EA Battlefield Hardline prelaunch live stream @ E3 2014

Absolute Live Productions was on hand for a prelaunch live stream of EA’s Battlefield Hardline at the 2014 annual Entertainment Electronics Expo or E3 as it’s known. Absolute was a big part of a surprise announcement visited upon attendees after Entertainment Arts announced the release of their latest version of the EA Battlefield series. It was a hosted beta test of the new release on the rooftop of a nearby downtown building with 32 gaming stations for enthusiasts to try their hand at the new Battlefield multiplayer mode which is set in the world of cops and robbers, and Absolute Live Productions was there as a key player in a live stream production of the beta testing.

The live stream production team sent multiple streams to Twitch.tv where it was watched by tens of thousands of Battlefield fans worldwide who enthusiastically chatted and Tweeted their approvals and reviews of the beta test.

The production was ambitious, with 7 cameras including the Canon C300, 4 NewTek TriCaster streaming stations, a 30 foot jib and a helicopter – the real kind, not a quad with a GO Pro – with a camera wirelessly sending the aerial HD video signal from high above the E3 Expo in downtown Los Angeles to a receiver on the rooftop where the beta test was taking place, which sent to 4 simultaneous TriCaster feeds, where it was ingested and the shots incorporated into the incredibly well polished and well orchestrated live stream production, then streamed out simultaneously in two languages.

“I love the challenge,” said Absolute Live Productions CEO Dave Rosen. “With a prelaunch live stream production that has this many elements to it, it really comes down to being able to map it out so it’s very clear what the signal flow is. Things can get muddy very quickly if you don’t know a signal’s point of origin, its destination, and what it has to flow through in between those two points.”

As a key partner in this prelaunch live stream production, Rosen was keenly aware of the importance of detailed coordination of all the moving parts of the production team. “We had a lot of talented people from many different companies so it was critical for everyone to know not only their part but also to be aware of the big picture.”

The production looked slick, from the ESPN-like sports desk with a pair of gaming pundits spouting color and commentary about the beta test and about the highlights of Battlefield Hardline, the next in the EA Battlefield series, to the rolling, raking jib shots, to the aerial reveals of the rooftop set, it was an ambitious and impressively executed live stream production. “We knew the execs at EA would want it to look great. Anytime you’ve got a product that over 50 million people worldwide have used, you know you’ve got a huge audience to please. Our crew at Absolute Live Productions was pretty excited to be a part of such an elite production team. It was really live television for the Internet.”

Tens of thousands watched the stream on Twitch.tv and continue to visit the archives to enjoy it for the first time or re-experience the live stream beta test of Battlefield Hardline. “We love doing these live stream productions for the gaming companies. They’re fun, and they’re pretty cool. We were just in Boston in May doing a live stream production for the Cloud Imperium Games Star Citizen pre-Alpha release. I like the excitement from all the fans, I love being able provide access worldwide through live streaming to everyone who loves these games.”

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