Battlefield (series)

Battlefield
Battlefield series logo
Genres	First-person shooter
Developers	EA DICE Visceral Games
Publishers	‹See Tfd› NA / EU: Electronic Arts ‹See Tfd› JP: Electronic Arts Square (2002-2003)
Platforms	Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Platform of origin	Microsoft Windows
First release	Battlefield 1942 September 10, 2002
Latest release	Battlefield 1 October 21, 2016

Battlefield is a series of first-person shooter video games that started out on Microsoft Windows and OS X with Battlefield 1942, which was released in 2002. The series is developed by Swedish company EA DICE and is published by American company Electronic Arts. The series features a particular focus on large maps, teamwork and vehicle warfare, compared to many other first-person shooters. The PC games in the series are mainly focused on online multiplayer. The Battlefield series has been played by more than 50 million players worldwide as of 2012,^[1] across 11 games and 12 expansion packs released since its inception in 2002. The series' music has a recognizable 6-beat sting.^[2][3]

Gameplay

Battlefield series games usually focus on large, online multiplayer battles (with the exception of Battlefield Hardline). Playing in squads has become a major element of games in the series.

Since Battlefield 2, 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 been present in Battlefield games. Since Battlefield 2142, the series has included an award of dog tags for each player killed using a knife.^[4]

Games

Development history

Aggregate review scores

Game	Year	Metacritic
Battlefield 1942	2002	89/100[6]
Battlefield Vietnam	2004	84/100[7]
Battlefield 2	2005	91/100[8]
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat	2005	PS2: 80/100[9] X360: 77/100[10] XBOX: 80/100[11]
Battlefield 2142	2006	80/100[12]
Battlefield: Bad Company	2008	PS3: 84/100[13] X360: 83/100[14]
Battlefield Heroes	2009	69/100[15]
Battlefield 1943	2009	PS3: 83/100[16] X360: 83/100[17]
Battlefield: Bad Company 2	2010	IOS: 64/100[18] PC: 87/100[19] PS3: 88/100[20] X360: 88/100[21]
Battlefield Play4Free	2010	68/100[22]
Battlefield 3	2011	PC: 89/100[23] PS3: 85/100[24] X360: 84/100[25]
Battlefield 4	2013	PC: 81/100[26] PS3: 80/100[27] PS4: 85/100[28] X360: 79/100[29] XONE: 81/100[30]
Battlefield Hardline	2015	PC: 71/100[31] PS4: 73/100[32] XONE: 71/100[33]
Battlefield 1	2016	PC: 88/100[34] PS4: 88/100[35] XONE: 88/100[36]

Battlefield 1942 was released on September 10, 2002, using the Refractor game engine, also introducing the "Conquest" gameplay mode, in which players fought for "control points" throughout the map. Two expansion packs were released in 2003, Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome and Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII.

Battlefield Vietnam, released in 2004, moved the setting to the Vietnam War, and was built on an updated Refractor engine with various gameplay improvements, such as the ability to fire personal weapons while seated in vehicles, and supporting dense foliage.

The 2005 release Battlefield 2 takes place in the modern day, depicting a war between the United States fighting China and the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition (MEC). Despite it requiring numerous patches due to a large number of bugs and glitches in the game upon its release, it was a large commercial success, selling more than 2,250,000 copies worldwide, by July 2006.^[37] One expansion pack, Special Forces, which added Russia, exclusive missions, and new weapons and gadgets, and two booster packs, Armored Fury (adding three new battles in the USA) and Euro Force (adding the European Union), were also released. A similar game called Battlefield 2: Modern Combat was released for consoles, with a larger single player mode but limited online play.

Battlefield 2142 was released in 2006, taking place during a global ice age in the 22nd century. While most of it is graphically similar to Battlefield 2, it introduced a variety of equippable items to unlock and battles between two giant "Titan" airships. The Northern Strike expansion pack was later released, adding new maps, vehicles, and a new game mode. Its use of in-game advertising was controversial among players.^[38]

Battlefield: Bad Company, released in 2008, followed the "B" Company's escapades and their search for hidden gold. This new Battlefield game had a variety of vehicles for land, air and sea. It had a new destruction system that allowed the player to break and destroy environments, based on a new game engine named Frostbite, which replaced the Refractor engine used in earlier releases (with the exception of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, which used RenderWare.

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 was cancelled.^[39]

In 2010, a sequel to Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, was released, involving "B" Company's search for an EMP weapon. It features a larger multiplayer than its predecessor Bad Company, with updated graphics and realistic effects (e.g. bullet-drop). The game introduced the rush game mode and brought in weapons such as the AN-94 and As-Val. It features a "VIP" system of content distribution where player with VIP codes gain early access to new maps. DICE also released an expansion for Bad Company 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam, setting the game in the Vietnam War.

Battlefield 3 was announced in 2009,^[40][41] and in 2010 it was confirmed that gamers who pre-ordered Medal of Honor Limited Edition Battlefield 3 48 hours before the open beta was released. On February 4, 2011, the first teaser trailer for the game was revealed, with a preliminary release in the Fall of 2011.^[42] Among the features that remain in the game are Jets and the ability to go prone. The game allows 64 (on the PC) players as in all previous Battlefield titles, though the consoles allow for 24 player matches. The Battlefield 3 Beta was released on September 29, 2011.^[43] Battlefield 3 was released on October 25, 2011 and has received high review scores and has received awards from IGN.

On November 5, 2010, EASY Studios 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).^[44] Battlefield Play4Free went into open beta on April 4, 2011.^[45]

On July 17, 2012, an advertisement appeared on EA's Origin webpage that players who pre-order Medal of Honor: Warfighter, would receive access to a Battlefield 4 Beta. Battlefield 4 was announced on March 26, 2013. A Beta for the game began on October 1 and ended on October 15. It was released on October 29, 2013.

Information about the next entry in the series, Battlefield Hardline, was leaked on May 27, 2014, and officially unveiled on June 9, 2014, during E3. The game was developed by Visceral Games and, unlike previous installments in the franchise, is centered around a cops-and-robbers theme.

In July 2015, CFO of EA Blake Jorgensen announced a new Battlefield title will be released in 2016.^[46][47][48] This has been followed up by Dan Vaderlind, EA DICE Development Director, announcing that since Star Wars Battlefront has been released, he will now be focused on the upcoming Battlefield title.^[49] On May 6, 2016, Battlefield 1 was officially announced, with an official reveal trailer on YouTube and was released on October 21, 2016.^[50][51]

TV series

In October 2012, Fox Broadcasting Company announced their intentions to make a one-hour-long television show based on Battlefield: Bad Company. The show would be written by executive producer John Eisendrath and co-produced by Patrick Bach and Patrick O'Brien of Electronic Arts, and Doug Robinson of Happy Madison.^[52]

In July 2016, Paramount Television announced that will adapt the game series for the small screen. Anonymous Content's Michael Sugar and Ashley Zalta will executive produce.^[53]

References

External links

• Official Battlefield website

Battlefield
Main series	Battlefield 1942 The Road to Rome Secret Weapons of WWII Battlefield 2 additional content Battlefield 3 downloadable content Battlefield 4 downloadable content Battlefield 1
Spin-offs	Battlefield Vietnam Battlefield 2: Modern Combat Battlefield 2142 Northern Strike Battlefield 1943 Battlefield Hardline
Bad Company series	Battlefield: Bad Company Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam
Free-to-play	Battlefield Heroes Battlefield Online Battlefield Play4Free
Related	Desert Combat Project Reality
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