14 DAY TRIAL // DICE has just announced that all future Battlefield 3 downloadable content will be released under a timed exclusivity deal for Sony's PlayStation 3, and then hit the PC and Xbox 360, after one week.
Battlefield 3 is getting ready for its debut at the end of October, as well as for the start of its multiplayer beta stage, later this month. As such, DICE, its developer, and Electronic Arts, its publisher, are making a few last-minute announcements concerning the first person shooter.
Among them, DICE Junior Product Manager Tommy Rydling confirmed on Sony's PlayStation blog that the Back to Karkand downloadable map pack, as well as all future DLC for Battlefield 3 will be released at first for the PlayStation 3, thanks to a new timed exclusivity deal between EA and Sony, and then for other platforms, like the PC or PlayStation 3.
"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!"
This deal shouldn't surprise many, as Microsoft has a similar agreement with Activision, the publisher of the Call of Duty franchise, resulting in all the DLC for the games in the series to appear first for the Xbox 360, and then for the PC or PlayStation 3, with generally one month between the launches.
Seeing as how the deal for the Battlefield 3 DLC covers just one week of exclusivity, it's not too bad for those that don't have a PlayStation 3 or who won't buy the game for that platform.
Battlefield 3 is set to use a brand new engine developed by DICE, called Frostbite 2, which allows it to display stunning graphics, as we saw in the variety of videos launched since its announcement, with detailed animations and realistic lighting.
The game is set to appear for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms on October 25, in North America, and October 28, in Europe.