Every popular multiplayer game experiences hacking and cheating to some extent. Some games and developers are good at dealing with hackers and cheaters, while others… not so much. Battlefield 3, being a very popular shooter, has been the target of game hackers and cheaters for a while now, and it’s getting increasingly common to come across such individuals in a match.

A new video recently popped up showing off one of the most popular Battlefield 3 hacks (we won’t advertise or link to it here), and to rub it in, the hacker went after DICE developers — makers of Battlefield 3 — knifing them, and showing of his “skills”. It’s sad that some gamers have to resort to hacks to boost their ego, and it’s perhaps even sadder that this hasn’t been fixed yet.

According to a screenshot from one of the new Battlefield 3 maps (Wake Island), developer DICE has put in a little Easter Egg in the form of the number “2143″, obviously referring to a possible Battlefield 2143 — a remake of 2006′s Battlefield 2142. As BF3Blog points out, this won’t be the first time DICE teased an upcoming game: they added the very same type of Easter Egg in Battlefield 2 Armored Fury where they teased Battlefield 2142 a few weeks before its official announcement. Does this mean we’ll see Battlefield 2143 in the future? It sure looks like it, but there is the slight possibility that the developer is just trolling us.

Battlefield 3 developer DICE and publisher EA have announced a video community challenge where players can make an awesome Battlefield 3 video and get a chance to win a trip to DICE headquarters in Sweden. In order to enter the “Only in Battlefield 3″ contest, you have to record and upload an unscripted Battlefield 3 video showing just how great/awesome you are at Battlefield 3. You can check out the full list of rules and regulations for the contest here.

Battlefield 3 is getting its first DLC, called Back To Karkand, which brings back old Battlefield 2 maps, weapons and vehicles into the Battlefield 3 era. We’ve gotten our hands on Back To Karkand, and we’ve got a review for you.

First the basics: if you pre-ordered or own a copy of Battlefield 3 Limited Edition, you’ll get Back To Karkand for free, otherwise, it’ll cost you $15. Now the contents: Back to Karkand includes 4 new maps, 10 new weapons, and 3 new vehicles. Hardly a lot for $15 bucks, but as we found out, there’s a lot of quality in Back To Karkand.

First, the maps: Strike At Karkand, Wake Island, Sharqi Peninsula, and Gulf of Oman. If you’ve played BF2, you’ll know that these are classics, and when it comes to Strike At Karkand, it’s one of the most popular multiplayer maps over the past 10 years in any game. The Battlefield 3 versions of the maps add destruction, and of course, much better visuals. Gameplay wise, the maps retain their well known paths and choke points, and feel very familiar. One thing we liked is that some of the maps, like Karkand, include more than the 3 usual capture points that are found in regular BF3 maps.

There are 10 new weapons to be unlocked, but in order to unlock them, you have to complete one “assignment” per weapon — 10 in total. We liked this idea of having to actually earn a weapon rather than just rake in kills in unlock. Vehicle wise, we have one new jet, the F35, a new APC, the BTR-90, and the DPV buggy. Not a lot, but it’s still better than nothing.

Overall, Back To Karkand is an awesome add-on for Battlefield 3, especially if you’re getting it for free. Some of the maps, like Wake Island, felt noticeably smaller than their original counterparts, and the new vehicles, besides the F35 jet, don’t feel like enough to justify a $15 price tag. But the maps, the Battlefield gameplay, and the new weapons are just what Battlefield 2 veterans need.

The Good:
Solid Battlefield gameplay
Great nostalgia feel with old BF2 maps
Maps are well made, look great and play great
Free (if you own a Limited Edition copy of BF3)

The Bad:
Doesn’t feel like enough content if you’re paying $15 for it.
A few gameplay glitches here and there.

Overall score: 9/10

Battlefield 3′s first expansion pack has finally received a release date: it lands on December 14, 2011. But since PlayStation 3 owners will get Battlefield 3 DLC one week earlier, that means they’ll get to enjoy Back To Karkand on December 7.

Back To Karkand is the first Battlefield 3 expansion and will include class map remakes from battlefield 2, including Strike At Karkand, Wake Island, and more. In addition, the expansion pack includes a set of 10 new weapons, 3 new vehicles and some new awards as well.

Jimmy Fallon of the Late Night Show is known to feature games and gadgets on his show, and this time, he welcomes two fellows from EA to demonstrate the upcoming Battlefield 3. It’s also the first time we see Battlefield 3 on consoles, a PlayStation 3, to be precise. Watch as they fight their way through a mission, and as Jimmy gets some hands on experience with the game. Suffice to say, it’s the first time he played it.

EA has announced a new pre-order with for UK gamers, with a new Battlefield 3 pre-order deal for the Battlefield 3 Limited Edition. The deal will be offered with game retailers GAME and Gamestation UK, and will include a few in-game items: a new Type 88 LMG, A DAO-12 shotgun, Flechette ammunition, and a flash suppressor unlock for sniper rifles. The new bonus content is exclusive to those who pre-order, and won’t be available otherwise.

A similar deal is expected to be offered for US customers, with GameStop and BestBuy — that offer is expected to be announced shortly. No extra charge will be added, the new content is strictly a pre-order bonus.

EA recently released their financial results for the 4th quarter of fiscal year 2011, and they revealed just how anticipated Battlefield 3 has already become: the game has been pre-ordered seven times more than the previous Battlefield game, Bad Company 2. EA didn’t reveal just how many pre-orders the game received, but we’re sure it’ll translate into a lot of sales — Bad Company 2 sold 7 million units to date, a number which BF3 will certainly surpass.

EA also revealed that a mobile version of Battlefield 3 is coming, but didn’t revel any details or platforms. Expect BF3 to hit the iPhone at first, much like Bad Company 2 did. Although, we’d love to see a decent shooter on the Nintendo 3DS and/or the upcoming Sony NGP.

Battlefield 2 is a classic FPS game that will surely be inducted into the videogame hall of fame at some point as one of the best team multiplayer shooters ever made. Despite its bugs and glitches, its addictive gameplay kept players glued to screens for years after its release. In fact, there are still tens of thousands of players playing online, over 6 years after the game was released back in June 2005.

Now EA is releasing a stripped down, free version based on Battlefield 2, called Battlefield Play4Free. It’s a free, downloadable title much like Battlefield Heroes, only that it takes the realistic FPS approach to Battlefield. Battlefield Play4Free offers 4 maps from BF2, including classics such as Strike at Karkand and Gulf of Oman. The maps have been remade to fit the new gameplay style, which is simplified quite a lot — there are only four classes, the same four classes featured in Bad Company 2. However, unlike previous Battlefield games, you cannot change class during a game, which is a striking omission from the Battlefield gameplay. After all, the freedom to pick a class suited for the gameplay was what Battlefield relied on. In Battlefield Play4Free, not so much, and as a result, the game suffers tremendously.

The gameplay itself is rather tame and doesn’t seem to run as fluidly as Battlefield 2 or any other BF game. Something just doesn’t feel right, and when you throw in a considerable amount of bugs into the mix, the experience is disappointing, to say the least. What makes the experience worse is that the micro-transaction system is almost designed to nickle and dime players. You have your standard weapons, with the ability to purchase new ones. But weapons and gadgets you purchase for one class aren’t available to all classes. You can earn in game credits and spend them on the new weapons, but you can’t buy the new gun, you can only rent them. And in order to rent them, you have to play at least a few hours to amass the points needed to unlock a gun that stay unlocked for only a short while. This system is downright insulting, as in order to get a decent soldier, you’ll have to spend $10 to $20 bucks. If you you want the top of the line gun for all your classes, it’ll easily set you back $30, and that’s for just one gun.

It gets worse. As we mentioned, you cannot switch your kit in game, but the game lacks another feature: you cannot chose which map to play — the game automatically selects a map and server. Visually, the game looks quite dated, looking even worse than the 6 year old Battlefield 2. There aren’t many social features, not even basic ranking structure — a stable of the Battlefield franchise.

Honestly, we cannot see whom Battlefield Play4Free would appeal to. In order to get something decent out of the game, you need to spend more money than a copy of Battlefield 2 or Bad Company 2 costs, and those are real retail games. Sure, Battlefield Play4Free is a free game, but to be honest, it’s a waste of time. EA could have attracted a lot more Battlefield fans by offering Battlefield 2 for free instead of wasting money and effort on Play4Free.

The Good:
Brings back old Battlefield 2 memories
Free

The Bad:
Dated visuals
Clumsy gameplay
Lack of common sense features
Nickle and dime micro transactions
No social features or online ranking

Overall score: 1/10

While EA always stated that Battlefield 3 will hit the store shelves this Fall, many speculated that the specific launch date might be in early November, where the game will go head to head with the upcoming Modern Warfare 3. And it’s now been confirmed by EA CEO John Riccitiello, who said, according to BF3blog.com, that Battlefield 3 is “designed to take down that game [Modern Warfare 3].”

Furthermore, Riccitiello stated that EA is looking forward to the heavy weight match between Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3, and that both EA and Activision will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to market and promote the games.

It’s still hard to predict what’ll happen this November, as Modern Warfare and Battlefield are the two biggest FPS franchises in the world, going head to head will certainly shake things up a bit. It’s especially harder to predict since we’ve yet to see anything from Modern Warfare 3, even an announcement from Activision.