Xbox 360 Fanboy

The Battlefield: Bad Company DLC controversy has settled down after EA compromised with their "marketing promotions" idea and now today, thanks to Planet Battlefield, we know exactly what we'll have to do to earn all five additional weapons. So, without further wait, here are the non-Microsoft point involved steps to earn each controversial weapon ...

• QBU88 Sniper Rifle: Pre-order the game online or at any participating retailer.
  
• UZI Submachine Gun: Download and play the demo
• M60 Light Machine Gun: Sign up for the Battlefield newsletter
  
• F2000 Assault Rifle: Register your Battlefield soldier name
• USAS12 Shotgun: Check your Bad Company stats online at launch.

Like we said, there's no Microsoft points involved, but is this really a better solution? A show of hands please, who's committed to completing all five tasks listed above to earn the Bad Company weapon bounty?

[Via Joystiq]

Now that we can (almost) put all that negative purchasing in-game weapons talk aside, we can proudly scream from the rooftops that EA has officially announced that Battlefield: Bad Company will release to retailer shelves on June 23rd. Yes, it's acceptable to say that Bad Company has had its fair share of controversy and negative sentiment, but we know some enjoyed the beta and can look past the game's ... erm, past. But what about you? Will you be a member of Bad Company this June and openly announce your purchase from the rooftops? Hmm?

We're a bit late on the call to arms, but the movement is still alive and in full force. Sarcastic Gamer has spear-headed a Battlefield: Bad Company boycott that has gathered a bunch of followers who are united in a retail boycott of EA and DICE's upcoming shooter. Why the need for a boycott? Well, it's those oh so controversial weapons that EA confirmed would have to be purchased separately off the XBLM when the game hits retail. If you agree with and refuse to purchase Bad Company unless EA gets rid of their weapon purchase business plan then join Sarcastic Gamer's boycott by signing their petition, plastering web banners across the internets and watching their resistance video on loop at twelve hour intervals. The call to arms has already started, are you signing up?

[Thanks, Saccia]

As quirky as it sounds, we believe to have just discovered our new comedic weak spot ... hopping med kits. That's correct, bunny hopping med kits of jumping extravagance. The Project Mod Gaming crew captured med kit hopping enjoyment this week while playing the newly released Battlefield: Bad Company beta. And as much as we want to say it isn't a glitch, we have to believe it is. Though, just think of how cool it would be to play the retail build of Bad Company and be able to spring a med kit mid-game, having it bounce around as if a coked up bunny were inside. If that were the case, we'd have no problem being a medic every game.

A reminder to those who were able to score a key code or put down a pre-order at Gamestop that the Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer beta has officially begun. The semi-exclusive beta will run from now through April 25th and feature multiplayer mayhem spread across two maps featuring the Gold Rush gametype. And after firing up the beta for a few quick games this morning we must say, this game has potential. The graphics are gorgeous and the Frostbite engine's destructible environments seem to work as promised. We'll have to play a lot more Bad Company before we have a definitive opinion, but from what we've experienced thus far, it seems to be good times. Anyway, the Bad Company beta is live, so get in if you want and if you can. Oh, and know that weapons are not included. Mwahahaha!

It's true. Today, EA confirmed that Battlefield: Bad Company will feature micro-transactions surrounding a few of the game's weapons. Crap.

Discovered via the Bad Company beta menus, a few of the game's weapons mentioned the fact that they could only be unlocked via an XBLM purchase. In an effort to clarify the rumors, EA confirmed with IGN that Bad Company will feature five unlockable weapons which will be a part of a promotional period prior to the game's launch and will eventually end up being free downloads after the retail launch. But the game will also sport five other weapons which will be exclusively included in Bad Company's Gold Edition or as a purchase off the XBLM for a "small individualized price". EA wanted to make it clear that the purchasable weapons do not give players any significant edge, rather they'll give players more variety. And that's supposed to make us okay with it? Pssht, micro-transactions suck.

Update: Wow. Never underestimate how quickly gamers can consume free beta keys. Once again, all the public keys have been exhausted with only Insider and Founder members keys left.

Big news for those of you who missed out on the free Battlefield: Bad Company beta key codes that were released to the general public last Thursday. EA and DICE just replenished their stock and put up a new batch of public keys that are available on a first come first serve basis. And you'll be happy to know that they are available right now! W00t!

If you recall, when they first became available, all of the Bad Company public beta keys were claimed within' a few hours time leaving many wannabe participants empty handed. So quickly, most fanboys didn't even know how to obtain one before it was too late. So, this time we advise pointing your browser to IGN's FilePlanet, answering a few questions, signing up and grabbing your free beta key before they disappear. Remember, EA will be flipping the switch within' twenty-four hours time when the Bad Company beta officially kicks off tomorrow the 25th.

After obtaining a Battlefield: Bad Company beta code through some questionable means, we proceeded to redeem our code and download the beta off the Marketplace. After firing it up and realizing the servers aren't yet live, we decided to troll through the game's menus to learn a little more about what we were in for all while listening to the calming piano music being played. Then, almost as if were were slapped in the face with a trout, we spotted the chart you see above. It's a default controller chart that confirms that Bad Company will include a Halo 3'esque "take screenshot" feature in multiplayer with the simple press of up on the d-pad. We're not sure how easy it'll be to take a screenshot while in the heat of battle or if there will be any other screenshot taking options, but at least we know there will be one. Gimped or not, adding the ability to take screenshots in any game is a big plus in our book. Now about paying for weapons ...

Well with the rise of the microtransaction age we were bound to see some exploitation, and it seems that the horse armor syndrome is rising again, this time over at EA. We've heard about it via several sources already, including a reader, and it appears that the Battlefield: Bad Company Beta lists individual weapons for sale via the XBLM. A total of ten weapons are locked that have text reading "Available for purchase on Xbox Live Marketplace" next to them. The details of this are a bit shaky as of now however, as of those ten weapons, five weapons are listed as simply available for purchase, and five are listed as available in gold edition or for purchase. The gold edition likely refers to the game's collector's edition which sports a faux gold finish and which will apparently have extra content.

Now, whether or not collector's editions having in-game items is a good idea isn't the issue, the issue is the microtransactions in regard to in game items. It isn't really an issue with single player games, as the content purchases of other players cannot effect your experience. But in the case of a multiplayer shooter having more weapons available to those with larger pocket-books just doesn't feel right. With EA experimenting with microtransactions in their new Battlefield Heroes PC game, it would seem only logical that they would continue the experiment in the console realm. But with the PC version's microtransactions based around things other than in-game items that effect balance (EXP, Skins, etc) we're hoping the console side of the experiment fails, and the PC one is widely adopted.

[Thanks vince]

Update: Hopefully you got in, because all of the public beta codes have been exhausted. Though, you can still grab one if you're a part of IGN's Insider or Founder's club.

But a few hours ago, the Battlefield: Bad Company beta was officially revealed and specifics were a bit light. But now IGN just posted more information regarding the beta including multiplayer details and official links for you to grab your beta code today.

First off, we're sure you want to know how you can confirm your beta seat right now, so let's talk about that. To grab a beta download key, head over to File Planet, answer a few screener questions and login / create an IGN account. Once that's complete, you'll be redirected to a confirmation page where, if they're still available, you'll be treated to an Xbox Live redemption code to gain access into the beta which kicks off on March 25th. Easy as pie!

Next up, Bad Company beta multiplayer specifics. IGN posted a introductory video (embedded above) showing off the new Gold Rush gametype, how it's played and the strategies involved. If you're hungry for more deets, IGN also posted weapon, vehicle and gadget information so you'll be prepared for battle come Monday. Make the jump, get your read on and be sure to sign up for the beta key ASAP. We're not sure how long those keys will last.

[Thanks, Chris]

Update: We've been informed that details surrounding the Battlefield: Bad Company beta have yet to be hammered out, but that the beta is still on track. As soon as we hear specifics regarding the beta we'll be sure to pass along the news. In other words ... stay tuned.

In a move that comes from far, far left field, EA and DICE just announced that they'll be holding an open (yet limited) Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer beta starting next Monday, March 17th. Access into the beta is open to North American and UK residents and keys can be obtained through IGN and its sister sites including TeamXbox. What we are sure of is that U.S. residents will have a second way to gain beta access by heading to GameStop and plopping down a Bad Company pre-order to obtain one of the 5,000 beta keys being offered.

As far as multiplayer specifics go, the Bad Company beta will feature two multiplayer maps and the multiplayer mode "Gold Rush". And just like betas previous, DICE will use all the data they mine from their Bad Company beta to further tweak and improve upon the game before its release. Speaking of a release date, DICE confirmed that Battlefield: Bad Company will in fact make a June 2008 release ... pending any more setbacks.

We didn't think we'd ever utter the words again, since the perfection that was Battlefield 2 PC, but we're giddy for the newest Battlefield title hitting shelves later this year. Sure, Battlefield: Bad Company might be using a known franchise title to gain notoriety, considering the direction the game is going in, but jaw-dropping videos of the game's destructible environments keep us hopeful. What we hope is that Battlefield: Bad Company plays as well as it looks and doesn't turn into a one-trick pony. Looking for more to whet your appetite? EA DICE released these eight new screens from the single-player campaign and multiplayer mode over the weekend for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Yesterday, we made mention of new Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer details and embedded some (super knife!) gameplay footage. We were also quite open about how promising Bad Company is with its solid visuals and destructible environments. So, when we came across the new'ish video above, we figured we'd share. The video shows off the game's destructible everything, including trees, walls, buildings and fences. You'll also see bunch of "love 'em or hate 'em" duffel bags popping out of dead bodies. That'll take a bit of getting used to. Also, we recommend watching the video through the end, because there's some explosive goodness in the final thirty seconds. Boomer go boom!

Since being bit by the delay bug, Battlefield: Bad Company has been flying under the radar, but recently developer DICE felt confident enough to show off the game's multiplayer and it actually impresses.

IGN posted a nice writeup of their first Bad Company multiplayer experience and are pleased to report that the framerate, textures and overall look of the game has drastically improved since their single player play session last year. The extra polish looks to have paid off. Their hands on time consisted of a 16 player versus multiplayer match in a map called "Ascension" (no, not that Ascension) where the goal was to lay waste to the other team all while destroying their heavily secured gold stash. The graphics are sharp, the gameplay was solid enough, the destructible environments lived up to their name and IGN walked away satisfied and hopeful. And from their positive praise (and videos like the one above) we're, oddly enough, impressed as well. Make the jump to read their complete multiplayer writeup as well as their preview of a yet to be played campaign mission. B-company out.

EA and DICE sent out an email and have made it official. Their extremely explosive and over the top Battlefield: Bad Company has been bitten by the delay bug. Awww ...

The delay will push Bad Company back from its original release of "early 2008" to a a more general 2008 release. That means there will be no Bad Company next month or the month after, but there's a possibility it could hit retailers later this Spring, sometime in the Summer or even this Fall. We'll keep an eye out for an official release date when EA confirms one, but while we wait for that, we advise twiddling your thumbs. It'll not only make the time go by much quicker, but it will also prepare you for the thumb twiddling Olympics. Seriously.