Battlefield 4 confirmed for fall 2013, powered by Frostbite 3

As expected, EA and DICE last night revealed the initial details for Battlefield 4, the latest installment in the critically acclaimed first-person shooter series. Let me tell you, you ain't seen nothing yet. If you were blown away by Battlefield 3's destructible environments then you are in for a real treat; that's because Battlefield 4 will be powered by DICE's proprietary Frostbite 3 engine.

Battlefield 4 made its debut with a 17-minute long gameplay demo, beginning with the player — Recker — opening his eyes to discover that he is trapped in a sinking car with three of his squad mates. The purpose of the demo was to give players a glimpse at a future that is "more human, dramatic, and believable than anything before it."

"We are so humbled and proud to debut Battlefield 4 on a global stage with simultaneous events in San Francisco and Stockholm. To be this early in development, and to already be so polished is a huge achievement for the DICE team and reflection of their passion and commitment to driving the franchise forward. Today's demo was just the beginning — we have so much more in store," said Patrick Soderlund, Executive Vice President, EA Games Label. "It is thrilling to witness peoples' reaction when seeing the game for the first time. It really makes you realize that we are at the beginning of a whole new era for gaming. As artists and craftspeople, we are focused on creating a dynamic, open design that brings people together with amazing, surprising unscripted moments that they'll talk about for days. That's the beauty of Battlefield."

No mention of next-generation platforms is noted in EA's official press release; the game's official website allows for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 pre-orders. I do expect the game will see a release on PlayStation 4, as well as the currently unannounced next Xbox.