Battlefield: Bad Company beta to start next week
by Justin McElroy 
{ Mar 20th 2008 at 12:15PM }
If you're in the first group, your life is pretty easy. Just hit up this link and you're in, provided you meet the requirements. If you're going through Gamestop, you'll want to act fast: Only the first 5,000 to preorder are going to be in on the month of action, which will include one mode ("Gold Rush") and two maps. There's more info about the Gamestop keys here. No matter which way you get in, the beta starts March 25 and continues until April 25. So what's the word? Will you be taking advantage of the beta?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
deaftly (Brawl - 1075-0467-4222) @ Mar 20th 2008 12:18PM
Hell yes.
bigsofty @ Mar 20th 2008 6:43PM
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is a technically and game play wise, much much more superior game... I'll wait for that 360 Beta to go public... ty.
xFenixKnightx @ Mar 20th 2008 12:18PM
Got my Beta key this morning!! It was on IGN. Free MP Beta, w00t!! The trailer for it looks cool too.
Mein Bratwurst @ Mar 20th 2008 2:52PM
:(
This is one of the few times I wish I owned a 360. Want to trade for my PS3 for one month? I'll even throw in some pocket lint for free!
/jealous sigh
xFenixKnightx @ Mar 20th 2008 3:19PM
Aww, there there. Buck up son, buck up!
Ask someone else I already have a PS3
=P
Mein Bratwurst @ Mar 20th 2008 6:15PM
Well then, looks like i'll be taking my pocket lint elsewhere. :(
riggs @ Mar 20th 2008 12:32PM
done and done.
JangoGod @ Mar 20th 2008 12:33PM
BF2 fanboy is happy. Can't wait. 5 more days.
Sam Zebian @ Mar 20th 2008 12:41PM
YES I'm in the beta!! I didn't expect to be, because I'm on IGN insider, but I thought I stopped paying for it last year... Maybe I'm getting a bill, but at least I'm in the beta now!
Phillip @ Mar 20th 2008 2:21PM
You don't have to be a paid member to get in the beta.
Sam Zebian @ Mar 20th 2008 12:42PM
Now I wonder when Battlefield: Heroes is going to be released...
Matt B @ Mar 20th 2008 2:19PM
after BF:3000
ncxcstud @ Mar 20th 2008 1:07PM
Sam - Same thing here... I was an Insider until about 6 months ago...but I was still able to join...and I've already downloaded the beta, so it's all good :)
neal @ Mar 20th 2008 12:48PM
YEeaYyy got in ^^
Rage @ Mar 20th 2008 12:47PM
First PS3 users losing on the
Super Street Fighter 2 HD Beta from Capcom...now Battlefield: Bad Company
Matt B @ Mar 20th 2008 2:20PM
To busy with The Show and Hot Shots golf to care...
Syn @ Mar 20th 2008 7:16PM
How much entertainment can you get out of basically an unfinished online demo?
You're basically testing the game for the developers free of charge.
While PS3 owners are playing full games, waiting for the final release of said 'beta' games.
xFenixKnightx @ Mar 20th 2008 12:49PM
In b4 all the PS3 non-beta havin fanbo...oh wait. Sorry Rage, didnt see ya there.
Obie @ Mar 20th 2008 12:51PM
I knew my overpriced IGN membership would be good for something. Thanks for the heads-up Joystiq, because IGN themselves didn't tell me squat!
riggs @ Mar 20th 2008 1:18PM
really? i got an email for it, check your spam box!
License to ill @ Mar 20th 2008 2:11PM
I just signed up for the free ign shit and got the beta key just finished downloading...
Fancylad @ Mar 20th 2008 12:56PM
Reporting for duty! As a side note, my fileplanet/IGN paid account ran out months ago
Wonderflex - Brawl Digits 4811-6636-9333 @ Mar 20th 2008 1:02PM
I'm getting rather tired of the betas appearing on the xbox first. I believe it's been said several times that programming goes easier if they build on the PS3 first, then scale back for the xbox. Sure, I may be biased by not owning a xbox, but it just seems better for everybody if they would start the other way around.
Knight Marquise @ Mar 20th 2008 1:05PM
Boo *sniffle* Hoo
Trev @ Mar 20th 2008 1:14PM
I think betas are just easier to do on XBL for all the reporting back it already has consoles doing.
Error reports probably go back automatically for crashes and the like. Its clear MS has an infrastructure thats independent of games (insert P2P network jab here) to have their cross-game stuff run on, so if there's an event log to be sent back, it would go over that.
Sony doesn't have that sort of thing (yet), so it would probably be that much more difficult to get technical feedback.
Wonderflex - Brawl Digits 4811-6636-9333 @ Mar 20th 2008 1:16PM
It's not "boo hoo" it's a poor business model. Shimano doesn't send inferior gears at a latter date to Trek simply because they don't sell as many bikes as Huffy. No, they produce the best parts available for the Treks then scale them back for the Huffy line. It make sense, even if that isn't the best analogy.
deaftly (Brawl - 1075-0467-4222) @ Mar 20th 2008 1:27PM
Its a business thing, more people online with 360. Not that hard to understand, and yes it did come off as a Boo Hoo thing. Just buy all the consoles and stop bitching because your first choice didn't get something.
Trev @ Mar 20th 2008 1:37PM
@Deaftly
With only 5000 people in the beta the total number of users becomes kind of irrelevant; there has to be another reason for doing it on 360. I don't think they'd have trouble finding that many participants in either console's online user-base.
Maybe its not reporting features, but the fact that they can bang out a 360 build more easily due to its PC similarities. I'm actually pretty curious about the reasons.
Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Mar 20th 2008 2:16PM
The reason more than likely has to do with the Beta existing on the system generates hype for the game. 360 has built a community where people pay attention to what others are playing (read: Pimps At Sea news). Whereas, personally, on PS3, I log in, see what others are playing and see if I'm interested in joining their games or not. So the PS3 has less of the "what is everyone doing" mentality about it's userbase.
Also, I do believe every game which had a beta on 360 has had a million sales. Would be nice if they could test that performance on PS3 but the only one which had the beta was Warhawk and I believe they said recently they were at 500,000. More developers need to start putting faith in PS3's userbase, but they shouldn't be crucified when they don't.
Also, since Live has a much more strict policy on the communications (read: complex and a major reason for lag in many games), you'd think the toughest nut to crack would be the one they test on. Just a theory though.
Trev @ Mar 20th 2008 1:02PM
I'd be jealous, if it were a single player beta and I wasn't getting so damn sick of FPS games. I'm really more interested in the campaign for this one because it looks like they're making the characters interesting (or at least amusing) and I'd like to see how the story goes.
It was really awesome watching someone blast straight through a house with a grenade launcher in that early-build trailer. Hopefully that kind of thing sticks around for multi player.
xFenixKnightx @ Mar 20th 2008 1:11PM
It's ok Trev I'll be testing this Beta for you also. The game eventually comes out on PS3 as well. So our careful testing will be benefiting you as well. Unless your still sick of FPS by then =P
Trev @ Mar 20th 2008 1:48PM
Hey, I'd test it too if I didn't have to pre-order a game for a console I don't own. Free is free, good or bad, it won't have provided some corporate entity with sixty of my dollars -- I could always cancel the pre-order if I didn't like it -- for the crushing disappointment that is Rainbow Six Vegas 2. The mechanics did not age as well as I hoped. Loved the first one, but really should have rented it.
I think my pair of Tricky Dick Fun-Bills (the worst tax plan ever rebate check, which is coincidentally the same amount as the Futurama joke) is going to get here too late to get in to the beta, but I think it will still be covering the cost of an 360 elite for me.
xFenixKnightx @ Mar 20th 2008 2:07PM
Trev getting a 360? I'll need the Gamertag to beleive it! =P Cool man, maybe you can see first hand why alot of people prefer 360 over PS3.
Trev @ Mar 20th 2008 2:24PM
I already know why. Hell, EVERYONE must know why by now; people never shut up about achievements or cross-game voice chat. Unfortunately neither of those things really matter to me, so the elite going to pull equal at best.
Anything besides Halo let you play online for free? I'll jump into 360 exclusive games, but I'd rather not jump into subscription fees.
xFenixKnightx @ Mar 20th 2008 2:36PM
Well, take that free month they give you and check it out. Then decide if $4.17 a month is too much to play on a quality online service. IMO it definatly is.
baby sea tuna @ Mar 20th 2008 2:46PM
I think you meant 'defintely is *not*' [too much]
xFenixKnightx @ Mar 20th 2008 2:49PM
*isn't
lulz
dork @ Mar 20th 2008 6:36PM
got in
didnt have to have a membership or anything
NATO_Duke @ Mar 20th 2008 1:41PM
That was damn easy. I was scared I would fail screening, but for those that don't know, the answers are:
1)Yes
2)True
3)Harry Truman
4)3.8
5)Apple Juice
6)St Thomas
Dave @ Mar 20th 2008 1:48PM
You don't need to be a member of any premium service. My GameSpy ID got me in.
CB @ Mar 20th 2008 2:39PM
Same.
Seroth @ Mar 20th 2008 1:50PM
Got a beta key...but I lied about having Xbox Live Gold. :O
Looks like I'll have to use that free month I got when my 360 red-ringed. And I was gonna save that for GTA4...
Nick @ Mar 20th 2008 2:36PM
Yep, there was some public keys where you could just register for free ign or gamespy. I must have got one of the last ones though cause it says that there is no public keys left.
driven2sin @ Mar 20th 2008 3:05PM
you get a special sniper rifle code from gamestop preorder and free overnight
EdwinJ85 @ Mar 20th 2008 3:18PM
I take it europe and the UK won't be seeing any BETA action?
That's a damned shame. Its not like giving us the COD4 beta BOOSTED SALES IMMENSELY in the region now is it.
:S
ArcticFox @ Mar 22nd 2008 7:15AM
Did you even bother trying to sign-up, im from the UK and i got the beta key and redeemed it on my PAL Elite.
AlexP @ Mar 20th 2008 3:59PM
Crosseyed third soldier is crosseyed.
skevens @ Mar 20th 2008 4:06PM
If anyone has any spare keys please send them to Skevenbot@gmail.com
Terran499 @ Mar 21st 2008 2:26AM
Thats BS. Again no PS3 Beta
Tendoboy @ Mar 20th 2008 5:49PM
YeeeAHHHHHH!! Finally, the IGN account is worth while after 3 years of paying for it???? I've been reading Joystiq everyday for about 8 months now and LOVE IT!!! ......and it's FREE!!!
Got my beta key and have my birthday off from work on Wed 3/26 ...... see you all there!!!