DICE explains why PC Battlefield 3 patches take so long

DICE has pointed the finger at a “frustrating” console certification process as to why the massive Battlefield 3 patch that we’ve been writing about for months hasn’t been rolled out sooner on PC.

While it’s possible to deliver patches much quicker on PC than it is on console, DICE executive producer Patrick Bach confirmed to PC Gamer that Battlefield 3 patches on PC are being delayed until the bigger, heftier console versions are ready.

Bach agreed that it was frustrating, but also added that it wasn’t an entirely bad system. “There are benefits to it, because you get proper testing. There’s a lot of process that is there to guarantee a great gameplay experience.”

“We have had problems with patching in things like Battlefield 2 where you had to patch the patch because the patch screwed it up and then you have to apply a patch to the patch to the patch. And that’s, from a player perspective, that’s not a great experience – “Oh is this the 6.8 patch or the 6.9? Because the 6.8 broke the game and now you need to unbreak it!”

But PC Gamer also asked if the console certification process could cause additional grief if the soon-to-be-released megapatch causes unexpected problems. “It’s very frustrating when it comes to… you have the fix, it’s done but you can’t roll it out. But again, it’s not unique to us – everyone lives in this reality,” said Bach.

The whopping 1GB patch is out now on PlayStation 3, and should be making its way over to PC and Xbox 360 “soon”. You can read the full list of changes, fixes and tweaks on the Battlefield blog.