If you've been paying attention, it's no secret that Microsoft and Ubisoft have teamed up to promote The Division. From early beta access to an Xbox One bundle featuring the game, it seems Microsoft is trying awfully hard to make sure Xbox One is the go-to place for Ubisoft's shared-world shooter.
This latest news, however, is the biggest exclusive yet. According to a GameStop promotional video, Xbox One players will get The Division's major DLC 30 days ahead of players on PlayStation 4 and PC. This includes the three recently-announced expansion packs, though it's unclear if unpaid updates like the free addition of new modes that Ubisoft has promised, will also be a 30-day Xbox exclusive.
Destiny players should be all too familiar with this scenario. The game launched on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, but Sony gamers received multiple weapons and missions that stayed exclusive to PlayStation platforms for a year. A similar 30-day exclusive period is also happening with Sony's partnership with Activision for Call of Duty. For the foreseeable future, all Call of Duty DLC will be available 30 days earlier on PlayStation 4 than on PC and Xbox One, like Call of Duty: Black Ops III's recently-released "Awakening" DLC pack, for example.
While 30 days is a far shorter time period than an entire year, more than a few players of The Division will likely be upset by the news. As The Division is all about leveling up your character and finding better gear, to sit and wait 30 days while Xbox gamers get to jump ahead in all of the new content is a bit of a bummer.
That's simply how the game industry does business, at least for now. Companies like Sony and Microsoft throw money at game publishers to try and score a win over their competition, even if it hurts a large segment of the gaming community by cutting it off from new content or new games entirely.
The Division's open beta begins Feb. 18 for Xbox One owners, with PS4 and PC players getting the chance to dive in on Feb. 19. The full game is set to arrive on March 8.
