PS3 gamers get exclusive early access to Battlefield 3 expansions

In a blog post today, DICE announced that it has signed a timed exclusivity pact with Sony that will give PlayStation 3 players early access to Battlefield 3's expansions. Sony loyalists will be able to play "full-blown" expansion packs one week ahead of other platforms. This will begin with "Back to Karkand," which is being offered initially as bonus content for preorder customers but will be available for all players sometime after the game's launch.
This isn't the first time we've seen such arrangements and it's presumably Sony's attempt to compete with Microsoft's deal with Activision. Since last year, the Xbox 360 has received dibs for a month after the release of Call of Duty downloadable content. Unfortunately, PC gamers have been caught in the crossfire and we assume they'll have to wait the extra week too -- despite EA's repeated assurance that Battlefield 3's developmental focus is on PC.

Back to Karkand is a themed expansion pack that contains about as much content as Battlefield: Bad Company 2's Vietnam DLC. It includes four remastered Battlefield 2 maps: Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman and the Sharqi Peninsula. Again, you can get the first expansion free by preordering Battlefield 3 and this might bypass the exclusive shenanigans you'll face when purchasing the DLC separately later. That's purely speculation on our part, though.
In case you missed the news this week, EA announced that Battlefield 3 would finally enter public beta at the end of this month. Folks who preordered the game or purchased the Limited Edition of Medal of Honor will gain entry on Tuesday, September 27. Everyone else will be ushered in two days later. Players will be limited to the "Rush" game mode on the map "Operation Metro." We included Battlefield 3's system requirements in our original post.

EA: 4-5 year game console cycle "gone forever"

Electronic Arts conducted their Q1 2012 earnings call yesterday, although it wasn’t the financial figures that garnered the most attention during the briefing. EA CEO John Riccitiello gave a brief overview of the industry as a whole and proclaimed that the gaming and console marketplaces have been changed forever.
Riccitiello pointed out that digital content has revolutionized the gaming industry. The top paid applications in the Andorid Marketplace and Apple’s App Store are all games. The fastest-growing revenue streams aren’t just the games themselves anymore but the digital content associated with them.
These are all statements that we would agree with, but it's his comments about console gaming and emerging markets that is a bit puzzling.
"Gone forever is the 4- to 5-year console cadence that gave developers ample time to invest and retool for the next big wave," Riccitiello said. "Consider that just 18 months ago, there was no iPad, Google was just experimenting with Android and most big games were limited to a single revenue opportunity at launch. Consider that each of the major consoles now has a controller that encourages users to get off the couch and get into the action."
Depending upon your interpretation, some would argue that Riccitiello might have missed the mark with the above statement. Devices like smartphones and the iPad are creating new markets, not replacing existing consoles.
And if anything, it would seem that digital content would extend the life of a console and help titles hold their relevance longer. A good example of this is the Call of Duty series which releases a multiplayer map pack every few months at roughly $15 a pop. The same can be said for motion devices like the Xbox Kinect, an add-on to the 360 which will extend the life of the console, not shorten it. Without new digital content or innovative accessories, gamers might have demanded something new long ago.