EA’S Medal of Honor Sets Franchise Pre-Sell Record

Anticipation for Medal of Honor is heating up! Electronic Arts announced that Medal of Honor has set a new franchise record, hitting the highest number of pre-sell units in the franchise’s 11-year history. This milestone positions Medal of Honor alongside EA’s top pre-selling action games, and there is still one week remaining until the game hits retails shelves on Oct. 12. Co-developed by EA’s Danger Close Studio in Los Angeles and DICE in Stockholm, Medal of Honor is a reboot of the storied first person shooter (FPS) franchise, now set in war-torn Afghanistan. The game introduces players to the Tier 1 Operator, an elite warrior and relatively unknown instrument of the U.S. Military that operates under the National Command Authority to take on missions no one else can handle.

Medal of Honor has been critically acclaimed worldwide for its action-packed gameplay, real-world authenticity and adrenaline-fuelled online multiplayer. With regards to gameplay, Kotaku said, “modern warfare shooters have a new contender” and GamesMaster in the UK said, “You’re constantly surging around on a wave of adrenaline.” With regards to the game’s realism, Joystiq said, “Military buffs will appreciate the game’s incredible attention to detail.” The multiplayer game has been heralded by critics, with outlets such as GameSpy awarding Medal of Honor with “Best Multiplayer of E3 2010″. All these accolades are summed up by Official Xbox Magazine who declared, “Call of Duty, meet your competition”.

All of this momentum leads to the Oct. 12 launch and the release of the PC Multiplayer Open Beta* on Oct. 4. In preparation for the Beta, players are invited to download the client starting Oct. 1 to ensure easy and quick access on day one. Find out where to download the client at www.medalofhonor.com/pcopenbeta. The Medal of Honor Multiplayer Open Beta begins on Oct. 4 and will close on Oct. 7 at 11:59pm PST.

The Medal of Honor Multiplayer Open Beta features two new maps inspired by real world locations: Kunar Base and Shahikot Mountains. Kunar Base is played in the Sector Control multiplayer mode where two sides fight to control tactical sectors of the map. Shahikot Mountains is played in the tactical and objective-based Combat Mission multiplayer mode where gamers battle through a series of objectives to defeat the opposing team. Both modes pit teams of 12 players (total 24 players) against one another with realistic destruction, tactical support actions and a weapon customization system that generates hundreds of combinations.

Medal of Honor hits retail stores on October 12, 2010.