14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts has officially confirmed that Battlefield Heroes has been successfully “soft launched.” This basically means that the publisher considers the game to be feature complete and that no critical changes will be made to the gameplay mechanics.
Battlefield Heroes has been in development for quite some time and players were able to enjoy it earlier this year through a mass closed beta. Electronic Arts wants to keep offering content for the title through regular updates while getting money from the project via microtransactions.
The game is easy to download and play, and accessible to all players, no matter their experience with shooter and online titles. The visuals are very stylized, even cartoon-like but the signature DICE style of multiplayer shooter is easy to spot.
There are customizable classes that allow players to take on various roles in a team, and vehicles to use, from planes to tanks. The earlier beta showed that the infrastructure for Battlefield Heroes could support millions of players at the same time.
Electronic Arts is certainly interested in getting as much mileage as possible from the Battlefield brand, with developer DICE leading the creation process on all the titles. Battlefield Heroes is now out and up next is Battlefield 1943, which is set to arrive later in the summer via the Xbox Live Arcade and via the PlayStation Network. The game will be quick but geared more towards the hardcore crowd, with three maps offered initially and one more unlocked via a kills counter.
DICE is also working on Battlefield Bad Company 2, which is focused on the single player and traces the exploits of one squad of particularly bad mouthed and undisciplined soldiers. The developers are promising more destructible environments and new adventures. Of course, DICE is widely presumed to be working on a Battlefield 3 title, although no details have been announced.