Monday 1/28/13 2200 PST console server downtime 8 hrs

per battlelog:
http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/news/view/2832654790703160863/



On January 28/29, we are migrating our Battlefield 3 console servers to optimize our online service. If you’re a regular Battlefield 3 player, this will have no impact except for some downtime during maintenance. Read on for the full details.

8 hour server maintenance starts:
January 28th 22:00 PST (Click link for start and end times where you live)
Our Battlefield 3 console server migration will start at this time. Online gameplay will not be available on consoles during this operation. We will message once servers are starting to spin back up.

Read this if renting a console server in the “South US” region
For the large majority of players renting a Battlefield 3 server, our server migration is a completely transparent operation except for the planned maintenance. If you are currently renting a console server in the “South US” region, the following applies:

* Your current lease period will run its full course with no change whatsoever

* After the server migration you will not be able to extend your current lease or start a new lease in the “South US” region – we recommend that you use the “East US” or “West US” region instead

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so, if I read this right, EA is eliminating their US South BF3 server farm once all the South server rental leases expire.

way to go EA. screw over the US south players in addition to Central and South American players.

What I pull from this is that DICE/EA have already decided to start downgrading their servers.

I know a lot of SA and Mex players will/do lag hard on East/West servers. On Battlelog there's already people from South US who complained that they can only play South US servers without lagging. Good on them for sticking to a location their ISP can support... Now that they have eliminated this option it's compounding the issue for them and the rest of the BF3 community. Sounds like a case of trying to shove 5 lbs of fecal matter into a 2 lbs sack.

Also not too long ago I received a blanket email from EA to its subscribers regarding termination of online service/servers for some of their older multilayer games. I'd have to see if I still have it but it looks like over the past 6 months EA's decided to clean house. I hope in the end I put my foot in my mouth and we magically have some awesome game play/sever connections after migration and I get to eat my words. I some how feel that I probably wont.