A new report by the Associated Press claims that EA’s AAA shooter Battlefield 3 has been banned in Iran, where a portion of the game takes place.

Citing fears that the game will spark further fear and retaliation against the region, stores have been prohibited from selling the game, and there are reports of police raiding establishments rumored of selling it.

“We understand that the story of a videogame is hypothetical,” an online petition filed by an Iranian youth group read. “We believe the game is purposely released at a time when the US is pushing the international community into fearing Iran.”

It’s interesting to note that the game was never readily available in Iran, and not many shops were said to have been carrying it in the first place.

It may be getting mixed reviews from critics (including us), EA’s Battlefield 3 continues to roll at retailers, selling more than 5 million copies in its first week. The publisher also announced that it has shipped more than 10 million units.

“We had a spectacular first week,” said Patrick Soderlund, executive vice president of the EA Games label. “The quality is actually trending up. We’ve seen an uplift in metacritic on the console 87 on PS3 and 85 on 360. We are holding at 90 on the PC. So we are more pleased with the quality of the product and the perception of it. I think the word of mouth from gamers is really strong. People are saying, ‘You have to go in and play this multiplayer. It is like an addiction’.”

So just how good are those numbers? To put it into comparison, Call of Duty: Black Ops, the latest installment in the rival series doubled those numbers, selling 10 million copies in its first week, totaling a whopping $650 million.

Still though, it can’t be denied that the shooter, has momentum, entering the holiday season as one of the hottest games on the market, but how long could it last? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a game which has been in a heated rivalry with launches on November 8, and is expected to top the sales results of Black Ops.

In a move that’s going to surprise no one, it was confirmed at this year’s E3 that all Modern Warfare 3 DLC will be timed exclusives to the Xbox 360.  You didn’t expect Sony to take that lying down did you?

It was announced today that beginning with the already announced Road to Karkand,  all DLC for Modern Warfare 3′s closest competitor, EA’s Battlefield 3 will be exclusive to PS3 for one week before it hits Xbox Live.

EA has announced that Battlefield 3′s highly anticipated open beta will kick off next week for both PC and console platforms.

Kicking off September 29 and running until October 10, and set in Paris on the Operation Metro map playing the game’s Rush mode, the beta will give players an opportunity to explore the game, as well as Battlelog, the game’s social networking and matchmaking service.

Xbox 360 and PS3 owners must log on to their console’s digital marketplace to download the beta, while PC owners must install Origin to play the beta. Those who bought Medal of Honor’s special edition or pre-ordered the game on Origin will gain access two days earlier, on September 27.

Over the last year, there’s been a lot of talk about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 VS Battlefield 3. Who’s got the better engine? Who’s got the better multiplayer? Which one is going to sell more when they release within mere weeks of each other this fall. You know who doesn’t care? Infinity Ward — developers of Modern Warfare 3.

Speaking to IGN at an event to promote the game in Sydney, Australia, Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward’s Director of Communications and Community Manager, said that the studio isn’t focused on anything but getting the next Call of Duty ready.

“There’s no buy in on that sort of stuff,” says Bowling. “We don’t care about sales numbers, we don’t care about competition, we don’t care about beating anyone. Our 100 per cent focus is making a game that we’re going to love to play, that we’re going to be proud of, and that we know that our fans are going to play. To us, we don’t care if there are three people playing it or 30 million people playing it. If there are three people having a great time then we’ve done our job correctly and we will be happy.”

The war of words between EA, who is developing Battlefield 3 and Activision, who is developing Modern Warfare 3 has been anything but passive. Both companies (but admittedly EA a bit more) have taken potshots at the other, and there’s even rumors of CEOs of both companies being told they couldn’t see each other’s game at E3. Then again, reps from both companies did play nice at this year’s GamesCom, taking to Twitter to praise their rivals.

Battlefield 3 releases on October 25, with Modern Warfare 3 following behind it on November 8.

I’m about as big of a Battlefield : 1942 fan as you can find. It’s a game I sank far more hours into than I care to admit after its release and in subsequent years, but with the next generation of consoles and a seemingly never ending slew of new titles to play, I have not gone anywhere near the game in some time.

EA and Digital Illusions CE announced a way to scratch that itch just days before New York Comic Con though, and to my surprise, it showed up at the event in a playable form as Battlefield: 1943. Though the version I tested was pre-alpha, I could already see where DICE was going with this, especially after talking over some of the game’s features with producer Gordon Van Dyke.

Basically, EA wanted to give fans of the franchise a way to experience classic Battlefield on their home consoles, but with a fresh coat of (beautiful) paint, some new physics, and some tweaks and improvements that make it more than worth playing again. It’s not a full game, in the sense that it isn’t going to retail, but will instead be a download for Live Arcade and the Playstation Network. It will support up to 24 players through online only; think of it as a World War II era Warhawk.

1943 will have three maps from the original game (Wake Island, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal) that are both preserved in their form but also updated for the better. Iwo Jima will now have lush greenery to give it more of the jungle vibe it should have; this gives soldiers new places to hide, but also allows an updated version of the Frostbite engine (which Battlefield: Bad Company players should recognize) to show off its stuff when a tank drives over the trees and knocks them to the ground. As you can see in the screenshots, this game looks gorgeous already.

Cover is going to be destructible thanks to the engine, which should give the maps some new dynamics. You can’t just repair a bridge with an engineer anymore while a tank sits there and guards it either, as that class is gone. Take care of your cover, and it will take care of you.

What you will have though, are trenches. Though I didn’t test a map with trenches, I was told that they are being implemented as a way to improve the battle system. Given that the medic is no longer a class either thanks to (slowly) regenerating health, adding trench warfare is a welcome addition.

Speaking of classes, you will be able to choose from Rifleman, Scout, and Infantry. All three have two weapons a piece.‚  I used the Rifleman during my time with 1943, and after playing around with the controls, I can safely say they have translated over from the PC very well. I had no problem dropping into the game and avoiding looking silly after a moment.

The same can be said for the vehicle controls. After driving a tank and a jeep and flying a fighter plane, you can be assured by the fact that DICE nailed the control scheme. In fact, flying may be easier with the analog sticks than it was with a keyboard and mouse, as you gently glide and turn your plane over enemy targets with precision.

The goal of Battlefield: 1943 was to make a shooter that was accessible but at the same time deep and rewarding for those who play it constantly. In order to assure accessibility, DICE avoided putting in anything gimmicky like unlockable weapons for those who play constantly, so that way those who play 1943 in between their major release purchases are not missing out on anything. This should keep people coming back without fear that they are ill equipped to compete after time away from the game; of course, playing more often most likely means you will be better than if you weren’t playing, but this still helps to narrow the divide.

Battlefield: 1943 is set to release this summer on Xbox Live Arcade as well as the Sony Playstation Network and PC. A price has not yet been set, but for fans of Battlefield, it’s going to be worth the admission.