Today, EA has announced that it is joining the free-to-play, free-to-download PC gaming craze by unveiling its ‘Play 4 Free’ business model. As part of the new business plan, EA’s first free downloadable title will be Battlefield Heroes, a cutesy, cartoon-style online shooter marrying the classic Battlefield gameplay hardcore PC gamers have come to love with a colorful graphical style not too dissimilar to that of Team Fortress 2, all to attract a more casual audience. Battlefield Heroes is currently in development by DICE and is scheduled to launch this summer. The game will be completely free to download and play, using in-game advertising and micro-transactions to generate revenue.
Sounds like it could be a pretty sweet little game. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye peeled for the first screenshots and game footage to come along.
“Online gaming garners a massive audience,” said Gerhard Florin, EVP Publishing Americas-Europe at EA. “People want to play games in new ways, with easier access that is quick to the fun. With Battlefield Heroes, EA brings its first major franchise to North America and Europe with a new distribution model and pricing structure adapted to the evolving way that people play.”
“We put a different twist on this Battlefield game going with the cartoon-style graphics and gameplay,” added Ben Cousins, Senior Producer at EA DICE. “There’s something here for all types of players — be it our core Battlefield fans or casual gamers. With the new online model, we will continually add new content to keep the game fresh and keep players engaged, while integrating player feedback in real time. As a game developer, it is such a cool new way to make games.”
Matt Litten is the full-time editor and owner of VGBlogger.com. He is responsible for maintaining the day to day operation of the site, editing all staff content before it is published, and contributing regular news, reviews, previews and other articles.
Matt landed his first gig in the video game review business writing for the now-defunct website BonusStage.com. After the sad and untimely close of BonusStage, the former staff went on to found VGBlogger.com. After a short stint as US Site Manager for AceGamez, Matt assumed full ownership over VGBlogger, and to this day he is dedicated to making it one of the top video game blogs in all the blogosphere.
Matt is a fair-minded reviewer and lover of games of all platforms and types, big or small, hyped or niche, big-budget or indie. But that doesn't mean he will let poor games slide without a good thrashing when necessary! 
