Battlefield 4: Second Assault DLC Goes Missing, EA and Microsoft Investigate

[Andy Chalk]

Battlefield 4: Second Assault DLC Goes Missing, EA and Microsoft Investigate

Microsoft and Electronic Arts are investigating reports that timed-exclusive DLC for the Xbox One version of Battlefield 4 has disappeared from the online store.

The Second Assault DLC for Battlefield 4 was released on November 22 as a timed exclusive for Xbox One owners who sign up for a BF4 Premium membership. But over the past couple of days, there's been a problem: Users are finding that when they log into the Premium store the pack is listed as "NULL DATA," with no description, no price and no way to download and install it.

A message posted yesterday on the Battlefield forums complaining about the issue has attracted a number of responses from other players with the same problem, some of whom say the were told by EA support to just wait awhile for it to clear itself up. That went over about as well as you'd expect, but now it appears that the company is digging into the matter earnestly.

"I know some of you have said already that it is being looked into but I wanted to just confirm it for you so you guys have a blue post to refer to," an EA rep wrote. "Right now all I can say is that we are aware of this issue and are currently investigating this with Microsoft. Once we have some more details I'll be sure to let you know."

According to one poster, Battlefield 4 players who have already downloaded and installed Second Assault on Xbox One still have access to it, but anyone who tries to install or reinstall it now is out of luck. The Battlefield 4: Second Assault DLC is scheduled to go live on all platforms on December 3.

Source: Battlefield forums [http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/en/forum/threadview/2955065670178428398/3/]


Permalink

 

[TheSapphireKnight]

I love the Battlefield series and DICE, but man am I glad I waited to get this. I didn't pre-order it and it convinced me once and for all to never pre order anything ever again.

The issues BF4 has had on the technical side scream "publisher pressure" and my opinion of EA is even lower than before. I didn't even think that was possible.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Well Microsoft, congratulations, you just got DICE'd, welcome aboard!

I wonder how much MS pays to get these slightly-exclusive releases, I find it hard to believe that a week and a half's head start on expansions of all things drives sales, either of the game or the hardware.

The issues BF4 has had on the technical side scream "publisher pressure" and my opinion of EA is even lower than before. I didn't even think that was possible.

To me they just screamed 'DICE Game,'

It's been eleven years now and DICE have yet to release a Battlefield game that actually worked on release day. Battlefield: Vietnam probably came closest but the balance of that game was hilarious (wiping out entire groups of tanks with two pairs of rockets from the Mi-8 transport helicopter!), it got better over time, but between the BF2 release, the BF3 release (and the return of Stretch Armstrong!) or even the BF1942 release, I can't think of any that actually worked properly until 3-4 months and a pile of patches.

BF2's infamous crash to desktop post splash screen was probably the worst though. Start the game... BF2!.. black screen... back to desktop, punch monitor.

 

[josemlopes]

Well Microsoft, congratulations, you just got DICE'd, welcome aboard!

The issues BF4 has had on the technical side scream "publisher pressure" and my opinion of EA is even lower than before. I didn't even think that was possible.

To me they just screamed 'DICE Game,'

It's been eleven years now and DICE have yet to release a Battlefield game that actually worked on release day. Battlefield: Vietnam probably came closest but the balance of that game was hilarious (wiping out entire groups of tanks with two pairs of rockets from the Mi-8 transport helicopter!), it got better over time, but between the BF2 release, the BF3 release (and the return of Stretch Armstrong!) or even the BF1942 release, I can't think of any that actually worked properly until 3-4 months and a pile of patches.

BF2's infamous crash to desktop post splash screen was probably the worst though. Start the game... BF2!.. black screen... back to desktop, punch monitor.

Bad Company 2 actually worked well even in beta, kind of suprising

 

[tdylan]

Bad Company 2 actually worked well even in beta, kind of suprising

Bad Company 2 was a rubberbanding mess (X360) And I'm convinced DICE has no idea how to balance gameplay. Yes, things will turn up that need to be addressed once the game goes live, but my god. I got onboard with BF2. The J10 was never properly balanced. Neither was the G36E or claymore mines. The USMC Blackhawk's miniguns were obscenely powerful, and the Assault class was useless. They then made the PKM death incarnate, and broke the game with the special forces expansion (my first time experiencing "crash to desktop" with any of its patches). Antiair missile sites were a joke. Anyone remember firing missiles at the flaming oil towers on that one map, and the missiles would fly around the fire in tight circles until an enemy aircraft flew by? The missile would then track the aircraft without giving it a lock-on alert.

BF2142 was better, but the Voss was still overpowered. Then the rubberbanding and balance issues in Bad Company 2 (I didn't play the original bad company) with the M60 (what is it with DICE giving the medic the most bad ass weapon? G36E in BF2. Voss in 2142. M60 in Bad Company 2)& AN94 when combined with magnum ammo. Piss poor anti air made atacama desert a joke once competent pilots got the gunships, and then they nerfed the speed of the tracer dart because..."they could," I guess.

I loved BF2, the Point of Existence 2 mod, BF2142, and Bad Company 2 despite the issues, but there have been too many issues, and the battlefield 4 beta didn't make me feel any better. I skipped BF3 entirely, played the BF4 beta, was told that I was "objectively wrong," and have all but decided "**** it" with regard to DICE

 

[Yopaz]

Who would have thought EA would have trouble finding DLC to sell?

Also I love the article headline, sounds like an idea for a TV show: EA and Microsoft's Investigation Bureau.

OK, jokes aside, this can't make Microsoft happy. They must have shelled out quite a bit to get exclusive DLC and now the DLC is gone while it's slowly becoming less exclusive.

 

[Little Gray]

I love the Battlefield series and DICE, but man am I glad I waited to get this. I didn't pre-order it and it convinced me once and for all to never pre order anything ever again.

The issues BF4 has had on the technical side scream "publisher pressure" and my opinion of EA is even lower than before. I didn't even think that was possible.

You cant really blame EA for this though. The dlc disappearing from microsofts online store on the xbox one is clearly a microsoft issue and not an EA one.

 

[josemlopes]

Bad Company 2 actually worked well even in beta, kind of suprising

Bad Company 2 was a rubberbanding mess (X360) And I'm convinced DICE has no idea how to balance gameplay. Yes, things will turn up that need to be addressed once the game goes live, but my god. I got onboard with BF2. The J10 was never properly balanced. Neither was the G36E or claymore mines. The USMC Blackhawk's miniguns were obscenely powerful, and the Assault class was useless. They then made the PKM death incarnate, and broke the game with the special forces expansion (my first time experiencing "crash to desktop" with any of its patches). Antiair missile sites were a joke. Anyone remember firing missiles at the flaming oil towers on that one map, and the missiles would fly around the fire in tight circles until an enemy aircraft flew by? The missile would then track the aircraft without giving it a lock-on alert.

BF2142 was better, but the Voss was still overpowered. Then the rubberbanding and balance issues in Bad Company 2 (I didn't play the original bad company) with the M60 (what is it with DICE giving the medic the most bad ass weapon? G36E in BF2. Voss in 2142. M60 in Bad Company 2)& AN94 when combined with magnum ammo. Piss poor anti air made atacama desert a joke once competent pilots got the gunships, and then they nerfed the speed of the tracer dart because..."they could," I guess.

I loved BF2, the Point of Existence 2 mod, BF2142, and Bad Company 2 despite the issues, but there have been too many issues, and the battlefield 4 beta didn't make me feel any better. I skipped BF3 entirely, played the BF4 beta, was told that I was "objectively wrong," and have all but decided "**** it" with regard to DICE

Im still amazed at how much the mod community managed to improve BF2 with mods like Forgotten Hope and Project Reality while DICE doesnt seem to learn a thing from them and never go anywhere in quality

 

[Sanunes]

I love the Battlefield series and DICE, but man am I glad I waited to get this. I didn't pre-order it and it convinced me once and for all to never pre order anything ever again.

The issues BF4 has had on the technical side scream "publisher pressure" and my opinion of EA is even lower than before. I didn't even think that was possible.

You cant really blame EA for this though. The dlc disappearing from microsofts online store on the xbox one is clearly a microsoft issue and not an EA one.

I tend to agree, for it was working at one point then stopped working to me that means there is a problem with the service offering the DLC.

 

[mrdude2010]

Maybe someone sabotaged the hosting server because they realized how absolutely greedy and ridiculous it was for a game to release DLC less than a month after its release.

 

[Strazdas]

Id like to point out that there seems to be a bug on this site. All other news titles are in "bolded" font while this one is not on the main page.
Sort of fitting for an article about something missing.

 

[Reed Spacer]

It might just be afraid. Have you checked the closets and under the beds?

 

[octafish]

Eh it is the DLC that contains Metro. That says it all really. Only stat padders miss out...well not really, they still have Locker.

 

[rbstewart7263]

I love the Battlefield series and DICE, but man am I glad I waited to get this. I didn't pre-order it and it convinced me once and for all to never pre order anything ever again.

The issues BF4 has had on the technical side scream "publisher pressure" and my opinion of EA is even lower than before. I didn't even think that was possible.

Dude I bought it for pc. So I click on the shortcut and it takes me to a website where I pick my multiplayermodes setups all that. kind of jank but whatever and this is after logging into origin. I play for about 3 minutes and the game crashes. its great game before then though. I actually can kill others unlike blacklight retribution(SO>.< MUCH RECOIL!)

 

[rbstewart7263]

I love the Battlefield series and DICE, but man am I glad I waited to get this. I didn't pre-order it and it convinced me once and for all to never pre order anything ever again.

The issues BF4 has had on the technical side scream "publisher pressure" and my opinion of EA is even lower than before. I didn't even think that was possible.

You cant really blame EA for this though. The dlc disappearing from microsofts online store on the xbox one is clearly a microsoft issue and not an EA one.

I tend to agree, for it was working at one point then stopped working to me that means there is a problem with the service offering the DLC.

That logic suits but then why is it only happening with this buggy ass game? I mean I dont recall micro having this problem before?