EA plans Xbox 2 versions of Battlefield: Modern Combat and Black

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Early details of Electronic Arts\' plans for the next generation of consoles have emerged today, with Digital Illusions\' Battlefield: Modern Combat confirmed to be on its way to Xbox 2, as is Criterion\'s Black.

Digital Illusions revealed last week that it is working on two untitled games for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 2, due for release in late 2006 or 2007, but this is the first time that the firm has confirmed that it is planning to launch a Battlefield game on a next-generation platform.

Battlefield: Modern Combat was originally meant to launch in 2004, but has been pushed back to 2005 to incorporate a single-player element, which is currently being developed at EA Studio UK\'s Warrington offices.

The year\'s delay will mean that the developers have time to build an Xbox 2 version, and this is not expected to impact the launch of the titles on other platforms, with PS2 and Xbox versions still in the works.

On a related note, sources close to the company have indicated that Criterion\'s promising first person shooter Black is also to have an Xbox 2 version, along with versions for the current generation consoles.

These two projects are EA\'s first named forays into next-generation development, and suggest that the firm\'s European development division - bolstered by the recent acquisition of Criterion and the likely acquisition of Digital Illusions - is leading the way on the next-gen platforms.

However, as yet, only Xbox 2 versions of the titles in question are expected, with development on PlayStation 3 still up in the air, since Sony\'s console is not expected to launch until at least six months after Microsoft\'s.

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