For better or for worse, DLC is part of the current generation of gaming and, because of its profitability, part of the future of the industry. There are a lot of people who are fighting that change, but it's happening and there's not better illustration of that industry shift than by the following quote from Lars Gustavsson while in conversation with MCV.
"Nowadays, we have operations team who looks at the title when it starts getting closer to launch (or long before) with potential downloadable content and so on, to really have a plan. Otherwise you're quite likely to start slipping. If you're focusing just before release on what you're going to ship post-launch, then I think you have problems."
The key to a high value game is a quality game at launch and decent, constant, well-priced DLC, both which take time and planning. I'm not surprised that DICE are already working on it, nor am I disappointed – an attitude that doesn't really seem to be being replicated any where else. The anger should be pointed at those ridiculous pass codes.
Battlefield 3 is out from October 25th.