Electronic Arts denies shutting down official servers for modern-day shooter, says it will add more DICE-sanctioned servers.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced claiming that official DICE servers for the console versions of Electronic Arts' Battlefield 3 were disappearing, leaving only privately rented destinations to play on. This is not the case, EA told GameSpot today.
"DICE is not shutting down servers," an EA representative told GameSpot this afternoon. "If DICE-managed servers appear unavailable, it is because they have been rented and customized by players. DICE will continue to add servers and will reserve a percentage of servers for players who prefer to connect through DICE-hosted servers."
DICE began renting Battlefield 3 servers for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in April for $25 per month. Gamers who rent from DICE can tailor the shooter experience in a number of ways to their liking, including determining which maps and game modes will be included in rotation, and kicking and banning players at will.
Battlefield 3 is set to expand next month with the launch of the Close Quarters downloadable content, the first of three new expansion packs for the shooter. The expansion will feature infantry-focused "vertical" gameplay with four new indoor maps and 10 new weapons that can also be used in the original version of the game.
For more on Battlefield 3, check out GameSpot's review.
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.
I'm getting really close to thinking online games are just to complicated with different versions and fees to be worth it. You're also gambling that people will still be playing it online when you are. Great game if you can figure out how to install it and actually get into a server though.
Well I live in Western Australia and there are only 2 servers in that region, one of which doesn't have a region filter and is full of Russians (actual Russians, not the team) with 400+ ping lagging out the server and causing it to crash. I've never even seen an official DICE server for the entire AUS/NZ region. I play on PC. Does this mean I should be reimbursed as I've paid the same as everyone else and gotten half the service? I'm starting to feel so.
Australia, Canada, and New Zealand should all get massive Fibre Optics so we can play together with a decent amount of players
3 Like Also EA is the worst of the money grubbing rats out there. They nickle and dime the players to death. Online passes, shortcut packs (optional), rent a sever and I bet you they will somehow implement a fee or some why to buy a permanent server slot. Hey Dice just letting you know not to stray away too far when your on EA's leash, don't want to get choked now. I don't respect either company because all they want my money in exchange for bad service.
3 Like For me BF3 was a major disappointment and its one of the few games I probably should not have bothered with. Its servers are not very helpful in trying to make the game enjoyable either. Same crappy EA servers that have always been there.
3 Like I like how that guy's comment simultaneously denied server shut down and confirmed less "free" server availability. When EA first announced streamlined server rental, I predicted at some point all BF players will pay a recurring fee to play, either to rent their own server or to pay for a guaranteed spot on other servers. I am now more certain of that than ever. It kinda makes all those who expected to BF to continue as buy-to-play, including myself, look like chumps, doesn't it? :)
1 Like I have always had a problem trying to get into a game on BF3, thus that is why I quit playing.....
1 Like Good news. Though I prefer official servers, I'm starting to dig the private servers as well. I just discovered there are several "mic-only" private servers, and they are great fun, since most everybody has a mic with voip set to team. I played about 8 hours straight yesterday in a server like that, and I don't feel like going back to the "quiet" official servers.
Looking forward to the upcoming dlc, and I hope they announce something like COD elite soon...BF3 ftw!
About fucking time. I'm glad I didn't trade in this in just yet; they better fix this problem, too, because it's the most bullshit reason I've ever experienced for making me want to stop playing such a great game. It went from highly entertaining to utter junk when this happened: how greedy could they possibly be? There better be a high percentage of DICE servers set aside, or I'll be trading this game in, with bells on.
2 Like I stopped playing console for ahwile because of this. Tired of playing on servers where someone could just boot you if they want or where the map cycle consists of 2 maps with 500% tix.
i always have trouble finding a server with space left in it and it seems there arent enough
1 Like if warfighter is going to be the baby of battlefield and socom II....then i'll just save my money for that.
2 Like I loved MOH sadly it didnt last bc it didnt have a COD/Battlefield label slapped on it.. Im hoping and PRAYING the new one is just as good with some improvements obviously
only thing it fixed was.... gimme a second here gotta find the right term to what was fixed.. OH YEA THE... wait no that still broken.. maybe it was somewhat better stable servers? I doubt that though
2 Like @TheodenofRohan it fixed the GOD weapons USAS frag + famas. Only to replace it with a new GOD weapon: M26 DART
4 Like They really need to let half of the servers be rented out and the other half kept for EA official servers. Most of the servers are all set up identical anyway - 1500 ticket conquest Metro or it's a conquest rotation with 300-500% tickets. Makes me want to barf. How do people enjoy playing the same map for over an hour on just one map???
1 Like its easy stat/ unlock boosting out of control...yet DICE claims as ive stated before, if its used for boosting report it.. well FFS if I do that along with others 90% of the servers will be gone
@smoke_dog_4ever You have to be a hardcore fan to understand 1000 ticket servers have been around since BF 1942
2 Like @smoke_dog_4ever Hey, that's easy attachments for guns and easy leveling up. Some people on consoles just don't like playing on huge maps maps where there are 24 players but still hard to find people to kill sometimes. One of the reason why i like bad company 2 better then BF3, to many air vehicles just for 24 people and i'm saying this because i am usually on foot when i play.
2 Like Belly aching whiners! DICE is working day and night to offer the best experience possible but all u whiners can do is gripe. Servers are coming if you can just b patient. Atleast DICE supports their games, unlike most devs. COD MW3 is one of the biggest let down/broken games I've ever played. typical COD, SHYTE! only thing COD good for is zombies that infitywart would know jack about. DICE turns proceeds into servers for stable proper game play. it is hard to find a game, yes, but will be easier before long. Everyone wanted private matches and now gripe cuz they got them. Its just a simple matter of programming and I'm sure all u complainers could do better right? Highly doubt it. Programs are never perfect and take work to get them right. I'm sure the expectation wasn't to have as many servers rented as what they are getting. I don't like the fact that you have to rent the server for a private match but i can understand why they have to do so this way.
@GTO_Shabs For one, we wanted "private maches" as in a fun thing you do with your friends to mess around.. not an owned server by some jackass that will kick you for shooting him down while he is in his precious pixle helicopter.. i have not played cirtain maps since the patch came out, like alot of the b2k maps and other infantry maps, in my opinion this "patch" ruied this game.. if they fix it i will come back but for now fuck bf3.
@GTO_Shabs Yep, private games as in other shooters (e.g. Killzone 3). Not to spend more bucks. So, players pay for the rented servers. These players and everyone else on their rented servers do not play on the public servers at the same time... For what reason then did they pay the Online Pass? Right... because otherwise you can not play together with your friends. So DICE gets payed for the workaround of a terrible game-design. They fucked up so much. Only Insomniac Games with Resistance 3 can be compared to that epic fail in recent game history.
Not to mention that this week-end I had lags between 2-3 seconds where I wasn't able to shoot, shot behind walls etc. I will never buy anything from DICE. BF3 was so much of a rip-off it can be.
3 Like @GTO_Shabs It never fails. No matter what decision a company makes that makes them money at the expense of the experience their consumers come to expect, there's always a couple of "white knights" who pop out to defend them.
How much money do you make per post?
@mflorian nothing fool. i don't work for ea or dice but i do READ enough to know whats goin on. they have stated several times they working on getting more servers but they cost $$$$$, hence the charge for rental of servers
4 Like @GTO_Shabs That's strange. I was under the impression I already paid for the goddamn game. Silly me.
@GTO_Shabs working day & night? right, just took m 6 months to fix the broken weapons, and once they fix those they break other stuff that wasn't broken.
wrong.. its how TESTING should work idiot. Obviously they didnt properly test the new coded weapons. IF THEY DID ppl still wouldnt be elevatoring the MAV fool
2 Like And troll on side note they went OVERBOARD on this idea.. YES it actually is VEERY easy to have a balance of options, however this is a way for EA to get more $$ from its consumers while stating"we havent shut any down" HAVE YOU ACTUALLY looked for DICE/EA only servers? Im guessibng no or you wouldnt be ranting nonsense here... Youll find 3-5 MAX! If you remove the patch(xbox only option mind you) THERES LESS!!! PS3 owners cant remove the patch or we cant sign in, so we are stuck with it. Last night, Rush mode only, I searched of the 73 Active servers there were 4 with EA as the owner... Thats not something that shouldve happened ESPECIALLY given the timeframe they had to release this patch...
@TheodenofRohan As i said in my post, TROLL, yes it is hard to find the servers but if u give them time, they will come. Go back to Lord of the Rings, u obviously dont belong on the Battlefield. i did read and understand the complaints. all i'm trying to do is bring light to fools like yourself that know jack about programming. one little tweak can make a HUGE difference. NO program is perfect. trying to find the happy medium in programming is a lot difficult than u think.
1 Like NIcer comeback "go back to LoTR" please kid, im a frequent BF3 user if you had common sense one you'd look up my stats and see ive supported DICE since they released ModernCombat. On other note I know more than majority of people on here about programming, NEWS FLASH tool, its my degree. try a real insult next time, its NOT as difficult as you "claim" actually. Dice went from 70+ DICE owned servers(should say DICE leased servers) to less than 10.. So dont run your mouth unless you know WTF your talking about. I guaran-dam-tee I belong on BF3 so once you decide to ACTUAL back your BS rants with hard facts then you may post otherwise on behalf the Gamespot users that are sick of your whinning about "OH ITS OH SO HARD" STFU and troll elsewhere
1 Like You seriously like talking out your butt dont you? YOU obviously didnt get the point of most people's complaints fool... WE WANT a balance not overkill one direction or another... Learn to read and pay attention prior to posting idiotic comments...
1 Like @GTO_Shabs Its a matter of literally "selling out" of official servers to people who kick you for any reason and make it impossible to actually finish games with such high ticket counts. They should have an option to only play on official servers and there should always be enough for people who payed assuming they would get a certain level of quality undermined by private admins.
3 Like @GTO_Shabs How can you even say that with a straight face? The last patch absolutely killed the gameplay (suppression? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that a military-trained sniper could COMPLETELY miss his shot because some dick was 500 yards away spraying the sky with an M249), and it's VERY suspicious how EVERY official DICE server disappeared about two weeks that they started renting them out.
DICE turns proceeds into servers for stable, proper game-play? Then why do I experience so much lag, even on the rare occasion I manage to find an official server? Why did they play around so much with the weapon balance, when all they really needed to do was reduce the range and damage of the 12g frag rounds? Snipers are now effectively useless, people who miss their shots are now more useful than players who actually HIT their targets, counter-air systems doesn't work, air vehicle defenses don't work as they should, and the only class worth playing as now is assault.
Yep, I can see how you'd mistake that for DICE making a stable game.
6 Like @GTO_Shabs wow really ?! you must be the only person who actually likes EA ... dice WAS a good company until EA eat it, but now they hands are tied and many of the good people left ... judging from your level2 you must be very young or new to gaming... you probably do not remember the quality we got years ago ... there is no reason to kiss behind ! the only reason we as customers put up with this is because competition got really scarce ... further more just read it, they LIE even when they deny accusations ""If DICE-managed servers appear unavailable, it is because they have been rented and customized by players" translation: we did not tuke the servers offline we SOLD THEM.. its the same thing ! they lying and manipulating !
In the realm of online combat, Battlefield 3 provides thrills that few games can match.
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
United States Vice President Joe Biden believes there is no legal restriction on ability to tax violent media. Full Story
Avalanche Studios co-founder says developer's ambition is for action, not moments that make players cry; steampunk-style game on hold. Full Story
Developer confirms image suggesting version of upcoming shared-world shooter in development for Sony's latest portable is a fake. Full Story
Assassin's Creed and Far Cry publisher says its network of 26 studios and over 7,000 developers will allow company to ship major franchises more regularly. Full Story
4A Games creative director Andrew Prokhorov thanks Jason Rubin for telling the studio's story, but says, "We deserve the ratings we get." Full Story
DICE head would also like to poach top talent from rivals Infinity Ward and Treyarch. Full Story
Future EA games won't require Online Passes; the service is being scrapped after tepid player response. Full Story
Layoffs at Defiance dev - Report
Trion Worlds confirms job cuts as part of company reorganization, says 80 percent layoff figure "definitely exaggerated"; development on Rift, future...
