US video game developer and distributor Electronic Arts (EA) has announced it is to release a free online version of new game Battlefield Heroes supported by advertising.Due to become available over the internet later this year, the release will not be sold in shops.
Battlefield Heroes will be the first of EA's offerings to be free to consumers in the west and marks the firm's first significant attempt to gain access to new sources of ad-driven revenue in the market.
Developed by Swedish firm Dice, the game will generate revenue through ads and micro transactions.
"Online gaming garners a massive audience," stated Gerhard Florin, EA's executive vice president of publishing, Americas-Europe.
"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 [the US] and Europe with a new distribution model and pricing structure adapted to the evolving way that people play," he added.
The game will be released for the PC as a free download in the summer.
According to the BBC, EA already has a free version of its Fifa game available in South Korea that earns more than $1 million a month through in-game sales.
Speaking to the organisation, Ben Cousins, senior producer at Dice, stated that no adverts would appear in the fictional world itself, but rather on the website and at the "front end" of the game.
