Battlefield 1943 recruits 600,000

By many accounts, EA Dice delivered on its multiplayer-only installment in the burgeoning Battlefield franchise two weeks ago, attracting a strong critical reception for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 downloadable game. However, Battlefield 1943's launch was marred by significant instability, especially on Microsoft's console, as EA scrambled to add additional play servers after drastically underestimating gamers' enthusiasm for the online title.

Today, EA put that enthusiasm into perspective, announcing that Battlefield 1943 had sold more than 600,000 copies across the Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of the game since its July 8 launch. That sales tally, the publisher notes, secures the title for "fastest selling day one and week one download-only game" worldwide on Xbox Live and in North America for the PSN. Battlefield 1943 is available for $15 (MSP1,200).

Upon its initial offering, Battlefield 1943 featured three maps, where 24 combatants could engage on land, air, and sea. EA Dice offered a fourth map--the air-combat-heavy Coral Sea--on the condition that the player community achieve a total of 43 million kills. This feat was accomplished on Xbox Live five days after launch, with the PSN milestone secured on day eight.

A PC edition of Battlefield 1943 is expected in September. For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Battlefield 1943.