Battlefield 3 has got 99 problems, but its 5 million one-week sales ain't one

Written by Matt Swider on October 31, 2011

BF3 News: Server issues be damned. BF3 has become EA's fastest-selling game in history.

It looks like EA's strategy to push Battlefield 3 out the door two weeks before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has worked to the tune of 5 million copies sold in the game's first week, according to the company's internal global estimates. This makes BF3 the fastest-selling title in the history of Electronic Arts. Backing up that impressive stat, the publisher is also reporting the highest-ever usage rates for online multiplayer.

УWhile some players experienced intermittent disruption of online services due to high volume, internal estimates show that servers and service uptime stabilized to roughly 98.9% throughout the weekend, ensuring that players were connected and enjoying the game. With a commitment to support the game as a software service, EA is listening to consumer feedback and is making daily updates and improvements to ensure an optimal online experience for all.Ф

To give you more precise in-game figures, the 5 million number translates to gamers having executed 73M savior kills, 48M revives and destroyed 67M vehicles in Battlefield 3. Gaming Target will have its full review of BF3 this week given the fact that we actually have the game now and that most of the server issues have subsided over the weekend. Then, we'll match this war-themed game against another, Call of Duty: MW3 next week - with a review up on the game's launch day.