DICE wants you to help tweak BF3 attachments

DICE is looking to the fans for help on tweaking the weapon attachments in Battlefield 3. Core gameplay designer Alan Kertz posted a Reddit thread titled "Discussion of BF3 Weapon Accessories, and their Futures!," where he stated, "I feel the player is limited in choice due to a few accessories being the clear winners in almost all categories.

While Kertz said that the overused attachments will be nerfed, he noted that the focus of a potential rebalance will be put toward making the underused attachments more formidable. Why "potential rebalance?" Right now the thread is primarily being used for feedback, with Kertz being unable to promise that any changes or tweaks will be seen in a future update.

However, he did propose a few changes to a handful of attachments, including the laser sight, foregrip, bipod, and suppressor, all of which contain a lot of numbers and percentages.

"Additionally, it is the intention for an unmodified weapon to offer the best balance of Recoil, Accuracy, and Stealth," Kertz said.

If you want to lend your thoughts to the possible attachment update, head on over to the Reddit page and join the discussion.

Pirates downloaded Crysis 2 the most last year

Crysis 2 will forever be known as 2011's most pirated PC game, with 3,920,000 illegal downloads. That is, according to a recent TorrentFreak report [via PC Gamer], which contains stats pulled from public BitTorrent trackers.

The second most illegally downloaded game from last year was none other than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which comes in at 3,650,000 downloads. Finishing the top three is Modern Warfare 3's direct competitor Battlefield 3, which garnered 3,510,000 downloads.

While these are some jaw-dropping numbers, they are at least a tad smaller than last year, and overall 2011 saw a decrease in illegally downloaded titles when compared to 2010. Quite surprising, given the amount of great games to have been released in the past twelve months.

QBU-88 and MG36-LMG to be fixed in upcoming Battlefield 3 PS3 patch

While Battlefield 3 players are enjoying the recent "Back to Karkand" expansion pack, DICE is working on a weapon fix. The QBU-88 sniper rifle and MG36-LMG aren't acting as intended on "Karkand" maps, since a glitch blocks the player's view. Is it left over from the beta? However, the weapons are working fine on original maps like "Operation Metro," so everyone enjoy what they can until the fix comes.

BF3 "Physical Warfare Pack" now on all platforms

Battlefield 3's pre-order bonus, the "Physical Warfare Pack," is now available to download on all platforms today, DICE announced, and costs absolutely nothing.

The pack grants users DAO-12 shotgun, custom flechette ammo for it, a flash suppressor for the SKS sniper rifle, and the Type 88 Light-machine gun. However, those who have been playing for a while will most likely already have acquired these by now.

Battlefield 2143 to come out of DICE next?

It's slow today. So slow, in fact, that so far the biggest piece of "news" comes in the form of an Easter egg found in Battlefield 3's "Back to Karkand" expansion pack. 

Users have found that the number "2143" is on the side of one of the many concrete blocks scattered throughout "Wake Island," indicating that the next game, or even expansion, to come out of DICE will be a sequel to its futuristic shooter, Battlefield 2142. While at first you may think this doesn't hold any weight, Battlefield 2's "Euro Forces" and "Armored Fury" map packs back in 2006 teased the number "2142," which, of course, led to Battlefield 2142's release.

With "Back to Karkand" being a themed-expansion pack built off of Battlefield 2 maps, it's a bit more plausible that, if there is a 2143, it may very well be another kind of expansion, akin to Bad Company 2's "Vietnam" last year. Remember, DICE did say that expansions are the way to go.

Hefty Battlefield 3 patch hits Xbox 360, "Back to Karkand" now available on all platforms

Similar to that of the recent PlayStation 3 and PC patches for Battlefield 3, the Xbox 360 now has its own substantial update for DICE's shooter, which also accompany's the release of "Back to Karkand" on the system.

A laundry list of fixes, tweaks, and nerfs is to be found below the break, though it appears the long sought-after fixes to the tactical light and IRNV scopes are nowhere to be found. 

"Back to Karkand" is now available on all platforms, and is the themed-expansion pack which includes four classic Battlefield maps, weapons, and vehicles. It's free for "Limited Edition" owners, and $14.99 for everyone else.

Battlefield 3 can only be patched via Origin

EA hasn't done much with Origin to win over the hearts of both current and would-be customers, and today is no different. AusGamers writes that EA and DICE currently have no plans for a standalone installer to update Battlefield 3, and the only way to do so at this point is through Origin. 

The ability to have a standalone installer would allow for quicker installs and your ISP to mirror them locally. The lack of a standalone installer is problematic for those who have limited download plans, and can't afford to update Battlefield 3 each and every time a patch is released--which is quite often, mind you.

"Back to Karkand" out today on PlayStation 3; here's a new trailer!

At long last, Battlefield 3's "Back to Karkand" expansion pack is available for download today on the PlayStation 3 for $14.99. Those who purchased the "Limited Edition" of Battlefield 3 will be able to queue it up at no extra cost. 

"Back to Karkand" includes four classic Battlefield maps, including my personal favorite, "Wake Island," all rebuilt for the Frostbite 2 engine, along with new weapons and vehicles, such as the STOVL Jet. 

Xbox 360 and PC gamers will be able to purchase and download "Back to Karkand" next Tuesday, December 13. 

Battlefield 3 patch drops on PC tomorrow--nerfs mortars, tactical lights, IRNV Scopes

Another Battlefield 3 patch is due out for the PC tomorrow, and it brings with it the long-awaited tactical light nerf, which again, only decreases the light's range of effectiveness, and not its brightness. An option to alter the HUD for colorblind players will also be added, and the radius of spawn protection will be increased in "Team Deathmatch."

Other nerfs come in the form of mortars and the IRNV Scope: for the mortars, they now take longer to load a shell, and each shell will take longer to hit their target. IRNV Scopes, like the tactical lights, will now only be efective at shorter ranges. 

Lastly--well, not quite--weapons will do less damage when fired in full-auto mode, so stick to controlled shots when taking out targets at mid-to-long range. 

Tomorrow will also see the release of the "Back to Karkand" expansion pack on the PlayStation 3, with the Xbox 360 and PC to follow next Tuesday.

DICE addressing BF3's voice chat issues on PS3

If you've found yourself struggling in Battlefield 3 on the PlayStation 3 due to a lack of consistent voice chat functionality, your problems will soon be over. After being sent numerous complaints on the official Battlefield Twitter account, DICE has sent word that they are aware of the issue, and are currently "investigating causes and possible solution."

Although this problem was first addressed in the beta back in September, it still crept its way into the retail release. On a brighter note for PlayStation 3 fans, the "Back to Karkand" expansion pack releases this Tuesday, which should hopefully soften the voice chat inconvenience.

"Back to Karkand" out this Tuesday on PS3, Dec. 13 on Xbox 360 and PC

Battlefield 3's "Back to Karkand" expansion pack has finally been given a release date: December 6, for PlayStation 3 owners, that is. As noted earlier in the year, the Sony console gets every piece of Battlefield 3 downloadable content a week early, so the Xbox 360 and PC won't see the add-on until the following Tuesday, December 13. "Limited Edition" owners get the pack for free, while everyone else needs to shell out $15.

In addition to the four remastered Battlefield 2 maps, new weapons and vehicles, "Back to Karkand" adds 'Assignments,' a series of challenges that, when completed, unlocks a new weapon from the add-on for use throughout the entire multiplayer experience. It's should also be mentioned that the maps in "Karkand" will also be featured in the regular map rotation, unlike Bad Company 2 Vietnam, which had its own menu in Bad Company 2.

A whopper of a Battlefield 3 update available on PlayStation 3 today, soon on Xbox 360

PC gamers last week were graced with a substantial Battlefield 3 update which fixed and tweaked squad joining and spawning, weapon damage, vehicle rebalances, and shortened load times among a slew of other things.

Today, PlayStation 3 users will be able to download their own 700MB update, which fixes a majority of the same things contained in last week's patch, including the ability to spot explosives, protection when spawning in "Conquest," a ton of fixes to squad options and spawning in "Team Deathmatch," and more. 

If you wish to view the entire wall of text, you can scope out the laundry list of patch notes here. Otherwise, it will be rolling out on PlayStation 3s today (Xbox 360 sometime soon), so queue it up when available and enjoy the fixes.

"Back to Karkand" dated for December 7 on PlayStation Asia

While we've seen a lot of coverage regarding Battlefield 3's "Back to Karkand" expansion pack, we are still left without a release date. However, BF3 Blog noticed that PlayStation Asia lists the add-on is releasing on December 7, though whether that's a worldwide release date, a regional one--or a real one, for that matter--isn't noted.

If the date is in fact true, it would mean that "Back to Karkand" would see the light of day on the PC and Xbox 360 on December 14, since the PlayStation 3 gets Battlefield 3 downloadable content a week early.

We've reached out to EA on the matter, and will update this post if we learn anything.

EA hopes Iranian ban of Battlefield 3 will prevent piracy there

While people in most parts of the world are enjoying the offerings of Battlefield 3, gamers in Iran aren't, as Battlefield 3 has been banned in the country. Reason being? The country was not fond of the game's depiction of the US invading Tehran, and since the ban, police have been reportedly arresting shop owners for secretly selling copies.

An online petition has already been signed by 5,000 Iranian "youths" in favor of the ban, who believe "the game is purposely released at a time when the US  is pushing the international community into fearing Iran."

However, Battlefield 3 wasn't available for sale in Iran in the first place, according to EA, and the company responded to the situation with: "In that Battlefield 3 is not available for purchase in Iran, we can only hope the ban will help prevent pirated copies reaching consumers there."

Battlefield 3's "Gulf of Oman" trailer showcases STOVL jets, other BF2 vehicles

We are drawing closer to the release of the "Back to Karkand" expansion pack for Battlefield 3, so it goes without saying that we will be getting a couple of trailers to promote it. This time, we head to the "Gulf of Oman"...but in style!

"Back to Karkand" not only brings classic Battlefield 2 maps to the fray, but its classic vehicles as well, including the STOVL fighter jet, desert buggies, and APCs, all of which are showcased above. 

Be on the lookout for "Back to Karkand" sometime next month, and a week early on PlayStation 3. It will be free to "Limited Edition" owners, and $15 for everybody else.

Tactical Light and IRNV nerf not in latest BF3 patch

Although we were told that the Tactical Light and IRNV attachments in Battlefield 3 would be getting tweaked in the near future, don't expect to see any changes made with the game's most recent patch, as DICE stated the tweaks are coming at a later time.

Community manager Daniel Matros tweeted, "IRNV and flashlight fixes are in a later patch. Didn't make it into this one. We found these changes to be more necessary than waiting."

"These changes" refers to this list of tweaks the current patch does contain.

Battlefield 1943 finally cleared to land on the PS3s of Battlefield 3 consumers

Owners of Battlefield 3 on PlayStation 3 can celebrate today as Electronic Arts finally caved in to pass out free Battlefield 1943 vouchers. European consumers download their copies first on November 26, followed by US players on December 10, and last, but not least, Asian territories on December 17.

Battlefield 1943 was originally announced as a pack-in bonus for the PlayStation 3 version of Battlefield 3, though EA quietly replaced the offer with early access to Battlefield 3's downloadable content, which they were then sued for.

All that's left to do now is wait for the vouchers to activate... while playing Battlefield 3, of course.

Battlefield 3 PC patch tweaks performance, rebalances weapons, improves squad joining, more

The "significant" Battlefield 3 patch has been released for PC and players can enjoy game fixes, weapon and vehicle rebalances, and improved squad joining.

Multiplayer/co-op sessions? Fixed. Loading times? Shortened. Squad joining becomes accessible by "selecting a Squad and then clicking the Join Squad button" and the ability to join empty squads. Check out more patch notes as well as weapon rebalances after the break.

"Significant" Battlefield 3 PC update coming this week, consoles to follow

The official Battlefield blog states that a "significant" update for the PC version will release this week, with the consoles to follow after they've been certified.

The patch features several enhancements that come from fan feedback, as well as improved stability, polish, squad functionality, weapon balancing, and user interface functionality. "Negative mouse acceleration" has been removed as well.

DICE asks that fans keep posting feedback for improvements, as well as reporting cheaters and hackers on Battlelog.

Class action lawsuit filed against EA over lack of free Battlefield 1943 promise

A class action lawsuit has been filed against EA by the firm Edelson McGruire on behalf of many besmirched PlayStation 3 gamers and the ol' switcheroo that replaced a free copy of Battlefield 1943 included in the purchase of Battlefield 3 with early access to its downloadable content.

The announcement of the switch was made very close to Battlefield 3's launch, and also on Twitter, meaning not many even knew about the freebie's replacement until the game's release. 

And that is what the bulk of the case is about: not that EA replaced the offer, but the manner in which they did so. The lawsuit claims that EA "misled and profited from thousands of their customers by making a promise that they could not, and never intended, to keep."

The lawyers told Kotaku that the parties involved are merely looking for the free game which was promised, and nothing else.