Armory Staff

There have been some unfortunate developments with EA Norway and the way they’ve been handling access to Battlefield 3 review … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/edXfzWgtVNAView the full article

We're taking six top professional gamers and putting their skills to the test with a catch - they can't touch the controller. There's $50,000 on the table for whoever can win it, but they'll need more than just killer Battlefield 3 skills to pull it off. The Controller airs at 11 AM PST starting 10/21! You can learn more and get ready to watch at Gamspot. Source: View the full article

The Battlefield 3 Open Beta has come and gone. We wanted to thank you all for participating by sharing a few interesting stats. Did you know that if we had an empty 9mm casing for every shot fired in the Open Beta, we would have enough brass to melt and build almost 3,900 SU-27 Flanker jets? Okay, Flankers are not made out of brass, but still. For more stats and figures, check out the pic below. And thanks again for playing and helping make Battlefield 3 a better game at launch! (Click pic for full resolution) http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/OB_2D00_Stats_2D00_Final.jpg Source: View the full article

An amusing Battlefield 3 TV spot created by GameStop was posted on YouTube a couple weeks ago. The ad, noticed by teslasmash from reddit, shows... View the full article

This is a summary of the Battlefield 3 news, updates and media for the week of October 10 – 17. … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/6N8xh0BSyc8View the full article

Hey Phrogg, Thanks so much you for your kind donation of 25.00 USD to The Armory Server Fund. Donations like yours keep us up and running, providing quality servers in a clean and friendly environment. Thanks again for your kind donation, The Armory Membership

Black. Stylish. 100% pre-shrunk cotton. The perfect thing to keep you warm and comfortable in the cold, wee hours of the morning during a Battlefield 3 marathon. http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/Oct_2D00_17_2D00_BF3_2D00_Hoodie.jpg For legal reasons we can't tell you that it will make you a better shot, jet pilot and tank commander, but let's be honest; it can't hurt to look this cool while you're blowing up an M-COM station. Grab your Battlefield 3 zip-up and pull-over hoodies, now in the DICE Store - www.store.dice.se http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=52411View the full article

Battlefield 3 is getting its own book, called Battlefield 3: The Russian, which will be released at the same time … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/hOijhttme-cView the full article

The Battlefield Blog posted a graphic with some stats on the Battlefield 3 open beta. Over 8 million people played in the multiplatform beta, which... View the full article

Large view DICE just released the stats for the Battlefield 3 beta which wrapped up a week ago. The beta … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/y2ecWIIfUp8View the full article

Fox Business was live at EA headquarters in Redwood City, CA this morning talking with EA Product Manager, Kevin O'Leary talking about... View the full article

It's one thing to play Battlefield 3 in 3D, but this Battlefield 3 simulator lets you play in 360 degrees and control the character with your own... View the full article

According to numerous reports, the PC version of Battlefield 3 has been leaked on various torrent sites. So far it’s … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/_8Tw66OKZr8View the full article

Andy McNab and Peter Grimsdale's Battlefield 3: The Russian is the most ambitious and substantial thriller ever to be published alongside a game. It is the best in its class. View the full article

Yesterday we reported that the Battlefield 3 soundtrack had popped up on Amazon, but you couldn't preorder it. You could however listen to... View the full article

Large view DICE released a new screenshots showing Damavand Peak (you know, the map where you start off with a … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/nHqlIWILE8UView the full article

We're taking six top professional gamers and putting their skills to the test with a catch - they can't touch the controller. (Please visit the site to view this media) There's $50,000 on the table for whoever can win it, but they'll need more than just killer Battlefield 3 skills to pull it off. The Controller airs at 11 AM PST starting 10/21! You can learn more and get ready to watch at Gamspot. http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=52310View the full article

The Battlefield 3 Open Beta has come and gone. We wanted to thank you all for participating by sharing a few interesting stats. Did you know that if we had an empty 9mm casing for every shot fired in the Open Beta, we would have enough brass to melt and build almost 3,900 SU-27 Flanker jets? Okay, Flankers are not made out of brass, but still. For more stats and figures, check out the pic below. And thanks again for playing and helping make Battlefield 3 a better game at launch! (Click pic for full resolution) http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/550x0/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/OB_2D00_Stats_2D00_Final.jpg http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=52242View the full article

Large view Last week DICE clarified that we’d see squad management in Battlefield 3, after an outcry from gamers over … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/btoGyNWqkMsView the full article

There’s less than 10 days until Battlefield 3 launches worldwide, and the rhetoric seems to have changed a bit from … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/1ZC3IjwJnsUView the full article

More Battlefield 3 off screen footage is popping up on YouTube. You'll find a few more videos below. In addition someone has posted a 3 part... View the full article

US Intervention mod for Battlefield 2 released an update today 2 new renders and a screenshot of the Frog7 shortrange ballistic missile launcher. They... View the full article

We’ve got a few more videos of the new maps that have been revealed lately, in particular, the first gameplay … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/H487O76481sView the full article

Ready to see the final five multiplayer maps included in Battlefield 3? We talked to the multiplayer team at DICE about the concept behind each map, and how they decided which maps made the cut into the final game. GRAND BAZAAR http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/BF3_5F00_GrandBazaar_5F00_550.jpg http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/GrandBazaar350.jpg WORKING TITLE> BAZAAR DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP001 SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL BRIEF> TIGHT URBAN COMBAT FICTION> THE BATTLE FOR CENTRAL TEHRAN HAS REACHED ITS SECOND WEEK, AND WHAT WAS EXPECTED TO BE OVER WITHIN DAYS NOW CONTINUES AS RUSSIAN AND U.S. FORCES CLASH FOR CONTROL OVER THIS ANCIENT CITY. DESIGN THOUGHTS> We knew we wanted to do something very urban in the city center of Tehran. The fiction has you coming in two weeks after fighting started, so the tight and narrowly built city has a great deal of destruction already when you spawn into the game. Grand Bazaar is a classically mirrored map where both sides have very similar pathways, sideways, and possibilities to traverse heights to get a better view of the action. It’s a very short range close quarter combat map where shotguns tend to be favored. CASPIAN BORDER http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/BF3_5F00_CaspianBorder_5F00_550.jpg http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/CaspianBorder350.jpg WORKING TITLE> FOREST DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP007 SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL BRIEF> VEHICLE WARFARE IN LARGE VALLEY FICTION> A RECON RUSSIAN FORCE HAS SET UP CAMP ON THE TURKMENISTAN SIDE OF THE IRANIAN BORDER AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE OVER THE HEAVILY BUILT UP BORDER CHECKPOINT. DESIGN THOUGHTS> Caspian Border was meant to encapsulate the classic Battlefield all-out vehicle warfare gameplay, and also to be a lush and green contrast to the more urban and desert maps in Battlefield 3. The border control splitting the map in two was introduced to add an interesting break both visually and gameplay wise in the otherwise beautiful and open landscape. Caspian Border is one of the obvious map choices if you are after the full vehicle experience, as base distances are generally too long to cover by foot. Pretty much every type of vehicle is available in this map. SEINE CROSSING http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/BF3_5F00_SeineCrossing_5F00_550.jpg http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/SeineCrossing350.jpg WORKING TITLE> PARIS DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP011 SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL BRIEF> VEHICLE/INFANTRY COMBAT IN DOWNTOWN PARIS FICTION> THE AMERICAN INVASION OF RUSSIAN OCCUPIED PARIS IS IN FULL MOTION. THE UPSCALE AREA IN THE 7TH DISTRICT OF PARIS SERVES AS THE BATTLEGROUND. DESIGN THOUGHTS> Seine Crossing has two sections of Paris split in the middle by the river Seine. Seine Crossing has a number of larger roads for vehicles to patrol, while infantry can sneak through tight alleyways and climb staircases to reach second or third levels inside buildings to reach a better tactical position – unless the enemy takes down the building facades. The final M-COM stations in Rush are placed inside a bank building, which is the largest indoor environments of this map and forces the attackers to slightly change tactics. NOSHAHR CANALS http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/BF3_5F00_NoshahrCanals_5F00_550.jpg http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/NoshahrCanals350.jpg WORKING TITLE> CANALS DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP017 SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL BRIEF> MIXED COMBAT IN INDUSTRIAL SETTING FICTION> U.S. MARINES LAUNCH A STRIKE ON A MAJOR HARBOR BY THE NOSHAHR CANALS ON THE IRANIAN COAST. THE STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT PORT ALLOWS FOR DEEP WATER VESSELS TO OFFLOAD ESSENTIAL MATERIALS. DESIGN THOUGHTS> When we set out to do Noshahr Canals, we wanted to contrast the urban and rural with something more industrial. So we set Noshahr Canals up as an industrial harbor, featuring a mix of infantry, land vehicle, and boat gameplay. The attackers in Rush start out on an carrier ship and can reach the beachhead by amphibious vehicles, boats, and helicopters. All of the bases on the map have an industrial theme but still have different styles, like a train yard, dry dock, or airfield. Compared with the larger vehicle maps in the game, this allows for tighter infantry combat. KHARG ISLAND http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/BF3_5F00_KhargIsland_5F00_550.jpg http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/battlefield_5F00_bad_5F00_company/KhargIsland350.jpg WORKING TITLE> KHARG DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP018 SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL BRIEF> AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT FICTION> KHARG ISLAND IS IRAN’S BIGGEST OIL EXPORT TERMINAL. IF THE U.S. CAN STAKE CONTROL OVER THIS ISLAND, IT WILL DENY THE RUSSIANS CRITICAL ACCESS TO IRANIAN OIL RESERVES. DESIGN THOUGHTS> Kharg Island is our second map with boat gameplay. Thematically it’s representing an assault against Kharg island in the Persian sea, an industrialized island not far from the Iranian coast. The map is slightly more focused on vehicles with longer distance between flags than for example Noshahar Canals. In the Rush game mode, the beach assault begins on the coastline with a well-defended beach you need to break through to create a beachhead for further attacks on the island, before it opens up wider in the later part of the map. THIS IS HOW WE DO IT Creating levels at DICE is a democratic affair, and a process that is ruled in equal amounts by art and gameplay design. This in order to not only get a balanced mix of gameplay variations in the game, but also a variety of visual impressions. At the start of the design process, the artists mocked up a number of creative briefs together with level designers Inge Jøran Holberg, Diego Jimenez and Niklas Åstrand. These briefs explain the gameplay type and idea, story and visual theme. Everyone on the Battlefield 3 development team was encouraged to vote for their favorites among the briefs and also add ideas of their own. From there, prototypes of the favorite levels were produced in so called “pods” -- pairs with a level designer and artist per map -- so the team could play them to see which ones were the most promising. Then, the team as a whole weighed the maps against one another to see which ones would make the most compelling and diverse package to ship the game with. We finally ended up with the 9 cherry-picked multiplayer maps you can read all about here today and in yesterday’s blog post. They’re the best of the best, the maps that shone the brightest in our playtests, and the ones that combined bring out everything we want both veteran and new Battlefield players to experience in Battlefield 3 multiplayer. Oh, and did you know there's a sand castle on one of our maps in Battlefield 3? This classic easter egg has been present in many Battlefield maps through the years. See if you can find it! THE COMPLETE BATTLEFIELD 3 MULTIPLAYER MAP LIST (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) Caspian Border / Level Designer: Diego Jimenez Damavand Peak / Level Designer: Niklas Åstrand Grand Bazaar / Level Designer: Niklas Åstrand Kharg Island / Level Designer: Inge Jøran Holberg Noshahar Canals / Level Designer: Niklas Åstrand Operation Firestorm / Level Designer: Inge Jøran Holberg Operation Métro / Level Designer: Inge Jøran Holberg Seine Crossing / Level Designer: Diego Jimenez Tehran Highway / Level Designer: Niklas Åstrand Source: View the full article

Nvidia is currently sponsoring a huge LAN event where Battlefield 3 takes the center stage and is playable by the … Read on →http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BF3Blog/~4/s21veVCl5vQView the full article