EA DICE executive producer Ben Cousins today revealed that the studio currently at work on a total of five titles in the Battlefield multiplayer shooter franchise, reports GamesIndustry.

In a keynote at Paris GDC, Cousins said that in addition to the previously announced free-to-play Battlefield Heroes (PC) and the just-shipped Battlefield: Bad Company (PS3, 360), the company is working on three unannounced Battlefield titles.

Among them are a new traditional core game bound for home consoles, and another title developed in collaboration with South Korea-based online game developer Neowiz aimed at the Korean games market. No details on the third Battlefield title were mentioned.

Cousins added that DICE's move towards the free-to-play market arose out of a business trip to South Korea, where web-based and free-to-play games flourish in a region dominated by piracy.

"If you ask me, the future is web games," added Cousins. "And I don't think many people will see it coming."

EA DICE revealed that the free running action game Mirror's Edge (PC, PS3, X360) was built with Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 middleware, Joystiq reports.

Though DICE regularly makes use of its internally-developed technology, the Mirror's Edge project began early in the development of its Frostbite engine, prompting the studio to use Epic's technology instead.

"With Mirror's Edge we deliberately set out to create something that was different from Battlefield," said a studio representative. "Frostbite is a very powerful engine but this project started a long time ago, and at that time Frostbite was still being developed and was very closely supporting the Battlefield Bad Company team."

Epic's Unreal Engine 3 has been licensed for use in development by a number of studios including Konami, 2K Games, and John Romero's Slipgate Ironworks studio. For more on Mirror's Edge, be sure to check out the new trailer.

Speaking with Shacknews, Electronic Arts has clarified reports of pay-to-play weaponry in the upcoming release of EA DICE's Battlefield: Bad Company (PS3, X360).

Responding to reports that ten weapons in the Xbox 360 multiplayer beta of the title were marked as purchasable from the Xbox Live Marketplace, a representative explained that some of the weapons would be made available as part of pre-launch promotional programs.

"Battlefield: Bad Company will release five unique weapons free of charge through five different promotional programs prior to launch," the rep noted. "EA will again make these weapons available to players free of charge after launch, in case anyone missed the pre-launch promotions."

The other five weapons will be made available to players who purchase the Gold Edition of Battlefield: Bad Company, which will be released alongside the standard retail release this June. "For players who do not purchase the Gold Edition of the game, they can still buy the five weapons at a small individualized price per item," the representative continued.

"All weapons are balanced for gameplay," they added. "More weapons offer players more choices but do not create an advantage/disadvantage for players who do not opt to buy new items."

One of Electronic Arts' internal studios, Stockholm-based Battlefield developer EA DICE, officially announced the development of Mirror's Edge today.

A first-person action-adventure game based on the street sport of parkour, Mirror's Edge will come to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 some time in 2008, according to EA. Information detailing the title's development surfaced earlier this year when the game was code-named Project Faith and was said to feature an acrobatic female protagonist in a sprawling city environment.

"We are a studio that believes in taking risks and taking games in new directions," said Patrick Soderlund, GM at EA DICE. "We made... Read more

From Blues News comes word that following EA's acquisition of DICE (story), the company's Canadian offices were closed. DICE Canada worked on Battlefield: Vietnam and Battlefield 2: Special forces and employed 28 people.

It was a process that started back in 2004, but EA today announced that it has finished its acquisition of Battlefield developer Digital Illusions CE. The company will continue to work on the Battlefield franchise as well as other PC and console products.

Electronic Arts has announced that it will try again to complete its takeover of Battlefield developer Digital Illusions. EA currently owns 68% of the company, and hopes that by offering shareholders a 30% premium on their shares they can obtain the rest of the company. The merger has to be approved by two thirds of the shareholders, who will vote on EA's offer May 24. EA expects the merger to be completed by September.

Battlefield developer DICE today announced it has signed a new contract for a PC shooter, based on a new IP and scheduled for a fall 2006 release. There are absolutely zero other details, except that the game will be developed at the company's Stockholm offices.

Digital Illusions CE today announced that it is closing its New York office, which employed former members of Trauma Studios after DICE had purchased the Desert Combat developer last September. All 12 people have been offered employement at the Sweden office. DICE's Canadian studio will remain open, and focus mainly on expansion packs. Closing DICE New York allows the company to save some money

Digital Illusions will not pay the supplement payment of 200,000 USD as agreed upon at the time of the acquisition of Trauma Studios. The total payment is thereby 300,000 USD. Following the adjustment for the default of payment of the additional supplement payment, the SEK 1.3m remainder of the value of goodwill is written down during the second quarter of 2005. Other costs of liquidation are diminutive.

So why buy Trauma Studios at all? "The deal contained value in form of rights to trademarks as well as a new game concept". A few more details about the closing can be found at GameCloud.

Electronic Arts has announced that it has completed its tender offer to the shareholders of Battlefield developer Digital Illusions (DICE), and now owns a controlling 59.8% interest in the company. EA also owns warrants, which if exercised, can bump their stake in the company's share sto 67.3%.

When not eyeing Ubisoft, EA still wants to buy Battlefield developer Digital Illusions and decided to waive one of the conditions in its offer to the shareholders of the Swedish company. The initial offer was only good if Electronic Arts was able to get their hands on more than 50 percent of shares, but the company will take whatever it can get now.

This means that EA will acquire all the shares tendered in the offer, regardless of whether EA reaches the 50 percent threshold (assuming that the acquisition is not hindered or rendered more difficult by circumstances beyond EA's control). The acceptance period will end on January 20, 2005, and EA does not intend to extend it any further. Payment to shareholders that have tendered, or will tender their shares before the acceptance period expires, is expected to be distributed beginning on or about January 27, 2005. [..] EA reserves the right to acquire additional shares of DICE in the market.

As was reported here earlier, EA's first bid to buyout DICE didnt quite make it the first time around. So EA is now making a new offer and extending the approval period in hopes of their second shot being approved by investors.

EA today changes the condition above and conditions the offer upon an acceptance level through which EA would become the owner of more than 50% of the total number of shares representing more than 50% of the capital and votes in DICE after dilution upon exercise of employee warrants outstanding under the option program launched in 2002. As a consequence of this, the acceptance period is extended to January 20, 2005

A developing story is taking place as it appears the stockholders for Digital Illusions CE will not approve of the buyout by Electronic Arts at their current offer. One of Sweden's most respected business newspapers is reporting that two factions, controlling 16% and 12% of the stock, will not vote for the merger. 90% of the stockholders' support is needed for approval. Both stockholder factions feel that next year will yield them a large boost and that fact was not taken into account with EA's offer. DICE offered no comment at the time.

Swedish gaming site FZ has a quick Q&A with Digital Illusions' Patrick Soderlund, asking the owner and founder about EA's planned acquisition of the company. Among other things, Soderlund mentions the PC will remain a platform they'll develop for (since no game they've made has sold more than BF1942), and the company will stay in Sweden and will probably hire another 150-200 employees.

The Digital Illusions SE website has this statement from the companies' Board of Directors, who are giving their blessing to EA's offer to buy all outstanding shares in the company. EA has held a minority interest in the Swedish development company since early 2003.

Digital Illusions announced today that it has acquired Trauma Studios, the New York based development team behind the popular Battlefield 1942 mod Desert Combat. All the Desert Combat rights and asssets are now owned by DICE, and the Swedish company will also employ all nine Trauma employees. Trauma Studios has already started work on a new PC game.

Trauma will work with the development of games built on Digital Illusions' technology produced in Sweden. The focus for Trauma - as for Digital Illusions' Canadian office - will thereby be on concept and game developing, rather than on developing technology. Initially Trauma will work with the development of a concept for a new PC game based on the Battlefield 2 engine. The companies have been working together since February 2004, and Trauma will continue to develop certain parts of Battlefield 2.

The Future of Games from a Design Perspective is a GameSpy article, covering a Peter Molyneux chat at the DICE convention. There's also an article covering Bill Roper's talk.

This press release on the official Digital Illusions website announces that the Battlefield 1942 developer is teaming up with Trauma Studios, the guys who have brought us Desert Combat. According to the press release the two companies will be working together on a project which is scheduled to take a year to complete (although the PR mentions the game is a previously announced project it's not clear what it is). Thanks BF42.com.