Battlefield 3 PS3 ships sans Battlefield 1943 bonus, EA counters with early DLC

by Ludwig Kietzmann on Oct 26th 2011 9:30AM

EA and Sony have made a pair of announcements regarding exclusive goodies linked to the PlayStation 3 version of Battlefield 3 -- and we failed to realize that one invalidated the other. The free copy of Battlefield 1943, DICE's de facto console-exclusive shooter, didn't make it into PS3 copies of Battlefield 3 as originally intended.

Responding to questions on Twitter, the official Battlefield account offered the following: "In lieu of 1943 being available on disk for PS3 customers, EA has made all BF3 expansions available early to PS3 customers."

This refers to Sony and EA's ongoing exclusivity deal, which sees Battlefield 3 add-ons become available (for purchase) one week early on PS3. EA's switcheroo lets you buy new maps for Battlefield 3, then, at the expense of the game for which you never could. Thanks?

Via: NeoGAF
Source: @Battlefield

Tags: battlefield-1943, battlefield-3, dice, dlc, ea, playstation, ps3, psn

Reader Comments (84)

Microsoft hand in action with their policy of nothing extra on other platforms

@robmv

What does that even mean?

@baby sea tuna

new Microsoft policies about approval of content for the XBox, see http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/03/sony-publishers-are-getting-the-living-crap-kicked-out-of-them/ If the game has not the same content and features than other platforms, Microsoft could decide not approve it

@robmv

that's not what this is about. That is about games having extra textures or anything within the game.

Otherwise we wouldn't have had the joker in batman AA or dead space extraction included with dead space 2.

@eat it

What date are those games? the policy is new, check the joystiq article date too, Microsoft was noticing the trend of added features on PS3 games and decided to attack it. To bad developers are falling to that racketeering. do not expect new games with something extra on the PS3

@robmv

Dungeon Defenders.

Has special PS3 only pets.

I don't see where you're going with this.

@robmv

I read that article as, that's the way it's always been. I didn't see anything about it being a new policy.

also:

"and must have at least feature and content parity on-disc"

on-disc.

isn't battlefield 1943 a digital game?

@eat it

It is a downloadable game, but it was published to come on disk, like the Medal Of Honor and Dead Space Extraction promotions

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies

Those are exclusive DLC, not something on disk. The MS policy does not says that they will not approve, it says that they could decide to do it, so it is their decission

@robmv

this "new" policy pertains more towards indie and arcade games. do you really think MS will pass up on a AAA game just because Sony has some exclusive content? quit being a fanboy and get back to reality.

@LexStewther

Yea, Indie and Arcade games, and the policy says "ON DISK", do not call me fanboy when you have reading comprehension problems. People do not understand that console manufacturers are the gateway. EA is more under pressure to not loose sales on the XBox than MS for loosing a game

@robmv

Dude, you have *writing* comprehension problems.

@robmv

well, the fact i can read and comprehend your post is a good indication of my literary skills. each console manufacturer has a lot to lose by not having a top publisher put games on their system. a system without AAA games and publishers won't sell. and the fact that EA didn't put BF3 on Steam is only a clear indication that they don't care about some lost revenue from other platforms.

@robmv

Those policies only apply if MS is the publisher.

EA is publishing BF3, not MS.

@LexStewther

What you say is true, with only one false assumption, Steam is not an exclusive gateway to PC gaming, you still can install games not distributed by Valve service, see Origin. EA still can sell to PC owners no matter what policies Valve have (not saying Valve has bad or good ones)

@This Little Man Says His Name Is

Read again "Publishers are getting the living crap kicked out of them by Microsoft," so they were talking about other publishers not MS being a publisher

@robmv
MAN, STOP with the "it's MSFT's fault" Bullcrap!

@LexStewther It applies to all games, but like you said, Microshit wouldn't pass up a AAA title. Unfortunately it also goes the other way, where EA doesn't want to miss out on sales to XFuks. Microshit probably whined and complained like the bytchy child they are to EA about 1943 being an unfair advantage, threatened them, and eventually agreed upon the 1-week DLC instead.
In the end it's the customers who lose, like they always do whenever Microshit is involved.

@robmv

AC Revelations will have the first Assassin's Creed game on the disk. I would say that's a great bonus for PS3 owners. Same with Bioshock Infinite. I think you're giving MS to much credit here.

EA giving something away for free?

Who actually thought this was going to happen?

@Apsac D

you mean, aside from the fact that they've already done the exact same deals, with Medal of Honor and Dead Space?

Great, so what do 360 owners get for having EA's servers crash on them last night?

@baby sea tuna

You got the inability to play the game last night.

HEYOO.

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies

Haha, I retained the ability to play Batman last night and continue to not give a f#ck about this game.

@baby sea tuna
Funny, last minute I copped BF3 after work, got home and my boys on XBL said they can't get a game.. Put the unwrapped game back in my bag and it's with me right now, getting returned.

2 weeks till MW3, so I can wait.

All this hype for BF3, yet EA/DICE didn't expect this much traffic? Just goes to show that the beta was nothing more than a marketing tool.

EA, Don't you dare EFF up my Mass Effect 3!!

@StarcasM

You should wait to return your copy, Gamespot has a "Return BF3 get MW3 for a dollar" thing going on.

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies

Why should he wait, the game is unwrapped, he could just exchange it.

@StarcasM

Lol, good luck with that!

@baby sea tuna

i rented BF3 yesterday with hopes to try out the online to see if it was my new CoD killer. popped in the disc, installed the game, updated it, went to the multiplayer option aaaand was prompted for the online pass code (which i completely forgot was required and obviously didn't have b/c it was rented and i sure as shit wasn't gonna pay $10 for one), so i fired up the campaign, played for an hour, turned off (campaign reeeeally didn't interest me) and put in Arkham City. my experience with BF3 was ruined in no way by the game itself, but by EA's bullshit. i love a LOT of games that EA owns and puts out, but as a CoD player possibly looking for a new option, they've completely lost me as a BF3 consumer. i mean, why not offer a $1 three-day pass for people who god-forbid want to rent a game for the multi before dropping $60 on it? for a company that has spent so much on advertising to people in my exact situation, they sure as hell make it difficult to actually switch to their product.

@LENSconcept

If you're renting the game they don't care about you. You aren't providing them with any money so they don't feel the need to provide you with a service. Hence why it costs $10 for the online pass if you buy it used/rent.

Giving a $1 for 3 days option would defeat the purpose of the $10 pass in the first place.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but instead of getting a FREE game that was promised to them, PS3 owners now just get the option to BUY DLC early?

@wsmitty That's what i took from this. Were people told they'd get BF: 1943 with BF3 on release day, but EA never told people when they cancelled that promotion? I'm confused.

@wsmitty

sounds pretty crappy

@covertpetersen

to be fair, it was Sony who announced this at their E3 press conference. sounds to me like Sony and EA didn't have all the details worked out prior to that announcement. So one jumps the gun and says something while the other pulls back on the offer, probably due to legal BS.

@covertpetersen They should demand their fre game, Free DLC, or their money back.

Exactly. I actually forgot about getting this and just realized my game didn't come with it. They never said anything about us not getting it. That's false advertising.

Is there a reason my comments keep disappearing after I make them? They show up in my profile, but not here.

@covertpetersen

Because God hates you for liking Guns 'n Roses.

@covertpetersen

The comment system sometimes fights with people; especially people who use Chrome.

When I want to see updates to a post's comments; I need to close Chrome completely and open a new window.

This actually lands somewhere between a bait-and-switch and false advertising and is an extremely dumb PR move for a publisher who is trying to win-over users from their competition.

So set aside any console wars BS and opinions on the quality of 1943 and realize that somewhere between EA, DICE, and Sony the PS3 userbase was lied to.

@Bardbarian Im with you on this

@Bardbarian

I agree completely. By the way EA, I enjoy BF3 thoroughly, but EA completely shoved this game out the door just to compete with MW3.

I dunno if you guys know, but EA had already announced that PS3 would be receiving the DLC sooner. They said so in September.

Not ONLY are they saying "We aren't giving you the free thing we promised", they're saying "Oh, but it's okay, because we'll SELL you things sooner than we'd sell them to everyone else instead"... But we were already getting that anyway.

God damn, every day EA gets sketchier and sketchier.

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies

http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/09/22/battlefield-3-beta-dates-and-ps3-dlc-exclusivity-2/

But that’s not all for our PlayStation fans! You’ll be happy to know that, starting with our first expansion pack Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand (released later this year), all full-blown upcoming expansion packs for the game will appear one week early exclusively on PlayStation 3!

Posted on September 22nd.

You know; one month and four days before they have just now told us it's a special offer due to the lack of Battlefield 1943.

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies

^this

how does a timed exclusive replace a $15 value?

I'm pretty sure the PS3 crowd don't care if or when the 360 crowd plays the DLC.

"lets just delay the DLC on 360 for a week and tell the PS3 users they are getting it early! That's the same as $15 right?"

@eat it

Whoever invented timed exclusives should be slapped in the face with a cold salmon. I want my free 1943 damnit.

@eat it

Everything they've claimed about BF3 was almost an outright lie. Actually if you added prone and worsened the console graphics from BF BC2 and add more lighting effects, you've got BF3. I've been play BF since 1942 and I'd prefer this game over MW3, but even I have to admit all the hype and sh* talking that EA did you'd expect the next evolution in modern military shooters and they didn't deliver.

@Kimchi Kommando

I hate timed exclusives for either side, I 'ALMOST' don't want to buy Modern Warfare 3 because Microsoft pays Activision for a 1 month exclusive on the 360. So why doesn't Sony start saying no this just like Microsoft is saying no to the extra content on PS3 Discs. Not Sony's fault they have lots of extra room on their blu-ray discs

Why is it always sony???? Wheres the PC love :(

@peter pham

This isn't "Love". This is FAR from "Love".

Though hell, with you needing to use Origin on your PC; I'd say we're still getting less of the EA Shaft than you are.

My condolences.

@Copybass Ah jeez zombies

What's worse? You can't even buy BF 1943 on PC if you wanted to. PS3 players may not get if free, but at least its on the store...

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Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 PS3 ships sans Battlefield 1943 bonus, EA counters with early DLC

Reader Comments (84)

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:32AM robmv said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:35AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:38AM robmv said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:43AM eat it said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:46AM robmv said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:51AM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:52AM eat it said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:58AM robmv said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:00AM LexStewther said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:06AM robmv said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:07AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:21AM LexStewther said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:22AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:28AM robmv said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:32AM StarcasM said

Posted: Oct 27th 2011 1:04AM ClanPsi said

Posted: Oct 27th 2011 12:42PM civilciv said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:36AM Apsac D said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 5:08PM WillPG1212 said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:36AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:55AM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:00AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:36AM StarcasM said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:51AM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 11:07AM pensuhl said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 12:31PM ComedyInK said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 11:01PM LENSconcept said

Posted: Oct 27th 2011 5:19AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:38AM wsmitty said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:40AM covertpetersen said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:42AM eat it said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:12AM LexStewther said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:37AM StarcasM said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:49AM DeathBeforeDawn said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:43AM covertpetersen said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:59AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:19AM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:43AM Bardbarian said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:48AM Uncommon said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 11:05AM Kimchi Kommando said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:48AM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:53AM Copybass Ah jeez zombies said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:14AM jszczepaniak said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 9:49AM eat it said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:00AM Pure Black World Tendency said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 11:10AM Kimchi Kommando said

Posted: Oct 26th 2011 12:13PM Quayle said

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Posted: Oct 26th 2011 10:23AM Oddgirl said

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