Medal of Honor Message Board older than one year ago

PC multiplayer Open Beta available for download starting October 1.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had a sweeping series of arrangements created by famed composer Hans Zimmer. Earlier today, EA announced that its upcoming military shooter, Medal of Honor, will have a score composed by another Hollywood maestro. Ramin Djawadi, whose musical work has appeared in Iron Man, Prison Break and Clash of the Titans -- the remake, that is -- is the mind behind the game's musical accompaniment.

Djawadi explained in this press release announcement that "the music is designed to dynamically ebb and flow, complementing the big action sequences with thundering electric guitar and bass, and the quiet stealth with haunting strings and hymns." He adds, "it is like a Hollywood action movie score on steroids." So, it's going to be incomprehensibly strong, irrationally angry and covered in weird, plump, ever-shifting veins? We'll be honest -- we're more than a little frightened.

Composer behind Iron Man, Prison Break and Clash of the Titans creates authentic musical experience for FPS franchise reboot.

Multiplayer beta beginning on October 4.

Medal of Honor will launch a PC beta for its Call of Duty-esque multiplayer component on October 4. The two modes available in the open beta are Sector Control, a territory-grabbing game type, and Combat Mission. The beta will turn back into an IED pumpkin on October 7.

The beta also appears to be part of a PR campaign in light of the military's sensitivity to subject matter in the game. EA Games Label Frank Gibeau states, "We also hope that by offering the Multiplayer Open Beta, we can clear up any misunderstanding about the patriotism and respect that are the foundation of this game. The Medal of Honor franchise has always shown extraordinary reverence for American and Allied soldiers -- this game is no exception."

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Medal of Honor wants to have Modern Warfare 2's babies. It's evident in the entire makeup of the multiplayer package -- from the progression system to the Killstreak-like Support Actions right down to the run-and-gun, lone wolf style of play. But, it has that patented DICE touch, which gives it just enough character to stand on its own two feet.

#clips In this latest Medal of Honor gameplay video we get a sweet taste of how the game's singleplayer will be treating us to some sniping. More »

During a recent EA press event, I played through three missions of Medal of Honor. The successive missions were taken from the middle of the game and were representative of the full game's transitional pacing. You don't play as one individual over the course of the late-2001-2002 campaign, but rather you switch between three different branches of the U.S. military: the Army Rangers, Air Force and the Tier 1 Operators.

My session was supervised by EA product manager Kevin O'Leary. He looked the part, sporting a Tier 1 Operator-level beard of his own and watched as I made my way through the first mission: "Belly of the Beast."

This game is looking hot.

Firing through three missions in EA's upcoming shooter.

Playing military dress up doesn't get any cuter than Battlefield Heroes. Of course, we never expected to see the beard-clad, rough and tough Tier 1 Operators from Medal of Honor show up in EA's free-to-play FPS, but here they are. Outfits for Tier 1 Elites and Specialists are already available, with Operatives and Captains becoming available in "early October."

At that time, Battlefield Heroes will also be adding a new map in "Alpine Assault," liberally peppered with the cadre of new weapons (six total). Head past the break for a video of the new content in action.

We've really got to give it to EA for these Medal of Honor Experience videos -- there's no quick cuts or flashy editing, just pure, unadulterated gameplay. It's as close as you can get without actually holding the controller in your hand. In this latest edition, titled "High Value Target," you get a look at the game's Combat Mission multiplayer mode, which has the two teams either attacking or defending a series of objectives. In this case, it appears that the player's side is trying to escort tanks through a destroyed airfield, making for some pretty impressive visual spectacle.

Of course, this video is missing one thing we experienced a lot in the multiplayer beta a while back -- all that time we spent waiting to respawn while dead. Sure, you could end up being as good as this guy, and sure, watching the action is more fun than watching a countdown timer. But next time, EA, maybe throw in at least one respawn and show the complete game. Whaddaya say?

EA's upcoming Medal of Honor is a risky proposition for the company. Unlike Activision's Modern Warfare series, Danger Close's game is based upon a real-life conflict. With battles ongoing in the Middle East, MOH has rightfully attracted its fair share of controversy -- some are eager to say that the game is simply going too far.

The military advisors EA has hired have the difficult job of "selling authenticity and realism" while making sure "it didn't go too far." Originally titled Medal of Honor: Anaconda, the game's pitch was essentially "Black Hawk Down for Afghanistan." It would be based on a failed operation called Anaconda, where a Navy SEAL was dragged to his death by Al Qaeda fighters. One consultant told the New York TImes that the original concept "hit a little too close to home" and would "put a sour taste in our brothers' mouths."

Medal of Honor has evolved over its development, with a new found focus on "telling the soldier's story." One designer told the NYT that, differing from Infinity Ward's approach to the genre, "we want the player to feel, not like they're in a movie, but like they're in Afghanistan." Funding such an ambitious goal is certainly not cheap, with executive producer Greg Goodrich telling the newspaper that "if the game doesn't sell at least three million copies, I'm not going to be able to do another one."

Certainly, the stakes are high for EA, attempting to capitalize on the success of its competitor's flagship franchise. But will Medal of Honor's approach resonate with gamers? We'll find out in one month's time.

This intense look at Medal of Honor's multiplayer shows off the game's Combat Mission mode. More »

Here at EA, we want to make sure our PlayStation 3 fans know that we’re listening. That’s why we we’ve created The MOH Experience, a series of uncut and unedited single-player and multiplayer videos put together to show our audience what they can expect when Medal of Honor launches on October 12th.

In this third installment, titled “High Value Target,” we’re giving you a look at Medal of Honor’s multiplayer.

The mode being played in the video is called Combat Mission. Coalition forces are tasked with clearing five consecutive objectives to win and the insurgents must stop them at any cost. As objectives are cleared, new areas of the map open up to reveal what the coalition must do next. The team health meter represents coalition reinforcements. If it’s depleted before the current objective is cleared, the match ends and coalition forces are stopped.

You may have also noticed the Bradley Fighting Vehicles as well. It can seat both a driver and gunner. This particular map requires that coalition forces use them strategically to break through certain points of the map and eventually achieve victory.

Combat Mission is just one of the ways you’ll step up to Tier 1 when Medal of Honor launches on October 12th, 2010 for the PS3.

Make sure you follow us on Twitter, fan us on Facebook, and visit us at the official website for up-to-the-date Medal of Honor news and information.

#wellplayed Can virtual combat be entertainment for the soldiers who engage in the real thing on a daily basis? More »

#pro First off, I am an active duty Air Force member. More »

#con It's amazing, even years after getting out of the Army, how much it colors your everyday life. More »

#breaking As all stores located on Army and Air Force bases will no longer be allowed to sell Electronic Arts' upcoming military shooter Medal of Honor because an aspect of the game includes playable Taliban characters. More »

Army and Air Force Exchange Service won't sell the game this fall.

#breaking The commanding general of the Army and Air Force Exchange Services told Kotaku today that his decision to have Medal of Honor pulled from U.S. military bases worldwide was spurred by "well-documented reports of depictions of Taliban fighters engaging American troops" in the game. More »

EA's upcoming Medal of Honor reboot has attracted some controversy due to the inclusion of Taliban fighters in the game's multiplayer mode. A source has informed Joystiq that, in response to the backlash, GameStop stores in Army and Air Force bases will not stock the game. According to the notice sent to employees, "GameStop has agreed out of respect for our past and present Men and Women in uniform we will not carry Medal of Honor in any of our AAFES based stores." The notice specifically mentions playable Taliban fighters as cause for the pullback.

The affected stores will have "all marketing material pulled" and will no longer take reservations for the game. While the move showcases GameStop's sensitivity to the hot-topic issue, stores are nonetheless encouraged to direct buyers to a non-military store. "Customers who enter our AAFES stores and wish to reserve Medal of Honor can and should be directed to the nearest GameStop location off base," the note explains.

The full statement can be read after the break.

The latest trailer for EA's Medal of Honor reboot focuses on a segment from the single-player campaign -- one which pits a pair of heavily armored attack helicopters against a village of hostiles. Who will emerge victorious? The results may -- who are we kidding? The helicopters, of course.

#breaking As of noon today all GameStop stores located on military bases will no longer be advertising or selling copies of Electronic Arts' upcoming military shooter Medal of Honor because an aspect of the game includes playable Taliban characters, sources tell Kotaku. More »

#clips I walked readers through Medal of Honor's lone Apache helicopter level during GamesCom earlier this month. Here's your chance to see it, uncut, for yourself. More »

EA has tapped British author Chris Ryan to write a prequel novel to Medal of Honor, which will use in-game missions as the basis for "an authentic and respectful account of an elite soldier fighting in Afghanistan." Ryan is the author two bestselling novels, in addition to The One That Got Away, a narrative account of his time as a Special Forces operative on the Bravo Two Zero patrol in Iraq. Presumably he'll use both his combat experience and storytelling prowess to do the game franchise right. Hopefully his first line will be better than the one we came up with: "They loaded their guns carefully, knowing that soon, they'd be shooting a lot of people."

The creatively named Medal of Honor: The Book will be offered as a bonus with preorders of the game from UK retailer HMV, but we're not sure if it will be available for sale elsewhere -- we've contacted EA for comment and will update if we hear more. We sure hope it sees print in the US, if only to find out what a former British operative thinks of the Medal of Honor, a uniquely American military decoration.

Half of the development of the upcoming Medal of Honor reboot -- multiplayer, specifically -- is being handled by Battlefield: Bad Company 2 developer DICE. The latest trailer, featuring the game's multiplayer component, highlights that division more than ever.

Specifically, the clip directly mimics Bad Company 2's marketing campaign. In fairness, it's mighty effective advertising, even while standing in stark contrast to our own experience in the game's multiplayer beta. Hit the break to see for yourself.

#clips In part one of EA's Medal of Honor experience video series, titled Fallen Angel, there's a great deal of running, shooting, exploding, and colorful language. More »

Allow gamers to take up the mantle of the Taliban in your game and you're bound to receive some ire. EA is learning all about that with Medal of Honor, as the mainstream media and the British government have vocalized concerns. British Defence Secretary Liam Fox has actually called for a countrywide ban of the game outright, stating that it's "shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers," even though you don't actually kill any British troops in the game. Still, EA Games president Frank Gibeau isn't sweating the bad press.

"We respect the media's views," Gibeau replied, "but at the same time [these reports] don't compromise our creative vision and what we want to do. The development teams care very much about what they're building, and of course a bit of criticism from the media causes some to get demoralised, but at the end of the day we're proud of what we're doing." Gibeau even compared the flak to the same types of reports that went on about Modern Warfare 2's infamous airport sequence -- one of many comparisons the two games have received.

Gibeau is of the mind that the collaboration between EA and the US Military and Congressional Medal of Honor Society is what will win people over in the end, not just because of the accurate depiction of the ongoing conflict, but because it has allowed EA to produce "the best story for the game." Plus, we all know the world has a natural affinity for whiskered gentlemen -- just look at the popularity of Grizzly Adams!

[Thanks, fais]

#ruhroh The UK's Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox called for the ban of Medal of Honor for being "tasteless". He later defended his remarks. EA, the game's publisher, has now retorted. More »