Battlefield 3 expansions to arrive one week earlier on PS3

by Ben Gilbert on Sep 22nd 2011 10:02AM

Not unlike Microsoft and Activision's agreement to give Xbox early access to Call of Duty DLC, Sony and EA have arranged for Battlefield 3 expansions to arrive with an exclusive lead on PlayStation 3. However, Battlefield 3's expansions will stay exclusive to the PS3 for a shorter period: one week per expansion.

The deal kicks off with "Back to Karkand," which launches "later this year" and brings with it four Battlefield 2 maps (including Wake Island) rebuilt in the Frostbite 2.0 engine. The expansion comes free with first-run copies of Battlefield 3 for all platforms, though it now seems it won't be available for download immediately.

The Battlefield 3 beta opens on PC (check the system requirements), PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 29.

Source: US PlayStation Blog

Tags: back-to-karkand, battlefield-3, dice, dlc, ea, ea-dice, electronic-arts, exclusivity, playstation, ps3, psn

Reader Comments (120)

shouldve been a month. lololol

@Knives Chau
"Timed Exclusives! That shit don't matter!"
Let's see it matter to those kids now. Losers.

@Knives Chau
Do things like this really sway people one way or the other to buy the game on a given platform? I mean, seriously.

@superklye
it does get a little annoying, well for me it does. I'd like to be able to find the easter eggs in the zombie maps before those douchey NGT guys find them. After they do it, then your just following steps and that is less fun.

@Knives Chau

You know what would be really awesome? Is if PSN goes down one the DLC's day one release....for a week. Totally plausible.

@GamingColt
Ooooh one week! What will ever do for SEVEN WHOLE DAYS...

@Knives Chau

Yeah ! a month sounds good!

Sooo no PC timed exclusive eh? oh well, its not as if we made most publishers successful :D

@Shiz I will never understand PC elitist logic. "FIFTEEN YEARS AGO A PC GAME YOU MADE SOLD WELL, NOW COUGH UP EXCLUSIVE DLC!!!"

@Hank Hill - You forgot the part where that DLC has to be free too.

@Hank Hill

Yes, but more PC players still play BC2 compared to Xbox360 and PS3 players >.>

@ComedyInK

Where do you find those stats at? (honest question)

@superklye Since a lot of the games are held back by the most inferior platform, the only thing companies have left for "Looky what we got" is timed exclusive content / DLC. Like the Xbox is holding back PC and PS3 on game size, Microsoft throws a fit if 'x' game doesn't fit on 1 disc - yet Microsoft has games that do come on 2, like Forza 2.

PC>PS3>360 media format..
PC>360>PS3 online features.
PC>PS3>360 tech.

The way I see it, if Skyrim was PC only it would be a ton better than it already is, I also believe it would be a ton better if it was a PS3 exclusive, what we have is a game for the Xbox 360, which is a great game(in theory atm) No need for online, tech looks ok and we most definitely are being held back on the media format.

Question, is "media format" the word I'm looking for? DVD vs Blu-Ray?

@JustinSaneV2

http://bfbcs.com/ The panel on the left side Global XXXX Statistics.

Also I would like to point out that that Vietnam Expansion that Came out, PC players had Op Hastings unlocked WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY before the consoles. It was PC, Xbox360, and then PS3, but I don't believe PS3 actually unlocked it by playing, I think it might of been the developers.

@JustinSaneV2 - play the maps that come with it?

@drunkingamebar....You're an elitist douche, please leave.

@Slight of Ham Lol, reading is fundamental here bub.

@drunkingamebar here let me make it easy for fanboys...

Most multi-plat games are made to look exactly like one another PC-PS3-360 so everyone gets the same experience.

PC Exclusive game Vs Ps3 Exclusive game Vs Xbox 360 Exclusive game.

Now that this is out of the way the only real 1-up companies have is 'timed exclusive dlc' since most games are made to run the same on all systems, you have a PC? To bad, You have a PS3? To bad, you have a 360? Great! You will be getting the same experience as everyone else!

I'm not saying 360 is holding back on the graphic end, but the format it uses sucks, and it sucks for EVERYONE!

Hypothetically though, I know all you fanboys would agree on this. If PS3 used game cartridges and the 360 used DVD yet the games would have to be limited because the PS3's use of cartridges.

That isn't being 'elitist', that is suffering a generation of gaming because a greedy corporation had to get a head start.

@drunkingamebar

This is where you are wrong, Games made for PC first hand, usually, provide a better exp for other platforms because it makes it easier to port over consoles. PC is relative to Xbox codding, and it'll be faster to code over to PC > PS3 rather than Xbox > PC > PS3.

BF3 is being made for PC, it will be different for the consoles, but this time around, they are keeping the weapon stats the same for consoles and PC. BC2 PC and BC2 Consoles have different stats.

@superklye if i owned both systems, i think it would for me at least. because i love me some wake island

@ComedyInK

that site you linked to said that there are more people playing on ps3 and xbox....

16k ps3
16k xbox
11k pc

@drunkingamebar
You haven't a clue. The PS3 is the PoS holding the entire gaming community back with its stupidly slow read times on boo-ray and its 256MB of video memory. Its antiquated online system is also a joke. Developers have to spend a lot more time working around the PS3's platform quirks just to get decent performance out of it.

The 360, on the other hand has a unified online platform that developers don't even spend time working on because its already there for them. As for PC, the 360 development platform is so similar, all they have to do is slightly downsample some of the texture assets and hit the compile button.. No re-writing code to support the lack of DirectX unlike the PS3...

Maybe you should study game development platforms before writing things of which you know nothing about.

@Slight of Ham, do you even understand what you're saying because i don't think that you do. He's not saying "PC is better because i said so", what he said makes sense. I guess i consider myself a PS3 fanboy, to a point, i admit where there are flaws, such as how hard coding a game without a 5GB install apparently is for developers on PS3 but you can go without this for XBOX ports, or any game Sony makes doesn't require a huge install but still run better than games that may be "larger" and more graphic intensive. I've always said Xbox is holding back PS3 because of the media format (DVD 9GB) compared to Blu-Ray's 25+GB range, I've even ready companies are testing 100-200+GB Blu-Ray's. My PS3 version of Skyrim could be a much larger and smoother game but thanks to Microsoft and their DVDs I must settle for a game barely taking up any space, could be there difference between a game that has a 20 hour story compared to a game that only takes 6 hours to beat.

@lilfloppy Different Timings, and now, more game releases. In the morning PC players had a full 1K on PS3. But remember, RO2, and Dead Island came out, that's why numbers are low. Surprised to see Xbox numbers THAT low, might be because of Gears of War 3 release.

@ComedyInK

I hope they're not keeping weapon stats the same for the consoles and PC.

The control method is different, as is the soft auto aim which means weapons will behave differently.

They did some weird weapon balance in BC2 due to this.

Oh ok. I see how it is. (No I actually dont care, as long as I get it)

@Will96

You shouldn't freakin' have to wait. I've always gamed primarily on Sony platforms, and yeah, late DLC has been quite the annoyance, but Sony shouldn't have entered this volley.

It's a cheap and repugnant business strategy and the people that engage in this sort of graft are spitting in the face of consumers.

AWWWW YEAH

sony get's to wait a few months for everything. i can wait a week. the retail game should still be keeping me busy.

Oh Sony and their original business ideas.

Oh wait...

@Darki Dreamside

Exclusivity ideas date all the way back to the NES and maybe even before that. It's not a new idea and it's not a rip off idea either, if that's what you were implying. It's an idea that's been around in one form or another for a long time.

@Darki Dreamside

The best things in this world are unoriginal ideas.

It usually goes like this:
-Original idea, Not very well executed.
-idea copied and done better.
-idea copied again and refined more.

It just dosent work so much when it comes to this DLC stuff.

I just mean to say that originality isnt everything. Copying can be good.

@sonicspike41

i don't remember the NES having DLC :p

but seriously, it's still an idea that has no benefit to us gamers. does a one week lead time really going to mean increased sales? doubt it. at this point in the game, most people that actually care about this have already bought their consoles and aren't going to be affected by this.

@LexStewther
Well keep in mind the first round of DLC is avail, to all who preorder anyhow so it does not really hold water

@sonicspike41 obviously we're not talking about games being exclusive to one platform or another, just DLC.

@mikemyerz666

Late reply, but oh well.

I know, but my point was just that the idea of trying to keep something, anything, exclusive isn't new. Is it new with DLC? Sure, but DLC was pretty non-existent on consoles before this gen. If DLC had existed for the NES you can bet Nintendo would've forced it to be exclusive too with their overly harsh licensing terms of the day.

1 week isn't much of a wait so ehh who cares.

does Microsoft policy : "release on 360 1st or same time with other console or dont bother" apply here? or B3 is bigger than that?

@alzeer

I think it's different for downloadable things like map packs and arcade games that don't require the significant advertising campaigns $60 boxed retail games are afforded.

@alzeer - That was in reference to XBLA games & I'm still not sure whether that was "we don't want it at all" or "we won't be the ones to publish it".

@alzeer

That policy was in relation to developers approaching Microsoft to publish their titles on XBLA.

It has no impact on DLC, retail games or XBLA games published by companies other then Microsoft.

So PC got Karkand free with pre-ordering the BF3: LE
PS3 get's it a week earlier than Xbox
Xbox still the sh it iest platform to date

I'm happy with that. I'll be playing on PC but I'm glad to see EA at least chose the best console to support.

@Slomoshun

You mispelled "best"

@baby sea tuna

"at least chose the best console to support."

No, He spelled it right.

@Slomoshun

I will never get over how insecure some of you people are.

@Slomoshun Check your facts, everyone who preorders Battlefield 3 gets the Back to Karkand pack at no extra charge.

@Slomoshun

Oh look a troll. He looks hungry.

@FinalOutrage

"Back to Karkand Expansion Pack (included with the Limited Edition)" Direct quote from Battlefield3.com.

Pretty sure my fact's are straight.

@Slomoshun

Opinions are respected, but your stupidity warrants you getting denied service at a McDonalds. Keep up the great work. I look forward to your posts along with a few others to witness, the unevolution of mankind

@Slomoshun
... it's free with the *Limited Edition*. Limited Edition != PC Edition.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=battlefield+3&x=0&y=0&sprefix=Battl

Notice how all the platforms have a Limited Edition?

Worry less about the success of PC gaming and more about your reading comprehension level, please.

A week is not bad for xbox owners. This is what Activision should be doing but I doubt that will happen.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments

Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 expansions to arrive one week earlier on PS3

Reader Comments (120)

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:03AM Knives Chau said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:26AM GamingColt said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:49AM superklye said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:57AM Roxas560 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 11:27AM Cletus VanDamme said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 11:35AM JustinSaneV2 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 11:37AM Shiz said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 12:19PM Hank Hill said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 12:30PM Mcmax3000 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 12:34PM ComedyInK said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 12:55PM JustinSaneV2 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 1:08PM drunkingamebar said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 1:10PM ComedyInK said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 1:13PM Klearwater Killer said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 2:23PM Slight of Ham said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 3:29PM drunkingamebar said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 3:50PM drunkingamebar said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 4:18PM ComedyInK said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 7:11PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 7:43PM lilfloppy said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 7:43PM killr0y said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 11:26PM mikemyerz666 said

Posted: Sep 23rd 2011 3:43AM ComedyInK said

Posted: Sep 23rd 2011 8:53AM Shiz said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:04AM Will96 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 6:20PM Haizeus said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:05AM Mr Hett said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:06AM littlejay2o02 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:08AM Darki Dreamside said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:13AM sonicspike41 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:24AM LEONLEONLEON said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:28AM LexStewther said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:41AM PSYCHOxKING said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 11:32PM mikemyerz666 said

Posted: Sep 23rd 2011 10:06PM sonicspike41 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:10AM EDZiLLUH said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:11AM alzeer said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:16AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:39AM Mcmax3000 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 12:13PM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:13AM Slomoshun said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:17AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:21AM LEONLEONLEON said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:24AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:25AM FinalOutrage said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:26AM Bubbameister33 said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:58AM Slomoshun said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 11:15AM Negatron said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 4:26PM ipsum said

Posted: Sep 22nd 2011 10:19AM Jimmy Lewis said

Battlefield 3 Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is a stranger in a strange land

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW