Traditionally, online multiplayer games have been the habitat of only the hardest of the hardcore. It’s always taken a special breed of gamer to rule the galaxy in Starcraft or venture forth on dungeon raids in World of Warcraft, but EA DICE has a different audience in mind for the upcoming Battlefield Heroes.

Ben Cousins, executive producer of EA DICE, stated at GDC Paris that the upcoming title would be targeted at "frustrated restricteds," which he labeled as individuals who don’t own the latest consoles, are intimidated by playing online, and who can only devote a small amount of time to gaming. In providing examples of his view of the "frustrated restricted," Cousins cited examples such as a 15 year-old who loves Call of Duty but can’t afford a PS3, a middle-aged new dad who doesn’t have time to play like he used to, or a new gamer who would like to play online but has heard that the only people who play multiplayer are the folks who are really, really good.

So this all likely means that Battlefield Heroes will be squarely targeted at the casual crowd, and hardcore gamers need not apply. However, with the release of Battlefield: Bad Company, it’s likely that all the core fans will be so distracted that they probably won’t even notice Heroes when it’s launched. Just know that if you give Battlefield Heroes a go, don’t expect weapon customization and a wide variety of vehicles; instead, expect simple, straightforward gameplay anyone can pick up and jump into.