Exclusive: EA bringing Medal of Honor headed to PSP

[Pumpkin Head]

One of the PlayStation TV-consoles best shooters, Medal of Honor, (PS2 version pictured right) is to get an incarnation on PSP later this year, according to Peter Dille, senior vice present of marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America.

In an interview with US news service United Press International, Dille mentioned that: "This fall EA is publishing PSP-specific versions of its popular Def Jam, Medal of Honor and Godfather franchises."

Naturally, there were no further details of the game, although we assume it will be a handheld version of EA's forthcoming Medal of Honor: Airborne, coming for all consoles this Christmas. This puts you in the boots of Boyd Travers, a private in the 82nd Airborne Division, as he liberates Europe from Sicily to Germany.

A further interesting battle will be between Medal of Honor and Activision's Call of Duty 3, which has recently stolen the crown of best WWII shooter. Ubisoft's fancied Brothers in Arms 3, will also be making a flanking assault, although its previously announced PSP version seemed to have fallen off the radar.

The rest of the interview with United Press mainly concerns the demise of UMD. Or you can read more about EA's official handheld announcements.

Otherwise click 'Track It!' to hear more about the PSP version of Medal of Honor just as soon as we do. http://www.newsnow.co.uk/cgi/NGoto/152014963?-10919

[Jubal]

Exclusive? Haven't we known that Airborne was coming to the PSP for months now?

[Fats]

I think it's exclusive in terms of the actual news article being exclusive, not the game.

[Ivory_Soul]

I never knew about it coming to PSP. All I knew about was COD 3 for PSP. Now there will be 2 WWII shooters for PSP. Let's hope at least one of them is good.

[yoshaw]

A financial report leaked the new Brother in Arms also coming to PSP. So basically that means all the WW2 shooters are being ported over to this mini PS2 console. Neat!

http://psp.ign.com/objects/788/788822.html

[Old_Timer!]

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=18772

CHERTSEY, UK August 4, 2006 – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced Medal of Honor™ Heroes* for the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system, allowing players to take all the epic, authentic World War II (WWII) action of Medal of Honor™ (MoH) on-the-go. While building on the key tenets of the franchise including historical accuracy and authenticity, Medal of Honor Heroes is the newest addition to the critically-acclaimed Medal of Honor franchise which is credited with pioneering the First-Person Shooter (FPS) WWII genre with its original release in 1999. This marks the exciting debut for a Medal of Honor game on the PSP system.

Medal of Honor Heroes will be available exclusively for the PSP system – with an entirely unique storyline and PSP-specific feature set. Players will experience a totally new single player campaign, and can choose from six different multiplayer modes within 15 different maps, while participating in wireless multiplayer sessions with up to 32 players. Gamers can play with up to 8 others across the room in a local impromptu game. “Quickplay” missions in skirmish game mode, allow players to jump right into the action or to create customized mission scenarios for added re-playability.

In Medal of Honor Heroes players will experience new MoH moments as they battle their way through three campaigns as their favorite lead characters from past Medal of Honor games. Take on the role of Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson – star of both the original Medal of Honor, and the classic Medal of Honor Frontline™ – in an untold chapter of his time in Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. Play as Sergeant John Baker, from Medal of Honor Allied Assault™ Breakthrough, and sabotage German defenses on the Italian coastline to help the invasion forces crack Hitler’s iron hold on Europe. Don the officer’s cap of Lieutenant William Holt from Medal of Honor European Assault™ – and return to the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge to complete unfinished business for the OSS. Along the way, players will unlock over 20 classic characters to use in multiplayer games, adding both variety and personality to their online** experience.

“For the first time ever, the epic WWII battles synonymous with Medal of Honor can be played anytime and anywhere in the world on the PSP," explained Mike Quigley, Group Vice President of Marketing at EA. “The PSP-specific feature set, especially the 32-player wireless supported multiplayer, skirmish game mode, and unlockable characters are really what is going to give this Medal of Honor game an entirely new and exciting flavor.”

The Medal of Honor development teams continue to ensure that the ideals and integrity of the prestigious Congressional Medal of Honor are accurately reflected within the game series. The producers sought counsel from numerous expert sources to make certain the games are historically accurate and as true to the WWII experience as possible to help create a truly authentic experience.

Developed by EA Canada in conjunction with EA Los Angeles, Medal of Honor Heroes has not yet been rated by PEGI and will ship to stores Winter 2006. For more information on Medal of Honor Heroes and the Medal of Honor franchise, please visit: www.moh.ea.com. Please visit EA’s press site at www.electronicarts.co.uk/press for information about all of EA’s games.

Wow 32 players on a handheld game, damnnnnn!!!

[GTShotoKen]

I might just have to pick this title up when it becomes available...

Only one question; is it an FPS?

[Fats]

New images :) ::

EA has announced Medal of Honor: Heroes (working title), a new, PSP-exclusive title in its WWII first-person shooter franchise.

It's said that in Heroes we'll be experiencing a brand new MoH single-player campaign, although EA has opted to re-introduce a number of lead characters from previous games in the series.

The publisher explains: "Take on the role of Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson - star of both the original Medal of Honor, and the classic Medal of Honor Frontline - in an untold chapter of his time in Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. Play as Sergeant John Baker, from Medal of Honor Allied Assault Breakthrough, and sabotage German defenses on the Italian coastline to help the invasion forces crack Hitler's iron hold on Europe!"

And finally: "Don the officer's cap of Lieutenant William Holt from Medal of Honor European Assault - and return to the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge to complete unfinished business for the OSS."

Throughout the single-player action we will, apparently be unlocking 20-plus "classic" characters that can be used in Heroes' multiplayer mode. The game features a total of six multiplayer modes and 15 multiplayer maps, supporting up to a pretty impressive 32 players in wireless shootouts. In addition, "Gamers can play with up to 8 others across the room in a local impromptu game" and "'Quickplay' missions in skirmish game mode, allow players to jump right into the action or to create customized mission scenarios for added re-playability."

You'll no doubt have spotted the first screenshots from Medal of Honor: Heroes we've plastered on the page, so go check those out to see what you think. The game should be out at the end of the year.

Source (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=143970)

[GTShotoKen]

Cool, it is an fps. I thought Coded Arms would be the only one.

Looks extremely good for a psp game.

[Old_Timer!]

yea it looks good, I'm happy to see another FPS on the PSP and with a multiplayer option as deep as this I expect that I will be raping and pillaging all across Normand.... Woe to thee that stands in my way.
I remember a thread about PSP being dead, I said Haaa, then I and say a defiant Haaaaaaa now....

Who's dead now, Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

Develper Q&A
Source: http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/medalofhonorheroes/news.html?page=1&sid=6155252

Medal of Honor Heroes Q&A - The Greatest Little War
Group producer Peter Choi gives us the initial details on this newly announced portable installment in the venerable WWII shooter franchise.
By Staff, GameSpot
Posted Aug 4, 2006 12:20 pm PT

Pocket Conflict
Medal of Honor hits the PSP for the first time with Heroes.
Watch | Download

Given Electronic Arts' longstanding tradition of getting an unthinkable amount of mileage out of all its banner franchises, you had to expect that a new installment in the Medal of Honor series would show up on the PlayStation Portable sooner or later. Indeed, the company has just taken the wraps off Medal of Honor Heroes, the first game bearing the popular MOH name to hit Sony's small screen. In order to bring you the first details on this new entry, we went straight to the source: EA group producer Peter Choi.

GameSpot: Obvious question first: How did you approach bringing Medal of Honor to the PSP?

Peter Choi: We are very excited about the opportunity to bring the Medal of Honor franchise to the PSP and to create a unique experience that is custom-made just for this platform. We designed features and created a storyline that is rooted in the MOH universe while building all new content and gameplay exclusive to the PSP. Gameplaywise, we created a great first-person shooter with intuitive controls and dynamic artificial intelligence, all while staying true to the key tenets of the franchise, including World War II authenticity.

The wireless online capabilities of the PSP and the FPS multiplayer action of MOH are a perfect match, so early on in development we made it our goal to deliver a robust and dynamic online multiplayer experience including 32-player support, a wide variety of game modes, and user-hosted PC servers. We created new characters and storylines specifically for the handheld platform, as well as found ways for some familiar characters from past games to reprise their roles and play through all-new campaigns and adventures.

GS: How are you telling the story through each campaign? Still images, in-game cinemas, or rendered CG?

PC: The storyline follows three heroic characters through three unique campaigns and is told through mission debriefings and cinematic sequences, which include actual WWII footage.

GS: Will each campaign be accessible from the start of the game, or will they have to be unlocked?


Heroes will feature multiple campaigns throughout multiple parts of World War II.

PC: Players can unlock new campaigns after completing previous ones. Within each campaign players can replay any of their completed missions to try and achieve the highest medals to rank up and unlock awards. The length of each mission really depends on which of the three difficulty levels the game is played on and whether or not the player simply completes primary mission objectives or goes for higher ranks and awards. I would estimate that it will take the average player about a few hours per campaign.

GS: How much work is involved in translating the MOH gameplay to the PSP?

PC: We've spent a lot of time on the performance and visual quality of the game while also pushing to increase the size of levels and number of enemies onscreen. To create a unique experience for the PSP we created a whole new dynamic AI system, all-new level designs, and totally customized controls, as well as dedicated a great deal of time to the multiplayer features.

GS: How have you handled the PSP's control limitations?

PC: Translating control schemes always presents a challenge, but, knowing this, we tuned the controls based on information we received from focus testing. The results are intuitive and accommodate all the advanced controls that gamers are accustomed to with the console, including leaning, grenade cooking, and melee attacks. The default control scheme, Commando, plays the most like a console game, but we have three alternate schemes that cater to different styles of play, including Elite, Pathfinder, and Sniper. We've also added the ability to adjust the speed of aiming so players can customize this and other options, like inverted look.

GS: What weapons have you included in the game?

PC: There are a wide variety of authentic WWII weapons, from short-range SMGs like the Thompson and the MP40, to ranged and scoped rifles like the M1 Garand and Gewehr G43 and, of course, some nice big rocket launchers, like the M1A1 Bazooka and the German Panzershreck. There's definitely something for everyone, and it will be a blast to see all the different weapons colliding in multiplayer.

GS: Will they differ between campaigns?

PC: Weapons will differ between missions and campaigns and have been distributed based on the specific type of gameplay per level. In skirmish mode, players can also customize missions and can select weapons of their own choosing.

GS: Have you tailored the gameplay in the various campaigns to be more PSP friendly--playable for short stretches at a time?


Given the portability of the PSP, Heroes will offer objectives that can be completed in short amounts of time.

PC: We have definitely tailored the game for the PSP with the on-the-go nature in mind. Missions have several levels of objectives and stats that can be achieved, allowing for different levels of depth and time investment. Plus, each mission can be replayed to earn higher ranks and medals. We've also added a brand new single-player skirmish game mode, where players can play a quick, one-off mission scenario and can customize the scenarios for endless replayability.

GS: How did you approach the multiplayer modes in the game? Will they offer both ad hoc and infrastructure connectivity?

PC: Multiplayer is one of the most exciting features of Heroes. We have 32-player infrastructure support with continuous joining so players can simply pick a server and jump in anytime. There are 15 different maps and six different multiplayer game modes, which are mostly team based. We also have a new innovation on the PSP that allows players to download a user-hosted server to their own PCs and run their own dedicated servers. Both user-hosted servers and EA Nation server games are fully customizable, and we have very detailed leaderboards and stat-tracking. Players can also play all these multiplayer game modes and maps with up to eight of their friends in a local ad hoc multiplayer game.

GS: Can you walk us through the game's different multiplayer modes and what they offer?

PC: There are six different multiplayer game modes, five of which are team based. I'll give a quick description of each one. Battlelines is a game where teams battle over control points on a map; the more of the map you control, the more points you earn. Hold the line requires one team to hold a position while the other team tries to overrun it. In demolition, the Allied team tries to blow up enemy targets while the Axis tries to defend. Domination is a game where teams try to control all the points on a map simultaneously. In infiltration, teams try to infiltrate the other team's base to steal their flag and get it back to their own base, while also defending their own flag. And of course we have deathmatch, which is your classic fragfest.

GS: Will you support voice chat?

PC: While we don't have voice chat [via the PSP headset], we do have in-game chatting with a new simple alphanumeric keyboard, as well as preset quick commands allowing teammates to quickly communicate with each other with commands like "Enemy spotted" or "I need backup."

GS: Will the multiplayer maps be original, or will they reuse content from the single-player game?

PC: All of the maps for the PSP are new, and the multiplayer maps are shared from the campaign mode.

GS: How will the various skins be unlocked?


Look for a variety of online multiplayer modes with support for up to 32 players.

PC: Players earn medals based on their mission performance in campaign mode, which leads to higher ranks. When a player reaches a new rank they can unlock one of over 20 classic MOH characters to be used in online multiplayer gameplay. Players can also earn special medals for achievements in the campaign, which will also unlock special characters.

GS: How will the customized mission scenarios work?

PC: In skirmish mode, users can customize their mission scenarios by choosing different options like number of enemies and allies, weapons, time limit, point limit, and more. An example is if a player wants to play a map equipped with a bazooka against 16 enemies--good times. Or I may want to play my favorite map from the campaign as a quick deathmatch game with a dozen AI opponents. There are many combinations of options that create a large variety of gameplay scenarios for lots of replayability.

GS: Thanks for your time.

[Ivory_Soul]

Shit! I just went to Gamespot and saw the trailer this stuff is soooo sweeeeet!!! I'm going to have to BUY this. I'm more psyched about this than Call of Duty 3 and I like that series better. 32 player infrastructure!!! That's gonna be insane! The graphics even beat the hell out of SF, Ridge Racer, and Race Driver 2006!