For once PC gamers get in on a street date break, with EA confirming an early unlock on Origin.
A few hours ago EB Games tweeted that it was now selling EA's Battlefield 3 ahead of the official launch date this friday. As PC gamers likely know, the breaking of street dates is largely a console phenomena - in this age of digital distribution and online 'unlocks' street dates are sacrosanct and well beyond the influence of the street date breaking shenanigans that go on between Australian bricks and mortar retailers.
EA's Origin service has been telling Australian users that the game will unlock on PC at 10pm tomorrow night (the 27th). Thankfully, while we sat around muttering stuff about VPNs and proxy servers, our intrepid video producer actually replied to EBgames and asked what the break meant for the PC.
The reply was '12am tonight :)', which we have also confirmed with EA. Origin should now be showing this as the new unlock time for the game. Those who have it preordered (and refrained from the various workarounds) should find the release date check in origin now showing midnight Sydney time rather than tomorrow.
We have been pretty skeptical of Origin, and while there are still many questions, we have to give EA credit for doing the one thing that Steam never does.
So it looks like time to update your drivers, stock up on caffenated beverages and start coughing conspicuously at work - because from midnight tonight it is finally Battlefield time!
Issue: 137 | June, 2012