In a major departure from its traditional business model, E.A. plans to announce Monday that it is developing a new installment in its hit Battlefield series that will be distributed on the Internet as a free download. Rather than being sold at retail, the game is meant to generate revenue through advertising and small in-game transactions that allow players to spend a few dollars on new outfits, weapons and other virtual gear. EA’s experiment with free online games started two years ago, in South Korea: it introduced a free version of its FIFA soccer game there, and says it has signed up more than five million Korean users and generates more than $1 million in monthly in-game sales. The new Battlefield game will be a simpler, more accessible entertainment experience than the relatively complex earlier versions of the game, an attempt to capture the more casual gamer. If Battlefield Heroes is a success, EA will extend this to other games in its franchise...Madden Online, anyone?http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/technology/21game.html?ref=business
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-ea-to-launch-new-battlefield-version-as-ad-supported-download/
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