One million sign up for Battlefield Heroes
Publisher's first entry into the free-to-play arena attracts tens of thousands every day, says EA
Battlefield Heroes now has one million players signed up to play and tens of thousands more joining every day, according to EA.
The title is the first from the publisher to utilise the free-to-play business model, popular in Asia. Users can download and play the game for free and revenue is generated through advertising and in-game item sales. Closed beta testing of the game has been ongoing since last year and it was officially released on June 25.
"The team is really proud to have hit one million registrations at this early stage," said Ben Cousins, general manager of the Battlefield Heroes team. "Creating a character and gameplay experience that is totally yours is what sets this game apart."
Based on EA's popular Battlefield series, the cartoon game offers a multiplayer experience for up to 16 players, character customisation and a matchmaking system. Items can be bought using in-game Valor Points or with Battlefunds, a fictional currency users buy, with a credit card or via PayPal.
While Battlefield Heroes is EA's first attempt at building a game around the free-to-play model, the company is also experimenting with other emerging business models, including casual gaming through its portal Pogo.com.