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.

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Could Playstation Home be out within 24 days? A web countdown suggests as much, though its reliability is unknown. Make your mind up after the jump.

There have been signs that Home’s release is imminent, with a Warhawk patch adding game launching within Home, XMB accomplishments integrated into Devil May Cry 4, a significant update to the Home beta, and news that internally Home is well past v1.00 – the version that when made available will signify the launch of the service.

A website countdown has now been discovered, suggesting that Home will be released in less than 24 days. Although an announcement was expected at last weeks GDC ’08, a March release is certainly not unexpected.

Combine the countdown with this insider report…

A game must be able to integrate into Home, a game must support “Accomplishments”. Right there, two important things, the PS3 system for achievements is called “Accomplishments”, and Home is coming out VERY VERY VERY Soon.

…and like a teenager on a McDonald’s diet, the imminent release of Playstation Home gains weight.

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