EA and DICE announce Battlefield: Modern Combat for PS2 Online
The first console Battlefield title locks on target.
Electronic Arts and Swedish developer DICE have announced Battlefield: Modern Combat for PlayStation 2, the Battlefield series' first foray into console gaming. Currently in development and scheduled for a late 2004 release, the PS2 Online enabled title is also the first official Battlefield release set in the present day, with previous PC-only instalments in the series sticking to historical conflicts (namely World War II and Vietnam). You can see the first screenshots of the game here.
EA is typically quick to draw attention to this, promising battles that could be ripped from tomorrow's headlines. We'd need some sort of major political upheaval first, but the idea of the United States, Chinese and a Middle East Coalition (the three armies in the game) going head to head isn't as far-fetched as perhaps it should be.
Anyway, with the present day setting comes the latest kit, including heat-seeking missiles and laser-designated bombs. Over 30 vehicles will be on offer too, ranging from tanks and fast attack vehicles to choppers - which proved so popular in BF1942 modification Desert Combat, and subsequently in pseudo-sequel Battlefield Vietnam. Environments will apparently range from city streets to remote forests, although given the opposing forces involved it's anybody's guess as to where we're actually fighting geographically.
Crucially, EA's announcement today also says that up to 24 players will be able to take part on PS2 Online when the game launches, which is a healthy number for the online gaming service, although falls some way short of the PC titles' much higher capacities. Voice communications are also promised via the USB headset, and individual players will be able to get 'promoted' by playing consistently well, with improved rank reflected in a sort of persistent game state. No details on how that will work yet, although given that EA has yet to announce its E3 line-up, it's a safe bet we'll see and hear plenty more about Battlefield: Modern Combat in the next month.