Saturday
Sep172011
PAX Prime 2011 / Battlefield 3 Special Event
Saturday, September 17, 2011 
To those who know me, it is no big secret that I love the Battlefield franchise more than any other IP. Knowing that, I could not pass on a opportunity to play Battlefield 3 finally on the console and PC with other members of the gaming community. When an invite was extended to me by the EA Battlefield Community Manager, Seeson Mahathavorn, I couldn't wait.
The special Battlefield 3 event was kept secret until the day of. I only knew it was being held at the hotel I was staying at, but the exact location was not revealed until the day of the event. It was hidden secretly in a meeting room several floors inside the Westin Hotel just blocks away from the Seattle Convention Center where PAX Prime was being held. As I entered the room, there were 32 members of the video game community--most of whom I knew, as well as several staff members from EA/DICE and Astro Gaming. Lined up around the room were rows of chairs in front of PS3's and nVidia graphic powered PC's with Astro Gaming A40 headsets with Battlefield 3 tags. In the back of the room was a buffet table that could rival a Vegas buffet room. The social hour and dinner was fantastic but it was just the beginning of a long night of amazing Battlefield 3 gaming.
The first gaming session started off with each one of us being paired up to play co-op Battlefield 3 story mode on the PS3. Those that saw the Battlefield 3 press conference from Gamescom this year will be familiar with the dark co-op map that I was able to play. I felt bad for my partner, because I recalled where all of the enemies were from that announcement and quickly eliminated them with ease. I completed the rescue quickly, and then took point--taking out all the snipers and RPG squads while my partner gave me cover. The second session was the PC multiplayer version in which we played conquest mode in a Paris subway station. The weapon customization takes some of the cues from Battlefield Bad Company. Weapons accuracy and power now differ from what you might be used to. Also the support and assault class have reverted back to a classic load out that more recent Battlefield players might not be used to. The third session was multiplayer team deathwatch in the streets of Paris. I would like to think I dominated and remained one of the top players on my team for rest of the night!
As the event dwindled down, I was lucky enough to walk away with a pair of Gunnar glasses, a Razor gaming mouse, a Battlefield Lanyard, an Astro Gaming backpack, and a handmade paracord bracelet. With Battlefield 3 still in alpha, this game looks like it is on track to have a stellar release. There were some buggy moments and yes my PS3 did freeze a few times, however, I believe these will be addressed before release. Major thanks to Seeson Mahathavorn, Daniel Matros, Ian Tornay, Matthew Pruitt, and the rest of the folks that put this together. I look forward to the next phase, Battlefield 3 beta!
