EA to release free online game

Electronic Arts will release a free online version of Battlefield Heroes later this year.

The game, which is the latest instalment in a popular franchise, will be supported by adverts and micro payments.

Gerhard Florin from EA said in a statement yesterday (January 21st): "Online gaming garners a massive audience. 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."

Ben Cousins, senior producer at games developer Dice, explained to BBC news that adverts would not appear on the game itself. Instead they would appear on the website and the "front-end" of the game.

Predicting the success of the game, he said: "Given the enormous explosion in web-based gaming products, this is going to be a real source of growth in the gaming industry and Battlefield Heroes is the first step towards doing that in the West."


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