Battlefield 1943 missing from PS3 Battlefield 3

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 26 October, 2011

DLC exclusivity offered "in lieu".

The PlayStation 3 version of Battlefield 3 does not include Battlefield 1943 - despite publisher EA's promise that it would.

As part of its E3 2011 press conference, Sony announced a range of PS3-exclusive bonuses for upcoming EA titles, including the inclusion of a free copy of Battlefield 1943 with Battlefield 3.

Sony US boss Jack Tretton said at the time the additional storage of Blu-ray meant EA was able to include the game.

"It's one of the most exciting games of the year bundled free with one of the most popular PSN games," Tretton added.

But, as US gamers have noticed, EA has not made good on its eye-catching promise.

A Tweet made on the Battlefield Twitter page pointed to the recently announced week-long PS3 exclusivity for Battlefield 3 DLC as "in lieu" of the free game.

"In lieu of 1943 being available on disk for PS3 customers, EA has made all BF3 expansions available early to PS3 customers," reads the Tweet.

This conflicts with announcement timing, however. The PS3 DLC exclusivity was announced at the end of September, with no mention of 1943.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (38) Latest comment 7 months ago

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  • Eraysor #1 7 months ago

    Classy EA, classy...

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #2 7 months ago

    U see EA thats a shit trade.

    In lieu of backing out on your promise i will be buying MW3 first instead, how do you like those apples.

  • wizlon #3 7 months ago

    This is complete bullshit, I know it was a freebie but you can't dangle a carrot and then whip it away at the last second.

  • NotSoSlim #4 7 months ago

    After the shite they have offeted as SP i think i can safely say MW3 will get my pennies

  • sfp_noodle #5 7 months ago

    Does the fact that the game was rushed in its final stages have anything to do with this? It might sound easy getting an old game onto a disc, but someone still has to do it. I'm guessing they just couldn't spare anybody! :D

  • onyxbox #6 7 months ago

    BF3 has been a train wreck of a launch, seems like they really rushed to get this game out before MW3 if you ask me.

  • jefranklin18 #7 7 months ago

    Sony will be pissed as it was part of the USP for it on PS3. EA may have some damage limitation to do

  • Eoin #8 7 months ago

    So instead of a fully free game included on the disc, EA are offering...the ability to pay for DLC a week earlier? I think that's what's being said, but that's such a poor substitution that I can't be certain that I'm understanding it correctly.

    I think that "in lieu" of buying BF3, I'll instead buy games that include the things that they said they'd include.

  • nuanimal #9 7 months ago

    So instead of of giving PS3 customers a free full game, they're letting them instead have the oppourtunity to pay for a few maps/weapons one week in advance of 360/PC players.

    Er....

  • Widge #10 7 months ago

    FOUR OH FOUR ON THE APP

  • Kill_Crazy #11 7 months ago

    Can't they just give it away via PSN?

  • jonfon #12 7 months ago

    @wizlon : "This is complete bullshit, I know it was a freebie but you can't dangle a carrot and then whip it away at the last second."

    Well you can, but don't be surprised if the donkey takes a chunk out of your hand instead.

    Wow. I feel like Mr Miyagi after saying that. I'm going to find some youth outside and train him to be a deadly assassin by making him do odd-jobs around my house

    "Why am I putting up shelves?"
    "Erm, because it'll indirectly teach you how to punch a man so hard he involuntarily poops his own teeth out?"
    "Oh, cool!!"
    Edited by jonfon at 26/10/11 @ 10:53

  • Ranger101 #13 7 months ago

    Herein lies the heart of a lesson in how to market a Triple-A title with a Triple-F marketing and publishing team. Well done EA. Commiserations DICE, my sympathies are with you all.

  • repeater #14 7 months ago

    Not that I think I'd have played 1943 that much, but fuck off EA. As a matter of principles and common decency: fuck the hell off.

  • lockload #15 7 months ago

    Hold on they already announced the week early on PSN, that is not in leu of BF1943

  • Tyronne #16 7 months ago

    How does giving some people the chance to pay them a week earlier substitute them giving everyone something away for free?...Sounds like a new thesaurus is required.

    What a bloody poor show!

  • DirectAim #17 7 months ago

    This is a shitty move! DICE make an awesome game and really push things and EA just talk wet.

    To be honest though, who would play an old crappy game over a brand new super awesome mega wicked game?

  • God_Octo #18 7 months ago

    All my excitement for the game has been slowly sapping away since the Beta. It was alright, but nothing amazing, and the launch seems to have made it worse. I was quite looking forward to the single player, but apparently its dull, and 6 co-op missions I can't even play split-screen don't sell it to me either. Yes, I know that the game is basically meant to be MP, but I'm useless at MP, and I don't want to just pay for that, not when loads of other things were promised.

    I'm definitely thinking that I'll be buying Uncharted 3 and Rayman Origins when they come out instead- EA, you have to fix your PR team, as they suck. They suck balls. And terribly at that.

  • ThrowingTuba #19 7 months ago

    Hello?

  • SFG_Clan #20 7 months ago

    I already had BF1943 so no big deal really

    Plus I don't own a PS3. But that is a dick move by EA
    Edited by SFG_Clan at 26/10/11 @ 12:22

  • Nico4 #21 7 months ago

    I have the game myself, so I don't care to be honest. But nice going EA, really nice...

  • Naka1888 #22 7 months ago

    Ah the ol' bait and switch!

  • oceanmotion #23 7 months ago

    Low even for EA.

    I suppose they don't fancy giving a game away for free that needs servers to run and with no DLC ever it's one big money hole. Still, you said people were getting it, pathetic move.

  • Ranger101 #24 7 months ago

    If only DICE self-published. Or Valve were their publisher.

  • customfirmware #25 7 months ago

    Contract law states I can sue because this is a serious miss representation seeing as 1943 was the reason I spent my hard earn cash on buying bf3. EA please can you kindly fuck off. Wish I was in America to sue your asses.

  • kirankara #26 7 months ago

    really scummy move by EA

  • hulkamania78 #27 7 months ago

    Must be an activision insider because people on here are gonna buy MW3 instead what is EG coming to. Every section has to have a COD bashing couple of responses otherwise its not worth coming on here.

    On a side note buy it if u don't like it gamestop offering cod for 1.99 with BF3 traded in so if I don't like it no brainer but the MP sounds to good that's worth the money on its own

  • VibratingDonkey #28 7 months ago

    BF1943 is over two years old, the sales ought to be quite stale, don't think EA would object to giving away some PS3 codes. DLC is probably perceived to be a more efficient incentive so I suspect Sony is the one who pushed for this. I'm sure EA happily obliged though. And happily didn't bother to inform anyone.

    Either way, it's bullshit. They promised a free game. You're not getting it. Instead Sony and EA are delaying the release of DLC for other platforms. Surely that makes up for it...
    Edited by VibratingDonkey at 26/10/11 @ 16:56

  • SavageEvil #29 7 months ago

    Ha ha, what crap is this? Instead of a free game these jerks want to give you access to DLC 1 week earlier? DLC you more than likely have to pay for, it doesn't say free anywhere in the article. EA you can kiss my derriere, I will get BF3 but not until later on when it's at bargain prices, can't believe this cheap bait and switch is still going on and this one was really nasty.

    They need to off a free DL of BF 1943 instead, screw getting maps early, there is no point to a 1 week jump on everyone else as they are on totally different systems and you won't cross play so utterly pointless. EA PR must be getting dumber by the minute or dollar.
    Edited by SavageEvil at 26/10/11 @ 17:02

  • marblepuke #30 7 months ago

    "If it's in the game, it's in the game"

    I guess EA's motto should have always been "If it's not in the game, then we lied to you!"

  • bcxixa10 #31 7 months ago

    LOOOOOOOOOL

  • dadrester #32 7 months ago

    It's a long shot but [/i]"In lieu of 1943 being available on disk for PS3 customers, EA has made all BF3 expansions available early to PS3 customers,"[/i] The wording "on disk" might give them enough wiggle room to give out PSN codes and save face, should there be enough of a stink about it. I hope there is a proper stink too as I've held off buying 1943 for months because of the announcement. I really enjoyed the demo so I was very tempted to buy it but waited instead.

  • andrewsqual #33 7 months ago

    Thats strange. We received in stock in my shop today, the 320gb PS3 Bundle with Battlefield 3 and it has a little logo on it that says "Free Battlefield 1943 inside". That can't be right.

  • dadrester #34 7 months ago

    Euro/US differences? Does eurogamer fancy doing some actual journalism and find out if we're getting 1943?

  • TheVoice #35 7 months ago

    I'd rather have the DLC but I can see why some people are annoyed, it's the principle of it really.
    I don't think I've yet bothered with any of the 'free' games that PS3 versions of EA have come with previously. I didn't bother re-playing the original Medal of Honor, and I haven't yet given Dead Space: Extraction a go either.

  • 00.00.01 #36 7 months ago

    Aww.. sucks. too bad it's EA's doing, because the pun "DICE rhymes with lies" cannot be made. Meh.

  • superstu1337 #37 7 months ago

    It's funny how 99% of you complaining and saying you won't be buying the game now will be some of the first people thru the doors tonight at midnight to grab the game - and you know it!

  • mukki #38 7 months ago

    Oh nice one EA...