Globe and Mail argues that free-to-play games like Battlefield Heroes are indicative of the future of PC gaming as a whole. From the story:
Of course, free-to-play games have been around for years. They're the norm rather than the exception in many Asian countries, and have made inroads in the West as well (think of popular role-playing games like Runescape and Maple Story).
However, Heroes is probably the most polished and accessible free game I've seen. It looks so good and has such depth that It doesn't feel like it should be free. Plus, it has the potential to appeal to an enormous spectrum of PC gamers, from mainstream and casual players to hardcore twitchers. Simply put, it's proof that free-to-play games can be visually attractive, complex, and offer microtransactions that don't give paying players an unfair advantage over the freeloading masses.
The question now is whether EA can make the thing turn a profit. I'm hoping they can, because a future full of free, high-quality PC games is one I'd like to see come to be.
Revive Network kept fans happy with a few long dead Battlefield titles, but today that all stops.
A Battlefield Heroes remake is now available. The open beta can be downloaded right now, with players populating servers once more.
Battlefield Heroes is scheduled to shut it's doors on the 14th July.
Due to dwindling player counts EA most likely decided now was the best time to retire the third person shooter of the acclaimed Battlefield series.
Battlefield Heroes officially launched on the 25th June 2009.
It's not high quality, it's a dumbed down ultra casual game.