Release date showdown for Battlefield and COD?

EA doesn’t want Activision grabbing headlines with Call of Duty any longer – it is trying to release Battlefield 3 as close to ‘Modern Warfare 3′ as possible, retailers have told MCV.

That could mean a day-and-date clash, although a release in the days before a new CoD is more likely.

EA won’t comment on the speculation, but whatever the date this aggresive play would put more pressure on Call of Duty as EA competes for FPS dominance. This week its US HQ said BF3 marketing was on the offensive” against Activision.

The expected second-week-of-November return for Call of Duty will be officially confirmed by May 23rd, buyers also tell us.

Once details on the presumed follow-up to 2009 blockbuster Modern Warfare 2 are known, eyes will turn to EA.

EA hasn’t been shy with Battlefield 3. It’s well known it will tackle CoD head-on,” our retail source said. We’re ready for them to arrive within days of each other.”

NEED TO KNOW: CALL OF DUTY

The eighth Call of Duty – presumed to be a third Modern Warfare – will arrive in the second week of November, likely the 8th. Since 2007 release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Activision has ruled the FPS genre, mixing retail sales with DLC map revenues. 2010 game Black Ops is the best-selling current generation game. Activision is this year expanding the franchise with a free-to-play version and a new online platform for fans.

NEED TO KNOW: BATTLEFIELD

Battlefield 3 is a sequel to 2005’s Battlefield 2 and arrives in the wake of 2010 barnstormer BF: Bad Company 2. It’s built with a new engine by its Swedish developer EA DICE. And it’s propelled by just as powerful a hype machine: EA has been pitching it as the true challenger to CoD and CEO John Riccitiello says the game will ‘take down’ Call of Duty in a marketing offensive” costing over $100m between the two brands.