Matt Martin 11:53 (BST)
21/01/2008

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Electronic Arts has stepped into the ad-supported games market by offering a brand new Battlefield game free to consumers.

Developed by DICE, Battlefield Heroes will be available for free this summer, and will generate revenues for the publisher via advertising support and micro-transactions.

"Online gaming garners a massive audience," commented Gerhard Florin, executive vice president of publishing at EA.

"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."

The company announced the title today at the Digital Life Design conference in Munich.

The game is adopting a 'cartoon-style' approach to gameplay and will contain built-in matchmaking features with DICE promising regular content updates for players to customise the experience.

"There's something here for all types of players — be it our core Battlefield fans or casual gamers," added Ben Cousins, senior producer at EA DICE.

"With the new online model, we will continually add new content to keep the game fresh and keep players engaged, while integrating player feedback in real time. As a game developer, it is such a cool new way to make games."