computer and console games that started with the Windows/Mac game Battlefield 1942. The series is developed by the Swedish company EA Digital Illusions CE, and published by Electronic Arts. The games feature a greater focus on large maps, teamwork and vehicle warfare than traditional first-person shooters. The PC games in the series are mainly focused on online multiplayer. The Battlefield series has sold 17 million units as of 2008. The series has a recognizable 6-beat sting which is often used in promotional material for the games.
History
Battlefield 1942 was released on September 10, 2002, using the Refractor gaming engine, and introduced the "Conquest" gameplay mode, in which players fought for "capture points" throughout the map. Two expansion packs were released, The Road to Rome and Secret Weapons of WWII.
Battlefield Vietnam, released in 2004, moved the setting to the Vietnam War, and was built on a modified Refractor engine with various gameplay improvements, such as firing personal weapons while seated in vehicles.
The 2005 game Battlefield 2 takes place in the modern day, during a fictional war between the United States, China, and the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition (MEC). Despite it requiring numerous software patches due to the large number of bugs and glitches in the game upon its release, it was a commercial success, selling over 2,250,000 copies worldwide, as of July 2006. It also received widespread critical acclaim, with an aggregate review score of 91%. One expansion pack, Special Forces, and two booster packs, Armored Fury and Euro Force, were also released. A version of the game called Battlefield 2: Modern Combat was released for consoles, with an improved single player mode but more limited online play.
| Battlefield release timeline | |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Battlefield 3 |
| 2011 | Battlefield Play4Free |
| 2010 | Battlefield Online |
| 2010 | Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam |
| 2010 | Battlefield: Bad Company 2 |
| 2009 | Battlefield: 1943 |
| 2009 | Battlefield: Heroes |
| 2008 | Battlefield: Bad Company |
| 2007 | Battlefield: 2142: Northern Strike |
| 2006 | Battlefield: 2142 |
| 2006 | Battlefield 2: Armored Fury |
| 2006 | Battlefield 2: Euro Forces |
| 2005 | Battlefield 2: Modern Combat |
| 2005 | Battlefield 2: Special Forces |
| 2005 | Battlefield 2 |
| 2004 | Battlefield: Vietnam |
| 2003 | Battlefield: 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII |
| 2003 | Battlefield: 1942: The Road to Rome |
| 2002 | Battlefield: 1942 |
| 1999 | Codename Eagle |
Battlefield 2142 was released in 2006, taking place during a global ice age in the 22nd century. While much of it is graphically similar to Battlefield 2, it introduced a variety of equippable items to unlock and battles between two giant "Titan" airships. Its use of in-game advertising was controversial among players. While generally praised by critics, it received lower review scores than its predecessors, with an average GameRankings score of 80%. The Northern Strike booster pack was later released, including new maps, vehicles, and a new game mode.
Battlefield: Bad Company, released in 2008, which follows the infamous "B" Company's AWOL escapades and their search for mercenary gold. This new, modern day Battlefield game has modern day weapons, as well as a variety of vehicles for land, air and sea. It has a remarkably realistic destruction system that allows you to break, destroy, or create new environments, based on a new next generation gaming engine named Frostbite. In 2009, EA released two download-only games, Battlefield Heroes, a free-to-play Refractor 2 engine game, supported by advertising and micropayments and Battlefield 1943, a Frostbite engine game, released in July 2009, for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and was scheduled for release in Q1 2010, for PCs, but it has since been canceled.
In 2010, a direct sequel to Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, was released, involving "B" Company's search for an EMP (called a scalar weapon ingame). It has a larger, and arguably better multiplayer than its predecessor "Bad Company", with updated graphics and new realistic effects (e.g. bullet-drop). It also features a "VIP" system of content distribution where player with VIP codes gain free access to new maps released periodically. DICE has also released an expansion for Bad Company 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam.
Battlefield 3 was announced in 2009, and in 2010 it has been confirmed that gamers who pre-order Medal of Honor (2010) will receive a beta of Battlefield 3. On February 4, 2011, the first teaser trailer for the game was revealed, with a preliminary release in the Fall of 2011. Among the features that will remain in the game are Jets and the ability to go prone. The game will still allow only 64 (on the PC) players as in all previous Battlefield titles, though the consoles will only allow for 24 player matches. The release date for Battlefield 3 was officially announced as October 25th, 2011 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 6th, 2011.
On November 5, 2010, EASY announced a follow-up to its free-to-play Battlefield Heroes, Battlefield Play4Free. EASY develops the free-to-play variants of Battlefield. Its latest offering gives players the same free-to-play pricing structure of Heroes, while still offering a more serious, core Battlefield experience (as opposed to Heroes' lighthearted, cartoon-styled environment). Battlefield Play4Free went into open beta on April 4, 2011.
Game mechanics
Battlefield series games usually focus on large, online multiplayer battles, with emphasis on piloting a number of vehicles as well as team-based infantry combat. Playing in squads has also become a major element of games in the series.
Since Battlefield 2, all games in the series centrally record online statistics for each player allowing the players to receive rank promotions and weapon unlocks based on their statistics as well as awards such as medals, ribbons and pins.
A class system has been present within all the Battlefield games. Each class features a different type of primary weapon along with different equipment, differentiating roles on the battlefield.
The ability to melee other players with a knife has always been present in Battlefield games. Also since Battlefield 2142, the series has included an award of dog tags for each player killed using a knife.
References
External links
- Official Battlefield Series Website
- Unofficial Turkish Battlefield Fan Website
- Unofficial English Battlefield Fan Site and Community Forum
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_(series)
