I thought this was going to be a little lame, but it’s actually pretty hilarious.

If you’re lucky enough to have a working Xbox 360 in your home, and you’re also a quick responder to the call to arms that is this article, you just might be playing Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer in a few hours.

Hosted by IGN and GameStop (who else?), the beta is only playable to those of you who suffer through their corporate evil to obtain a code. IGN offers codes through its Insider program; you can go to their underground smut dealership, FilePlanet, and download a key.

The front page states that only European codes remain (as of this writing), but it also claims subscriber keys are still available. Very curious… This is obviously just another attempt for IGN to get you to shell out cash for their stupid VIP club of douchebags (no offense to any VIP club douchebags who may already be “Insiders”).

GameStop, on the other hand, has 5,000 beta keys reserved for the first people to pre-order the game through their website at www.gamestop.com/badcompanybeta. Please note that this is for the Xbox 360 only, as there is no word on a beta test for the PS3.

Karl-Magnus Troedsson, Senior Producer for Battlefield: Bad Company, had this to say:

“We’re really excited about this beta since it gives us a chance to let a wider audience play our new multiplayer game, ‘Gold Rush’. The feedback coming back from something like this is crucial for us as developers and will help us with the final changes and polish in the game. Battlefield and FPS fans get their first glimpse into how tactical destruction can be applied in multiplayer gameplay. We think offering two of the multiplayer maps will give gamers a fantastic experience and some great insight into the game.”

The beta will run from today through April 25th. Battlefield: Bad Company is scheduled for release on June 24th for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Voice actor John DiMaggio, the raspy voice of Gears of War lead man, Marcus Fenix, was recently interviewed by IGN. During the course of the interview, DiMaggio revealed that Gears of War 2 will feature Brumak, who first debuted as a villain in the PC version of the original Gears of War.

He goes on to reveal that Dom’s good buddy, Franklin, will be returning as well, and then lets the following tidbits roll off his tongue:

Oh man, dude – there’s new weapons, new beasts, there’s a couple of new characters, and it’s just badass.

When asked about the sequels overarching plot, DiMaggio states:

“The storylines are really cool and the relationships of the guys in the game – the sequences that explain things that are going on – they’re a lot deeper.”

Note to self: We really need to start interviewing more videogame voice talent.

Source: IGN