Exclusive first look at Battlefield 3: Endgame from DICE in Stockholm, Sweden. Lead designer Niklas Fegraeus talks through some of the details. Endgame is all about speed, agility and adrenaline -- and nothing emphasises these qualities more than the motorbike chases.

There are four new maps for Endgame, and each is themed around a different season. The winter map is Sabalan Pipeline, the summer map -- Nebandan Flats - is a hot desert, and the autumn map is called Operation Riverside. The final map, Kiasar Railroad, is a lush, green forest map that symbolizes spring. Aesthetically each map is very different, and they're all big to allow bursts of speed and long vehicle chases. Sabalan Pipeline is a slightly smaller map that, while still vehicle friendly, is also catered towards infantry combat.

The 9 multiplayer maps in Battlefield 3 offer every style of gameplay from dense urban combat to all-out vehicle warfare on vast landscapes. Read on for the design ideas behind the multiplayer maps in Battlefield 3, straight from Niklas Åstrand, one of the level designers at DICE.

OPERATION FIRESTORM

After Infinity Ward admitted that the current CoD engine isn't as powerful as the Frostbite 2 engine, Treyarch has also admitted Battlefield 3 looks great. More specifically, Battlefield 3 "looks really beautiful," said Treyarch's community manager Josh Olin. Asked about the current engine, Olin said "The [CoD] engine's really good, it's a very powerful engine, and we can layer in and update things if we want to."

Standing as someone who has played the Frostbite 1 and 1.5 engines, plus CoD4, 5, MW2, and Black Ops, I can confidently say that the Frostbite engine(s) are a lot more capable. Sorry Activision, maybe you'll learn that producing the same game over and over again is about as effective as fighting a fire with a dollar store squirt gun. That's also how much profit ($1) Activision can expect to receive after Battlefield 3 has dominated the FPS market.

Black Ops:


Battlefield 3:


http://www.computerandvideogames.com/293873/news/treyarch-battlefield-3-engine-is-visually-stunning/

  Bring weapons and Wellingtons. Oasis is back.

VIP Map Pack 7 is on its way to Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This pack will include four maps never before available in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer, two of them being fan favorites Oasis and Harvest Day. As always, this content is free for PC and console VIP players. Read on for the full story.

VIP Map Pack 7 is all about listening to the community. When we ask for your favorite maps from Battlefield: Bad Company, Oasis and Harvest Day always come out on top. We are happy to announce that in VIP Map Pack 7, these two much-loved maps have been reworked for Battlefield : Bad Company 2. This means full Destruction 2.0 (buildings collapsing and micro destruction), enhanced graphics and lighting, and remastered ambient sounds and backgrounds. Below is a full brief of what's included in VIP Map Pack 7: