EA: No Patches for Battlefield 3 Outside Origin

Here's a bit of bad news for PC gamers who purchased Battlefield 3 outside EA's Origin digital platform: you won't (officially) get patches anywhere else, nor will there be standalone versions. Ever.

Both EA and DICE confirmed this fact on Friday in an email exchange with Ausgamers. As the site points out, the most recent patch weighs a hefty 3.6 GB. Because of this, Australian players on limited download plans have requested that EA release standalone files that can be downloaded from local ISPs instead of abroad.

"Many Australians have had issues downloading the huge volumes of content relating to Battlefield 3," the site reports. "The recent release of a 3.5 GB patch was another reminder that, for those of us on limited download plans, keeping games up to date is a bit of a hassle when your ISP isn't able to mirror them locally."

But apparently EA is sticking to its guns and will only update the popular military shooter through Origin. The company hasn't made this fact any kind of secret, indicating for some time now that it wants to keep updates and content packs within the EA ecosystem -- presumably for piracy reasons. This exclusive factor was part of the controversy surrounding the disappearance of EA games on Valve Software's Steam platform.

Still, EA and DICE may eventually change their minds if the multiplayer component begins to diminish in traffic because gamers are unable to download and install patches -- especially when they range in the gigabytes. Fans are encouraged to visit the official game forum and vent their thoughts if patching is a major problem.

  • ultraman
    Origin should allow mirrors through local ISPs like Steam does. Then you can just download from Telstra or whoever you're with and have unmetered downloads.
    Reply
  • joytech22
    Origin is a piece of crap..
    Steam on the other hand unifies all of the important stuff, patching, games, community, groups clans and friends, DLC + content, trailers, demo's, gifting etc..

    Origin has.. Games.. Friends.. Is EA-Only.. :\
    Seriously who came up with Origin? Is there anyone that actually likes it?

    Plus it tends to tell me my "REMEMBERED PASSWORD" from the ticked box is wrong a lot.
    It's like EA is intentionally trying to turn players away from their new content. :\
    Reply
  • People don't have flat rate in 2011?

    Nonetheless, Origin still sucks.
    Reply
  • People really need to start voting with their wallet...and not just for games. For everything. Easiest way to change the landscape.
    Reply
  • Thunderfox
    Metered access? How awful. But then what the hell kind of game - especially a recently launched one - needs 3.6GB patches? Sounds like they didn't actually finish it until after it was already on sale.
    Reply
  • LuckyDucky7
    Fans are encouraged to visit the official game forum and vent their thoughts if patching is a major problem.

    Except if you complain about it on their forums (much less vent what everybody's thinking anyways), they'll just ban your account, which is standard operating procedure for them.
    Reply
  • Not in Australia they don't
    Reply
  • admir00
    EA and its Origin App annoy everyone. The EA's forums are filled with people complaining about that service. Don't even mention it's battlelog, and other 99 problems with BF3, but hey a bi*** ain't one. (from BF3 official trailer) :)
    Reply
  • admir00
    LuckyDucky7Except if you complain about it on their forums (much less vent what everybody's thinking anyways), they'll just ban your account, which is standard operating procedure for them.

    So true!
    Reply
  • Benihana
    Damn, one game I might've wanted to play for this year. Ah well, I guess it's back to the last CoD I "voted" for. CoD4. Or just TF2 it up. For free.

    And hotsacoman, you have a damn good point. :)
    Reply