The Internet just discovered a whole new way to waste time with Microsoft's What-Dog site, which lets you determine what kind of dog any given person would be just by uploading a photo.

You should have guessed by now we already tried this out with every video game hero and villain we could think of, and it is eerie how spot-on some of these are.

The face recognition sadly isn't perfect, and I was pretty disappointed it couldn't find anything for either Mario (and yeah, I tried the live action version) or Leisure Suit Larry, but then again perhaps that's for the best...

"Soap" Mactavish

Would you send your Labrador Retriever to plant some claymores by the door?

Sephiroth

I'm never going to look at that beautiful mane of silver hair the same way again...

Cortana

Do you think she'd agree with the assessment?

Kefka

I can't stop laughing at this one!

Kratos

If only it had said "loves his family."

Lara Croft

The many, many, many mercenaries I killed in the Tomb Raider reboot would likely agree!

Link

I'm now going to always see Link with a dumb grin and his tongue hanging out, but "surprisingly strong body for its size" is so accurate!

Marcus Fenix

Yep, I can see it. He doesn't take kindly to orders either.

The Arbiter

Well, they nailed the neck and body type!

Max

Somehow I feel like this describes Max from Life Is Strange a lot more than Kefka!

Scorpion

Who's a cute little Scorpion? Yes you are, yes you are!

Solid Snake

I lost it entirely at "intense stares."

Tiny Tina

Definitely vocal, energetic, and eager to prey on small animals... or bandits, whatevs.

Elizabeth

That description is amazingly accurate for the character, even if the image doesn't quite match.

Captain Price

Could you ask for a better jogging partner through a snowy base in Siberia or a dusty airplane graveyard?

Let us know what hilarious combinations you come up with you give What-Dog a try!

The new Star Wars Battlefront doesn’t possess the same variety of combat vehicles as its predecessors yet (we hope the upcoming expansions will add some more new vehicles into the game), but the most recognizable and common models are still present, and allow you to feel the breakneck speed of the A-Wings and the massive firepower of the AT-ATs.

Every vehicle has its own strengths and weaknesses. Different players will find their own personal favorites, and this guide will help you learn about the strongest and weakest points of each individual aggregate. Eventually you will be able to make up your mind about which one you want to master the most.

AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport)

Length: 26 m (85 ft)
Height: 22.5 m (72 ft)
Top speed: 60 km/h (37 m/h)
Crew: 40

AT-AT is a gigantic walker, a symbol of Imperial power, which can deal with almost any kind of threat due to its massive size. It’s no wonder that Galactic Empire decided to build huge piloted machines with tremendous power. Of course, the highest point of the Imperial megalomania was obviously the Death Star, but AT-ATs cannot but amaze when in action.

Strengths

• Heavy laser cannons can quickly and easily deal with other huge targets, such as power shield generators, enemies’ vehicles and turrets.

• Shielding makes AT-ATs almost invulnerable to any weapon attacks.

• Smaller laser cannon can attack individual soldiers on the ground and other smaller targets.

• Orbital strike can be called for a massive bombing from above.

• It has enough space for 40 clone troopers ready to be dispatched at any point onto the battlefield.

Weaknesses

• AT-AT proves itself as an excellent tool for the breakthrough, which needs the full support from the ground and from the air.

• Although the AT-ATs are well-armored and armed, their size also makes them an easy target, which immediately attracts the attention of the enemy.

• The walkers have another weak spot – they can be taken down with the tow cable of a Snowspeeder by roping its legs.

You can control the AT-AT's weapons, but unlike previous games, the walkers in Star Wars Battlefront move on a certain path and cannot be piloted in a traditional sense of the word.

This is what Sigurlina Ingvardottir, the Senior Producer of the game, said about the lack of ability to pilot AT-ATs:

“It's a part of the mode itself, because the AT-AT is the objective of the mode. They have a set path because they're headed to the shield generator. If you were to control their path - that would be game breaking. AT-AT is obviously an extremely unique vehicle. They're so big, their movement is slow, their attributes are so different they have almost their own laws.”

AT-ST (All Terrain Scout Transport)

Length: 6.4 m (20 ft)
Height: 8.6 m (26 ft)
Top speed: 90 km/h (56 m/h)
Passengers: 1

AT-STs are used by the Empire for two reasons: as an intelligence scouting transport and as a battle vehicle, primarily to support the AT-ATs. You can pilot AT-ST after picking up the AT-ST Powerup in the battlefield.

The best way to pilot AT-ST is to be a walking cover. The “chicken walkers” should always stay in the background and hide in between the AT-ATs to avoid missiles and air attacks. This means that your main purpose in Walker Assault as an AT-ST pilot is to provide assistance and defense.

Strengths

• It’s a light vehicle and can move very quickly around the map.

• AT-ST is quite resilient, however, its rear side is a pretty weak spot that lets enemies sneak up on you.

• Front-mounted blasters are especially effective not only against ground infantry, but also against aircrafts passing by.

• Homing missiles can be even more effective against aircrafts as they can lock on to enemy vehicles.

• Concussion Grenade Launcher can shoot three grenades to clear uplinks and capture points.

Weaknesses

• AT-ST is devoid of a powerful armor, and thus can be disabled by a single rocket launcher missile.

• Don’t get too deep into the forests on Endor. Despite being well-adapted to the wild terrains, its abilities will be limited by the sheer amount of trees.

T-47 Airspeeder (Snowspeeder)

Length: 4.5 m (13 ft)
Top speed: 650 km/h (404 m/h)
Crew: 2

Originally, Airspeeders were designed as cargo aircrafts that used a cable with a magnetic harpoon to capture the containers off the ground. But the rebels use T-47 as an excellent tactical hit'n'run vehicle after attaching a couple of laser guns to it. Its high speed and maneuverability allows you to ram enemy objects and vehicles, such as AT-ATs.

If you want to pilot Snowspeeder effectively, you need to know that when piloting a T-47, your main goal is not to intercept, but to hide and evade. In this way you will stay alive longer and actually be able to take out your enemies. For example, when an enemy fighter is locking on you, fly low and close to the cliffs -- this will prevent the missiles from hitting you. If you decide to take down the walker, you will need to prepare your harpoon and keep an eye on that stability.

Strengths

• Speed Boost allows you to gain a lot of speed in short bursts of time, which can be especially useful when trying to reach the battlefield quickly or escaping a bunch of enemy aircrafts.

• The Sensor Jammer will not let your enemies to lock on to your Airspeeder, thus allowing you to evade more efficiently.

• Perfect for air-to-ground combat and taking down the walkers.

Weaknesses

• Doesn’t have enough speed to chase after Imperial fighters.

• Has a very limited damage ability with only two blasters, which can’t lock on targets.

74-Z Speeder Bike

Length: 3-5 m (10-16 ft)
Top speed: 500 km/h (310 m/h)
Crew: 2 (1 pilot and 1 passenger)

Speeder bikes are the result of civil engineering, which was relished by the military officials of the Empire. The application capabilities of Speeder Bikes are particularly limited, as their high speed is more suited for patrolling than combat, and the lack of protection increases the chances of severe damage or even death of the pilot.

Controlling a Speeder Bike can be tricky, as it’s extremely fast. When you chase rebels on Endor, you have to be very attentive to any kinds of obstacles and evade them in the most accurate way; this, of course, requires a lot of practice.

Strengths

• Able to cover huge distances very quickly, but only if it is piloted by players with fast reflexes, or else your journey will end at the first pine tree.

• It can be well-used to deliver a couple of clones to almost any point on the map, under the cover of landscape elements.

Weaknesses

• Single blaster cannon can be quite effective in eliminating other speeders or smaller targets, but it won’t do much against bigger vehicles.

TIE Fighter (Twin Ion Engine)

Length: 6.3 m (19.6 ft)
Top speed: 1200 km/h (745 m/h)
Crew: 1

TIE fighters with their twin ion engines were incredibly cheap to produce, so the Empire flooded the entire space with these flying aggregates. They have an unusual form with two vertical flat wings, which makes them an easy target. Apart from that, TIE fighters are both very maneuverable and fast, even faster than the X-Wings.

Piloting a TIE fighter is pretty easy; the only thing you should consider is constantly hovering over a large area of the battlefield. Get into a quick fight, make a few short bursts of fire with your blasters and leave the area just as quickly. This is important simply because unlike X-Wings, TIE fighters don’t have a shield, so they can be quickly damaged and set off to the ground.

Strengths

• Can lock onto enemies with both its laser blasters and ion cannon, which makes dogfights pretty accurate.

• You can use a speed boost ability to rush away from the battle in moments of emergency or during a chase.

• In addition, you can distribute your energy between its weapons and engines, which becomes important in times of need for a faster speed boost or higher attack damage.

Weaknesses

• It’s really easy to lose your fighter if you get hit from the rear -- especially if you enjoy first-person view and your FOV is limited.

• Generally, TIE Fighters have a low durability and can be easily damaged from both the ground and in the air.

X-Wing (T-65)

Length: 12.5 m (39.3 ft)
Top speed: 1050 km/h (652 m/h)
Crew: 1

The symbol of the Rebel movement and its most effective weapon against the tyranny of the Sith. X-Wing has always been and remains one of the best creations of the galactic engineering. This universal starfighter has quickly become the locomotive of the uprising. In addition, each fighter can enter hyperspace, which blends perfectly with the guerrilla tactics of the Alliance.

In Star Wars Battlefront X-Wing plays a very important role. It allows you to take down enemies with the lock on ability and it is quite resilient, but if you want to preserve it in the best way possible, then it is advisable to maneuver as much as you can during the fights.

Strengths

• X-Wing has a shield protection, which makes it a solid choice for beginners, and lock-on proton torpedoes.

• Its firing range is superior to that of an A-Wing with its four powerful front-mounted blaster cannons.

• Just like the TIE fighter, it has an energy distribution system that lets you choose between speed or attack damage.

Weaknesses

• It is still a little slower in comparison to TIE fighters and less maneuverable as well. So, if you get into dogfights with the TIE fighter, be very aggressive -- your shield can protect you, while TIE fighters will easily go down.

TIE Interceptor

Length: 9.6 m (29.5 ft)
Top speed: 1250 km/h (777 m/h)
Crew: 1

At a certain point in time, the engineers of Galactic Empire realized that their TIE fighters can’t stand very well against rebels’ T-65 X-Wings. So, they had to create a new type of interceptor based on twin ion engine.

Piloting a TIE interceptor can be approached in a more aggressive way than a TIE fighter, as it has more speed and firepower, thus becoming a much more dangerous type of pursuer for X-Wings. The best tactics for an interceptor is to be on a constant look out for fresh spawns on the battlefield. If you see a new aircraft or a rebel spawning in an open, you have to go get them with your interceptor.

Strengths

• TIE interceptors received a better design of the wings, which became thinner and tighter. This makes them a slightly harder target than the TIE fighters.

• The prevention system warns you about the overheating of the blasters, so alternatively you can switch to using missiles for some time.

Weaknesses

• TIE interceptors are surprisingly less maneuverable than the TIE fighters. If you wish to attack another aircraft, you should approach it from below. This way, it will prevent an X-Wing from dipping into the cliffs for a hideout, where TIE interceptors can’t behave very well. They are much more effective in the open.

A-Wing (RZ-1)

Length: 9.6 m (29.5 ft)
Top speed: 1300 km/h (808 m/h)
Crew: 1

A-Wing is the response of the rebel engineers to imperial TIE interceptors. The new RZ-1 fighters’ agility and speed were so exceptional that they left no chance for imperial interceptors.

This model is definitely the best aircraft in the game, as it combines the maneuverability of the TIE fighter and the firepower of an X-Wing.

Strengths

• Twin blasters are particularly effective against AT-STs.

• A-Wing is perfect for dogfighting, as it utilizes a power shield protecting you from the enemy’s cannons and has a full lock on ability to fire and hit precisely with your own missiles.

• It combines all the best elements from all other aircrafts in the game, such as energy distribution, increased firepower, high speed, etc.

Weaknesses

• The only weak point of an A-Wing is that it is still not very effective against larger targets, such as AT-AT walkers. In this case, Snowspeeders are much better.

Controls

Below are the official control schemes for all types of vehicles present in Star Wars Battlefront.

Ground vehicles

Air vehicles

Tell us about your favorite Star Wars Battlefront combat vehicles in the comments section below!

EA has increased its sales expectations for Star Wars: Battlefront from 10 million to 13 million copies by March 2016. This change apparently came about as a result of the high participation in the game's beta - reportedly more than 9.5 million players - which has made it the biggest beta in EA history.

The increased sales projections also seem to be a result of expectations that the game will draw in players outside the usual demographics. EA CEO Andrew Wilson apparently expects the game to appeal not only to dedicated gamers, but to newcomers and "lapsed" gamers as well:

What we have seen is that Star Wars is bringing in two groups that are very important groups to us. One are gamers that have lapsed, traditionally who have been big gamers in the past and maybe haven't played for a while, and it's certainly been a catalyst for those people to come back into the gaming universe as it relates to console. And two, onboarding a new younger age demographic.

The increased sales expectations will probably make investors happy, but only time will tell how the numbers actually pan out.

Star Wars Battlefront

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• Release Date: 11/17/15
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• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
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• Orientation: Third Person
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• Price: $59.99
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• Rating: 4.4/5 (beta test)
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• Pre order: Amazon
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Dreams do come true. After all these years EA is back with a new Star Wars Battlefront game. Return to the famous movie scenes and fight for the Rebels or the Empire. After playing the beta for this title I can say that this is the game of the season. Innovative gameplay and the crisp graphics, this game will drain hours of your free time away.

Just Cause 3

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• Release Date: 12/01/15
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• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
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• Orientation: Third Person
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• Price: $59.99
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• Rating: N/A
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• Pre order: Amazon
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The next game in the series of open world/sandbox games; Just Cause 3 has players exploring and liberating a fictional island nation. Exploration, destruction, and chaos are encouraged. All the tools to defeat your enemies in the most creative ways possible will be available to you. New vehicles, a grappling hook, and a wing suit make exploration faster than ever before. See what crazy stunts you can perform; everything is possible with this franchise.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege

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• Release Date: 12/01/15
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• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
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• Orientation: First person
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• Price: $59.99
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• Rating: 4/5 (beta test)
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• Pre order: Amazon
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The most extreme game of cops and robbers ever, Siege is not a shooter you can win using old-fashioned run-and-gun gameplay. For Siege you will have to use the specific abilities of your class as well work with your team to achieve victory. This tactical-shooter has more of a learning curve but is well worth the time for its attention to detail.

Fallout 4

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• Release Date: 11/10/15
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• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
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• Orientation: First person
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• Price: $59.99
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• Rating: N/A
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• Pre order: Amazon
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Once more into the nuclear abyss. Bethesda is back with their action RPG Fallout series. Fans of the series have been waiting nearly a decade for this installment. Fans can explore the open world environment at will allowing non-linear gameplay. Gamers who enjoy a sense of freedom in their gaming will quickly get lost in what this game offers.

Call of Duty Black OPS 3

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• Release Date: 11/06/15
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• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
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• Orientation: First person
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• Price: $59.99
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• Rating: 4/5 (beta test)
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• Pre order: Amazon
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This franchise requires no introduction. The best-selling FPS returns with the third installment in the Black Ops series. Set in the far future the lines separating weapon, soldier, and machine are blurred into one of the world's biggest altercations.

Aside from the campaign, the ever present and popular multiplayer mode returns. Added are new Specialist classes. Gameplay will now reward players with in-match abilities to add a competitive edge. Abilities range from armor boosts to warping back in time. This is a new CoD experience and longtime fans will surely enjoy it.

Destiny: The Taken King

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• Release Date: 09/15/15
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• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, 
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• Orientation: Third-person
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• Price: $49.99
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• Rating: 5/5
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• Buy It: Amazon
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This is more than just an expansion for Bungie's popular game. this is practically a separate game of its own. For all its shortcomings, Destiny has maintained a solid player base since its release. Bungie heard the fans complaints and requests, and went above and beyond with this expansion.

New enemy mechanics, improved menus, and better loot distribution makes us wonder how we ever played Destiny without this update.  The game's story also received some much needed narrative improvements. This is the game that Bungie always wanted to create. If you are a Destiny player then acquiring this expansion should be a priority.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

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• Release Date: 09/01/15
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• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
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• Orientation: Third-person
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• Price: $59.99
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• Rating: 5/5
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• Buy It: Amazon
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Phantom Pain released earlier this year to rave reviews. The last game in the franchise Kojima Productions brought their best with this project. Controls are smooth and rewarding. These controls along with the beautiful graphics allow deep immersion into the games world. This is great because the game offers a great amount of content to get lost in.

Halo 5: Guardians

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• Release Date: 10/27/15
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• Platforms: Xbox One
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• Orientation: First-person
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• Price: $59.99
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• Rating: 4/5
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Buy it on Amazon.

Master chief returns in the latest installment of the Halo series to lead blue team a group of Spartans who go rouge during a mission. He is pursued by Jameson Locke leader of the Osiris spartan team; Locke is on a mission to bring the AWOL Chief back in. Campaign mode uses a new eight player structure. Osiris players will be hunting the blue team players throughout the story. Players will spend their time playing as both teams during the campaign

Halo 5: Guardians has revamped the series. 343 improved the aging franchise's mechanics to feel more modern. New features help you to feel like the Spartan you are. Unlimited sprinting, zoom on all guns, a hover and dash function help the game feel faster and refreshed from previous games. Make sure you bring along some friends, campaign is best played with up to three players in co-op mode.

The holiday season is so close (like literally right there!). As expected, we have several games set to release before the end of the year. Keeping track of all of these games can get confusing. Here is a list of the most popular shooter games available this season. You're sure to find something you like for yourself or a gift idea for that special shooter fan in your life.

More than just a means of testing out a game before launch, the recent Star Wars Battlefront beta became an absolute gaming event that brought together north of nine million people. We learned a lot about what will (and won't) be happening in this re-launch of the Battlefront line from the beta, and most importantly we discovered that the fast paced gameplay actually feels like Star Wars.

There's a nostalgia to rushing out of a frozen rebel base on Hoth and seeing a couple of Imperial Walkers headed your way that will ensure Battlefront sells a whole lot of copies next month, but love of the franchise alone won't keep this game going. Because there's no single player campaign, DICE has really got to knock the multiplayer combat out of the park to make the game sustainable and expect there to still be a thriving community a year from now.

Although the Battlefront beta was loads of fun in massive 40 vs 40 Walker Assault battles, the more intimate 8 vs 8 Drop Zone and non-stop Survival mode are in need of serious improvement before this game actually launches.

Changes From Previous Games

Considering it's been 10 years since the release of Battlefront II, it should be expected there would be quite a few changes, but some of those have left long time fans feeling left out. Most notably are that command posts aren't really around anymore, although you do get something somewhat similar in Drop Zone mode, with each side frantically trying to control a pod as soon as it lands, take the goodies inside, and then scramble on to the next one.

Also, gone is the ability to roll or dodge from side to side like in previous Battlefront games, giving fewer options for getting out of the line of fire. However, the star card system does let you choose a jet pack or force field for evading damage. Those force fields in particular will be a boon to some but infuriating to others; these feel like they should be retooled, because some interactions become exhaustively prolonged periods of dodging behind rocks while waiting for their shield cooldown to end.

Glitches

As a beta release that's being tested with a large number of players for the first time, you can't expect the experience to be completely smooth, but there were an odd number of glitches in the various game modes. You'd see weird instances where characters suddenly froze or floated in the air – bringing to mind that awful dancing alien glitch from Colonial Marines, and that's something that needs to be fixed before launch.

Other odd events would also occur on screen, mostly with the major franchise characters interacting, like light sabers clashing strangely or Vader's cloak trying to escape his body. The death of major story characters was quite odd as well, as they kneel rather than lying prone, so everybody ends up firing at someone who was already dead.

Frankly, it may have been a mistake to put major franchise characters into the chaotic frenzy of multiplayer combat to begin with. The only person from the movies we want to see get crushed to death by an AT-AT walker is Jar Jar Binks, and that's not an option. Sadly.

Balance

First and foremost, spawning needs to be tweaked before Battlefront goes live for everyone, with better-placed spawn points. There have been plenty of times where several people will spawn at the same point simultaneously, leading to cheap multiple kills. It might be nice when you get to do it, but frankly it lowers the fun, and is actively infuriating when it happens to you and your partner spawning while an enemy is spawn camping and already firing.

Although a completely iconic experience that everyone played like crazy, Walker Assault mode is heavily slated in favor of the Empire, which makes sense thematically but is less fun in terms of game balance. Taking down those AT-ATs is maddeningly difficult, and keeping control of your uplink station long enough to call in bombers to destroy their shields takes too long.

It's intensely frustrating to play as the rebels at all, although on the flip side of that if you work with your team well and manage the impossible it is really satisfying to send the Imperial scum packing off Hoth.

While there are elements that clearly need to be tweaked, Battlefront's beta was an enjoyable shooter experience, although only time will tell if the fun can be maintained long term. On November 17^th, 2015 we'll find out just how much changed between beta and launch and if any of these issues were properly addressed. For those still on the fence, a new launch trailer just came online and can be seen below, and if you haven't decided how you are going to play yet, don't forget to check out our guide on which platform is the best for buying Battlefront.

Regardless of how Battlefront performs in the coming months, with all the buzz around the game and the impending release of Episode 7: The Force Awakens, hopefully developers and publishers take note and we finally see some revived interest in a new Knights Of The Old Republic title or a return to the heart-breakingly canceled Star Wars: 1313.

After taking some time to think about the Star Wars Battlefront beta, I have decided that I am very, very excited for the full game to release.

TIE Fighters and A-Wings zoom past me on Hoth as my allies and I clash against the Imperial forces. It won't be easy, but we have a chance to take down the Galactic Empire. The Empire clearly has the advantage, but I kind of like that.

I feel like a rebel. I feel like the little guy taking on the big bully. The sounds of thermal detonators going off and blasters being fired are immersive. This is Star Wars.

Based on what I have played, Star Wars: Battlefront feels like Star Wars, and that is critical to the game being amazing. There are many shooters that have wonderful mechanics and well-thought-out maps, but none of them have the vast and beloved world of Star Wars.

Participating in classic battles using classic weapons and vehicles is the main draw. The sound engineering and stunning graphics are a testament to how amazing the Star Wars universe is, and how important environment can be in a video game.

Gameplay is important, and in the case of Star Wars Battlefront, the gameplay is there. But what makes the game go from good to great is the environment. The amalgamation of pristine graphics and sound along with tight gameplay creates an exciting experience overall.

I know that it is early and that we have only had a beta, but Star Wars Battlefront is awesome. If you love Star Wars, then you will probably love this game. If you don't love Star Wars, I can imagine the game not having the same effect on you that has had on me.

My experience with Star Wars: Battlefront has me pining for more Star Wars video games on PS4 and Xbox One. Battlefront offers a wonderful multiplayer experience, but I can't wait for a single-player, story-driven game set in the Star Wars universe.

Battlefront will be out soon, and I couldn't be more excited. Let me know in the comments what you thought about the beta. I look forward to seeing you all on Hoth, Endor, and several other iconic Star Wars locations.

So the Battlefront beta has come and gone and was the biggest beta EA has done, with over nine million people playing it. With so many people playing the beta, tons of videos have been posted across social media sites and YouTube showing off the game. But with so many videos being uploaded, lots of funny stuff has been found. These could be random glitches or unique ways players have found to take down the enemy. So I have looked through these videos and found five of the funniest things that happened during the beta. 

1. Vader killed by random Rebel

To start off the list, we have a rebel taking down Darth Vader. But how did he do it? Was he shooting him from afar with one of the many turrets on the battlefield? Was Vader being attacked by half of the enemy team? Well, no. Vader was killed by a simple melee attack from a random rebel. You think it would take a lot more than that to kill a Sith lord

2. Double kill by X-Wing explosion

Next up we have a double kill from a X-Wing pilot who was able to kill an AT-ST and Vader at the same time. How did he do it? By driving straight into them, of course. From watching the video, I can't really tell if the player meant to ram into them or he just simply forgot to pull up in time

3. Vader killed by a colliding A-Wing

Vader is really having a hard time in this game. Once again, Vader makes this list. This time around, an A-Wing decided to drop by and ruin the Sith Lord's day by flying straight into him. The force may be strong, but not strong enough to stop a fighter travelling at terminal velocity.

4. AT-AT stomps Luke

For once, Vader isn't being killed here. Yes, not even Luke Skywalker can escape these funny moments. What has to be horrible timing on the player's behalf, Luke gets crushed by an AT-AT Walker as he is pursing a lone Snow Trooper. 

5. Stormtroopers still can't hit anything

At last, but certainly not least, we have the answer to the question everyone has been waiting for. Can the Stormtroopers in the new Battlefront actually hit their target? The answer is no, no they cannot. At one stage, there is a trooper about six feet away from the Rebel and still can't land a shot on target. 

From going through these videos, I cant wait for Star Wars Battlefront to be released so I can see what creative and funny ways players can take down other players. And whether or not the Stormtroopers can actually hit their target when the difficulty setting is set higher. 

A few days ago, EA announced the price of its Season Pass and Ultimate Edition for the upcoming game Star Wars: Battlefront when it notified the community that they would be extending the beta through the 13th. The Season Pass is priced at $49.99, similar to EA's franchise Battlefield, which has been charging its players $49.99 for a premium membership that includes early and slightly discounted access to the entirety of its downloadable content release schedule.

The Season Pass is set to include 4 Downloadable Content releases and grant two week early-access to each, as well as exclusive emotes that include a "Shoot First" emote, according to EA's official announcement.

DICE's previous game, Battlefield 4, came out with four paid expansions priced at $14.99 each, or a $49.99 premium membership that includes each of the expansions. Star Wars: Battlefront will hopefully be worth that amount. We'll see as the game releases and the DLC starts rolling out in the coming months.

Last week, DICE allowed gamers to get early access to their new title, Star Wars: Battlefront, in the form of a beta. The beta was a huge success, and over 9 million people downloaded and played the game. While many people enjoyed the game – myself included—it didn’t come without some complaints. The most common grievance that people had related to balancing issues in the Walker Assault game mode.

For those who didn’t play the beta, Walker Assault was a 20v20 matchup set on the frozen planet of Hoth. Just like in the fifth Star Wars film, the Empire is trying to destroy the Rebellion’s shield generators with their AT-ATs. The rebellion’s goal is to destroy the AT-ATs before they get in range to obliterate the generator. Many have argued that it is nearly impossible to win this game mode when playing as the Rebels, and they aren’t necessarily wrong. In turn, DICE has come out this week and said that they will be balancing the game mode to make it a more even match-up.

This rubbed me the wrong way, and I am really hoping that DICE doesn’t change any of the balancing “issues” with this game mode. For those who don’t remember, the old Battlefront games always had certain maps that were hard for teams to win at. When you played on Hoth in Battlefront 2, it was always extremely hard to win as the Rebels. In turn though, winning as the Empire on Endor was nearly impossible.

This was always one of my favorite aspects of the old games. I loved that the factions who won these battles in the actual Star Wars movies tended to have an advantage in the game. Not to mention, whenever you did manage to pull off a victory as the underdog, it felt so much more rewarding. Even when I played the beta this past weekend, I felt more accomplished whenever I was able to take down both AT-ATs and win as the Rebels.

If DICE does truly make the game mode more “balanced”, then I think it’s the wrong move. Knowing that you are less likely to win a match-up encourages more teamwork and makes competition even stiffer. Plus, if you don’t like playing Walker Assault because you think it’s unbalanced, there are many other game modes to choose from.

I am probably in the minority on this matter, and that’s okay. I just enjoy feeling like I am at a disadvantage from time to time in video games. If being at a disadvantage promotes more teamwork in a multiplayer game, then I am all for it.

I greatly enjoyed my time with the beta, and I look forward to purchasing Battlefront next month when it arrives. But please, DICE, leave Walker Assault alone. It’s already perfect as it is.

DICE, developer of Star Wars Battlefront, has accepted that the game's Walker Assault Mode was biased, favoring Imperials over Rebels in the beta version.

A fan claimed on Twitter that he never won a game playing on the Rebel side and asked "Does this mean I suck?" to which Matthew Everett, Community Manager, replied "Nope! It's a balancing issue within the beta."

In reply of a similar tweet, lead multiplayer designer Dennis Brännvall wrote: 

"Yeah, it's too tough. We'll make changes based on the feedback and data. Asymmetric modes are tricky and risky but potentially awesome, that's why we want beta test help."

In the Walker Assault Mode objective for Rebels is to destroy two AT-ATs to call in Y-wing bombers. The Imperials on the other hand have to try to keep the Rebels from activating the command posts, which, as it turns out, was easier of the two in beta.

The beta mode ended October 13th with over 9 million players across Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, making it biggest beta in history of EA.

The game is set to release on November 17, this year. The game will also get four expansion packs available for $50 DLC Season Pass. Recently, three more multiplayer modes for the game have been revealed: Hero Hunt, Cargo and, Droid Run.

EA's Star Wars Battlefront beta brought in over 9 million players, single-handedly making it EA's biggest beta ever. When release day comes, now set for November 17th of this year, will those beta players translate into sales and success for the game? 

The Forums Speak for All

On social media, forums, and various other websites, players have expressed mixed emotions about their hopes for a successful launch of this highly anticipated game. Many are calling for a "taking back their money" movement, where they will essentially cancel their pre-orders of the game in an effort to force EA to make changes they want to see. Two forum posters had this to say:

"All cancel those pre orders! The only way to motivate change... take their moneys."

"Yah, I was thinking the same thing. The respawns need to be fixed and the guns need to have a better variation in range. It feels like I can be shot with any gun from across the map. I dont know I have mixed feelings about keeping my preorder."

They have to build a relationship with gamers...

For EA, building their relationship with gamers is a high priority, especially because they've been in hot water with fans for a while now. If they can't repair the damage, I see EA going away really soon. With a slew of unsuccessful launches for highly anticipated AAA games such as Battlefield 4, Titanfall, and others whose storylines caused major controversy (like Mass Effect 3), EA is in desperate need of an uptick for the next couple of years. Of course they always have games like The Sims to fall back on, but if they continue to allow the connectivity issues and glitches that many of their games include, gamers might just throw away hope that EA can fix their games at all. 

I'm not hating on EA. I actually like a few of their games and play them regularly, but they need their next round of games to salvage their good reputation Or they might be done for.

What are your thoughts on how important Star Wars Battlefront is to EA's future? Do you think they can ever make it back into our good graces? Let me know in the comments!

More than 9 million people registered and played Star Wars Battlefront beta making it "the single largest beta in the history of EA," according to Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir, a Senior Producer on the game.

In a post on the game's official website, Ingvarsdottir expressed gratitude towards the 9 million rebels and imperials for playing the beta, stating that the studio could not be happier over the fact that so many people wanted to take part:

"Like Han Solo at the end of A New Hope, we’re glad you showed up. Even more importantly than just showing up, you’ve been spending a lot of time playing, having a great time and leaving us some invaluable feedback, as we continue to tune and balance the game until launch", she wrote.

The game was first acknowledged by DICE, developers of the game, in EA's E3 2013 conference. Ever since a trailer for the game was shown at E3 this year, the beta has been one of the most talked about topics around the game

In May 2015, EA announced that the company is expecting the game to sell nine to ten million units before the end of the company's financial year on March 31, 2016.

Ingvarsdottir also confirmed the launch dates as November 17, 2015, in North America, and November 19, 2015, in Europe. The game will be released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Today marks the end of DICE's Star Wars Battlefront beta, and the begining of a month-long wait for the full game's release.

To keep us on target, EA announced three new multiplayer game modes for Star Wars Battlefront, a welcome addition to the Walker Assault and Drop Zone we got to experience last weekend.

I've got a good feeling about these game modes...

Droid Run:

Chaotic and fastpaced, this game mode sees players fighting to control three GNK droids spread out on the map.

This little trash can looking box is a GNK droid. Here's what DICE had to say:

"What you need to get a hold of are three different GNK droids. What's particularly charming with these is that they're all moving and have to be caught before the capture process can start. This creates a more dynamic and action-filled experience."

The high tempo, 6v6 map design will also include variations, such as Tatooine, Endor, Hoth, Sullust, and in December, Jakku.

Hero Hunt:

"Hero Hunt is one of those fantasy-fulfilling game modes catering to those who want to indulge in epic, almost boss-like encounters with Star Wars™ characters." 

--DICE

Battlefront's Juggernaught mode, this game type allows one player to play as a Hero or Villain character and try to survive against 7 Rebel or Imperial troops.

Whoever lands the killing blow on the current Hero or Villain then takes their place, and the cycle continues.

Cargo:

This game mode is similar to capture the flag, but it has a small twist. DICE explained how this 6v6 game type works:

"Rebels and Imperials both have a base on the map where valuable cargo is stored. Your objective is to run in to the enemy base, pick up the cargo, and return it to your home base. It’s a classic concept, but we’ve added one twist: you don’t need to have your own cargo in your base in order to bring back the cargo you’ve taken from your enemies."

On the Tatooine version of this mode, DICE mentions how the Millennium Falcon works as a tactical center for the rebels, but using it that way will be a risky task. Never tell me the odds!

In total, Battlefront will include 8 different multiplayer game types on release, and while the game has no single-player campaign, it will have survival missions which can be played offline or through splitscreen.

The full game will be released on November 17.

The initial impressions of EA's new blockbuster entrant into its equally block-busting Battlefront series have been quite mixed across the net. The comments haven't been as simple as "this game is sh*t" or "this game is awesomesauce". Some interesting discussion has come up about whether or not it's dumbed down some well-known online multiplayer tropes. Pair that up with some directionless multiplayer objectives, and Star Wars: Battlefront is shaping up to be a pretty polarizing experience.

I played a fair amount of the beta last week, so what does a self-entitled gaming guru have to say about it?

For starters, it's not quite as casual as some have put it, but that notion does have some merit.

Both abilities and equipment come into play through "card hands". These are much like a deck of cards, and you have a max of 3 slots. Throw in your primary blaster weapon - which has its own slot - and that's pretty much your full loadout.

You don't start with much. Charge in with whatever your team's default blaster is and do your worst. You'll have to level up and purchase a grenade card, then toss it in your hand before you toss it at an enemy. Cards do seem to come slow at times, but once you reach rank 5 (the max level in the beta), you'll have some variety in both weapons and card abilities.

Cards that you are eligible to buy include grenades, a sniper rifle (which only equips as a one shot ability with a cooldown) and an awesome jet pack that lets you leap across Hoth. But the way that these card abilities are presented (and the limited options) do give the game's progression system a bit of a casual feel.

A very similar system is used for vehicle and hero power-ups, as well. But how do you hop in those vehicles or channel the powers of Lord Vader?

Simple. Along with other equipment, such as emplacement/auto turrets, rocket launchers, and orbital strikes, these goodies are randomly found and picked up across the battlefield. Hero and vehicle power-ups have to be activated quickly after they are picked up, or else they'll disappear. Thankfully, the rest of the usable equipment can be carried over through multiple respawns.

"We looked at what Star Wars stands for, rather than asking how can we tweak Battlefield to be something else." - DICE's Patrick Bach, via Gamespot

The inherent "casualness" of this power-up system seemed fine to me when I started out.

Vehicle powerups seemed to be in similar areas each round, and some were literally next to the parked vehicles they represented. Throughout my time playing, I still couldn't quite pin down a pattern with the power-ups and their locations. Due to this, my experience in the vehicle combat sections was a very limited and frustrating experience. I eventually had some success in the A-Wing, so I'll chalk up most of my vehicle difficulties to the lack of a beta tutorial. Despite my personal (and the Internet's) lukewarm reception to the powerup system, I feel it really could work if it were adjusted.

Community Manager Sledgehammer70 took to the Star Wars: Battlefront Forums yesterday to update players on the success of the beta and to offer an additional day of game time. 

As the developers of Battlefront move into later stages of the beta, they are now conducting technical infrastructure tests. These tests will take more time than the original beta dates would allow, forcing the testing period to extend an extra day, to Tuesday, October 13th, 2015.

Gamers who haven't assaulted the massive AT-ATs in Walker Assault or secured escape pods in the Drop Zone playlist will get a brief chance to do so, although the experience may not be the same as it has been for beta players so far. In Sledgehammer70's post proclaiming the extended beta, he also warns users of possible issues that may arise.

"[...] some players may experience occasional issues such as being kicked from the game or losing connectivity," he divulges.

These issues are something to consider when playing the beta this Monday and Tuesday. The technical infrastructure tests being conducted on the last days focus solely on "extreme scenarios," possibly such as minor bugs that only certain people will experience.

Still, these minor setbacks are no excuse for missing out on a great demo of an upcoming blockbuster. One must remember that, after all, this is just a beta to make sure the real release doesn't suffer the same problems. That being said, there have been little to no reports of serious bugs in the beta as of today, October 12th, 2015. 

The beta includes two multiplayer game modes where one can take on the role of a Rebel soldier or a stormtrooper in the Imperial army and battle across two beautifully designed planets, Sullust and Hoth. Also included is a survival mode where players become stranded Rebels and must hold out against wave after wave of invading Imperials on the desert planet Tatooine.

There are, as of the release of this article, thirty-six hours remaining of the Star Wars: Battlefront beta. At the end of the day October 13th, fans will sorely miss the many planets of the galaxy. The launch date of Battlefront, November 17th, seems far, far away indeed.

Stars Wars Battlefront open beta is the newest game from the franchise and its developer EA. Those of you enjoying the beta should be excited to find out the beta has been extended for another day! As we mentioned in our other post, Community Manager Matthew Everett took to the Battlefront forums to explain the cause of the extended beta and said:

"Every time you log on, it’s helping us ensure the experience is going to be great at launch. As we get into the late stages of the beta, we will begin conducting further technical tests on our infrastructure.

These additional tests will start on Monday, October 12 and will run thru Tuesday, October 13th, which will add an additional day to the open Beta."

These tests will cause some connection issues, which is to be expected as they usually do cause problems with gameplay. There are many ups and downs to building a game and having a testing period that results in a successful game is the goal. One goal that EA routinely has problems with, being the only gaming company to win the "Golden Poo Award," a community-voted award, more than once.

The Star Wars Battlefront open beta extension will run through to Tuesday, October 13th, check it out yourself here!