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Battlefield 3 premium service launching June 4 - Report

Source says new content service to arrive during E3 next month will offer content drops with exclusive items for DICE's modern-day shooter.

Electronic Arts will release a premium service for Battlefield 3 on June 4 (the day of EA's E3 2012 media briefing), a "reliable source" has told Battlefieldo. According to the site, the service will be titled Battlefield Premium, and it will grant players a range of exclusive content.

The first piece of content to be given to Battlefield Premium members will include a knife and a black dog tag, as well as a set of soldier camo, weapon camo, and assignments. Future content was not revealed, and it was not mentioned if Battlefield Premium will incur a subscription fee.

If Battlefield Premium comes to fruition, it will follow Activision's Call of Duty: Elite, a free and paid service that gives members downloadable content and exclusives, among other things.

Additionally, EA has hinted at a Battlefield subscription service in the past. In March, EA Games executive vice president Patrick Soderlund said, "Like all other companies, we're looking at how we can maximize our investment in this, get the most out of our investment, and get more people playing this product. That may take us to different places, but we're not really talking about where that is yet."

On top of Battlefield Premium, the site is also reporting that DICE is preparing to launch a new Battlefield 3 expansion pack during March 2013. It will follow the End Game DLC, which was announced in March 2012 as the final add-on headed to the new shooter.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

338 comments
atldeb0
atldeb0

wow.  DLC is slowly becoming the TRex that continues to grow.  BF3 is a solid game, but I'm not about to pay for so-called expansion or mappacks.  Game Devolopers are squeezing every bit of money they can from gamers, while overing very little in return.

 

Let's face it, most games we "own" today, feel more like rentals.

CapBean
CapBean

 @atldeb0

 

Err, you never "own" any software that you buy.

You are only paying for a license to use that software.

So in a sense it is a rental scheme as the developer can pull the plug on the software any time they choose.

That's what all EULA (End User License Agreement) that appear when you install software are for. Try reading one and you will see what I mean.

atldeb0
atldeb0

 @CapBean , True, but today, the pimp game is blatant.  And seeing what Close Quarters is all about now, I'm definitely done with any additional content for BF3.

 

SOUP_MAN_242
SOUP_MAN_242

well take that all 5 of the new packs is 75 bucks...holy shit...and you get all the packs and a little more for just 50 bucks HELL YES this is worth it, but a subscription that last untill next yaer that is a montly fee EA will kiss my ass 

cubd1
cubd1 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

I would never pay for that stupid service. they're not offering enough for it!!!

BIGwitchwoman
BIGwitchwoman like.author.displayName 1 Like

It seems to me EA  "gives" us something but does not maintain or support their games such as ONSLAUGHT in BC2. I emailed EA about not being able to kill the enemy if you had a full squad and asked for the problem to be fixed and was told there wern't enough people playing ONSLAUGHT to make it feasible for them to fix the game. I then emailed back to say "this could be because of the problem" I received no answere in reply.

This has made me very cynical as far as EA is concerned when it comes to release of new downloadable content for games. 

 

PC-RUL3S
PC-RUL3S like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

What happened to decent DLC packs like Vietnam, there's no chance in hell I am paying a subscription fee and if this news story turns out to be true then I can't see myself playing BF3 much longer.

andrewwittmaier
andrewwittmaier

"Like all other companies, we're looking at how we can maximize our investment in this, get the most out of our investment, and get more people playing this product. That may take us to different places, but we're not really talking about where that is yet."

 

At least he was being honest :) FTW

Catatafish420
Catatafish420 like.author.displayName 1 Like

EA people needs to get laid and stop screwing over the battlefield fans

mediarays
mediarays like.author.displayName 1 Like

Treat all players same and say no to premium we dont need that

ssj2los
ssj2los like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

Why do these game companies want to widen the gap between economic classes? The world is already uneven and unfair with the gaps between the richest and poorest. I play video games to step away from the stress, not to play against people who have an advantage over me only because they can afford to. This idea that the more money you spend the better you'll be at the game won't take-over gaming. It'd be like saying cheating is going be the new way to play games.

deptacon
deptacon

 @ssj2los Dude....its a video game....calm down. Turning an article about video game services into class warefare....thats rich

ssj2los
ssj2los

That's thinking on a micro scale. It's a monetary driven industry and publishers are taking advantage of points that are in ways unethical business practices in order to maximize profits.

deptacon
deptacon

@ssj2los Really? That's it? Wow.... I'm not the one crying about life not being fair buddy....

ssj2los
ssj2los

 @deptacon  @ssj2los

 btw don't bother to respond cuz im not returning to this article anymore...i couldnt care less

ssj2los
ssj2los

 @deptacon  @ssj2los

When closed-minded/non-metta people hear things they don't want to hear they say it sounds like a loud whinning sound.  just saying

ssj2los
ssj2los

 @deptacon  @ssj2los

 Just because you can't think any harder than on black and white terms (insults also point to signs of lack of thought.) doesn't mean there actually isn't more to it. I get your opinion, and the simplistic form of "Don't like it, don't buy it." but it means more to other people. You have to respect that it means enough to "cry about". There is something you probably care more about...(like finding week old articles and insulting peoples opinions that don't line up with yours). If you don't care about the articles topic why care about the people's opinion of the article? Just the fact that you post here contradicts you whinning about other people whinning.

deptacon
deptacon

@ssj2los Ob cry me a river....listen to yourself!!!! Lol!!!! You are a prime example of Why it is so easy to get ahead in life. People like you sucking and whining about nothing while the rest of us pass you by.

ssj2los
ssj2los

 @deptacon  @ssj2los

 It's all about US.. the consumer. And making money is not unethical.. It's the ToS (Terms of Service) they do business by that is unethical. It's the stipulations placed upon playing one game to the full experience. It's not so black and white or as simple as you want to make it. "Don't like it? Don't buy it!" is horse crap. This is a lifetime hobby... It means a little more important to me. As why I speak out about it. Just because it's not as important to u doesn't give you the right to disrepect others and their opinions. "Stop crying like a little girl.".... Don't like it? Don't read it!

deptacon
deptacon

@ssj2los It's a business, they exist to make money. Since when is them making money as a business unethical??? They have a product people want, so they charge money for it. Don't want it, don't buy it. Why does everyone have to cry "it's not fair, they are greedy, I'm getting screwed" on everything. It's not all about u.... Stop crying like a little girl.

netter99
netter99 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

no matter what the game will be fair. just look at the engineer class. the first gone you get: m4a1, is the best gone in its class, no matter how many more guns they release in dlc's there will always be good guns and bad guns and if you are good at the game it really doesnt matter what gun you use.

TheKokopelli
TheKokopelli like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @ssj2los While I can see where you're coming from with this, in the end, who is the true fool?  The player who knows how to play with the equipment they have or the n00b that has the best gear, but is constantly at the bottom of the list?

 

They're probably using Zynga's business model: feature "special" content for real money and stupid people will gladly hand it over to have an animated gif or black dog tags.  Sure, it's only a few dollars, but a few dollars on what?  And given the number of junk people have on their Facebook games, how much money did they actually spend on that?  Who is the smart one here?

ssj2los
ssj2los like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

 @TheKokopelli

 Exactly why i never started a facebook account. I don't agree with anything facebook. Still cant believe it's part of people's everyday life.

TheKokopelli
TheKokopelli

 @ssj2los LoL  You're not alone.  I mainly use it to keep in contact with family and I have a back logged bin of invites for various crap that people have sent me over the past few years.

 

Unfortunately, you can't get away from it.  I was ranting at the wife about how most of the Android games are all following this FB formula.  "Play with your friends, etc"  I'm thinking, "I want to play a stupid game.  I'll pay a few $$$ for it, but I want to play it and not be bombarded with special cash or interact with people."

rijokerred
rijokerred

I'll pay for DLC...when they come out with the new BF: Vietnam.  Hill 137 on Frostbite 2!! Let's make it happen EA I'll give you $20 bucks.

Iron_aufschlag
Iron_aufschlag like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

I am very disappointed to hear that they will charge me for new maps. I and thousands of other gamers gave DICE feedback from playing a game sot that they could improve it and a lack of good maps was one of the biggest problems. Battlefield bad company 2 had great maps but the developers released 3 new maps on top of it for free! I feel that I should not have pre-ordered BF3 for $60 since my money is not being used to improve the game. Sure DICE updated the game a few time to fix bugs, but new weapons and new maps should come often and free of charge because they have my money and millions of other people's money to make the game better.

Gun_Chimp
Gun_Chimp like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

I´m not sure what´s more disappointing about this news - that DICE have the balls to charge for a "Premium" service with a game so badly flawed and bug heavy, or that despite all the EA/Dice bashing I´m reading here, everyone will probably go ahead and buy it, including me!  

I love BF3 and try to see through the glitches and bugs we all know and love (bipods which don´t deploy; reviving being a 50/50 art form; the spawn menu suddenly blocking your screen etc etc) but news that a publisher, knowing its product has so many flaws still unfixed, has the balls to ask for more money from gamers instead of spending some of the cash they generated to give us gamers the game we paid for...  It´s just disgusting... and surely destined to be a huge money maker like COD Elite.  Sad days ahead gamers..!

korosaki-ichigo
korosaki-ichigo

THATS IT,  NO MORE BF FOR ME. SREW U EA GUYS AND I M GOING TO PLAY BLACKLIGHT RETRIBUTION 

XboxGuy1537
XboxGuy1537 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

Good thing Halo has Waypoint for free. 

jinzo9988
jinzo9988

Is it bad that I started playing BF3 again when this article came up?  It's not like I'm happy about a premium service but chances are I wouldn't get it anyway, it doesn't really have anything to offer.  Oooh shiny camo?  Who cares, there are plenty in the game already and they're all equally impossible to see on the battlefield.  The new DLC however, count me in.

Liliroots
Liliroots

They should give it to whoever bought BF2 already

 

x_hunter00
x_hunter00 like.author.displayName 1 Like

HAAHAAAHAHAAHAAAAA! For all of you EA/BF fanboys who bashed Activision for having CoD Elite Premium and said that BF would never have something similar, here you go! This article made me so happy. :D

beuneus12
beuneus12 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @x_hunter00 uhm it wasn't the fans who said that, it was EA who said it....

 

pimpofdoom
pimpofdoom like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

 @x_hunter00 Another company is going in the wrong direction. I don't see why anyone should celebrate such an event. I was not happy when Activision did this and I am not happy when EA did this.

-Six-Shooter-
-Six-Shooter-

NFS world anyone? And I never had BFBC2 - Vietnam for free?! did anyone?

KHeie09
KHeie09 like.author.displayName 1 Like

uuuuugggghhhhh why does EA have to be a-holes about DLC? Bad company 2 limited got all DLC free and I respected EA/DICE so much for doing that when they didnt have and hoped that the trend would continue to but now that respect is lost. why did they have to ruin a good thing?

beuneus12
beuneus12 like.author.displayName 1 Like

does this mean you gonna fix the 26 dart glitch & the ridiculous suppression?

as a level 100 colonel i say: no thnx

blazemonkey
blazemonkey like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

It's EA so nobody should be surprised.

KHeie09
KHeie09 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @blazemonkey

 not surprised just disappointed

Carbine018
Carbine018

 @KHeie09 All the big name publishers are beginning to pull crap like this. It's not just EA. I understand that publishers and developers are trying to make money but there used to be a day when they cared about the people buying their games; they used to appreciate the people that supported them. Seldom do we ever see anything that says "thank you" not the we deserve or should expect anything.

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