14 DAY TRIAL // With the PlayStation 3 beta testing for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 out there in the field, PC gamers were eagerly anticipating their own little sneak peak at the game. After all, the one thing DICE has pushed so much about the game is that, unlike Infinity Ward, it plans to fully support the PG gaming community and that its BC2 will have all those things that Modern Warfare 2 didn't. But rumors were spread and, with them, hopes crushed. The net has been buzzing with gossip about how the beta testing for Bad Company 2 on the PC has been canceled. As it turns out, the rumors were fake, or, to be more precise, they were close, but no cigar.
While the beta will still be on, it had been delayed to next year. The main reason for this seems to be the current beta on the PlayStation 3 that did so well, developers decided that the PC version of it needed to be improved. Even if you may feel a slight hint of sarcasm in there, there isn't any. Gordon VanDyke posted on the official Battlefield 2 blog that. “With the huge success of the PS3 Beta we decided to drastically increase the PC Beta's capacity to insure as many people as possible could participate. Unfortunately this meant we had to delay the Beta to very early next year giving us more planning time to make it happen and implement more optimizations.”
He also added to the post all the things that the PC beta test would include. The first thing we see is that the multiplayer has been sliced down to 32 players, from the previous 64, and that the game will support DirectX 11. The entire list is posted bellow, and more details are announced to be coming soon.
PC Enhanced Features
Up to 32 Players on PC (24 on consoles) - Play with up to 32 players online in the biggest multiplayer Maps in Battlefield. Each with a different tactical and gameplay focus set across a variety of environments. Full DirectX 9, 10 & 11 Support - Immerse yourself in the Battlefield world as Frostbite engine brings tanks, helicopters and explosions to vivid life on your PC. The game will fully support Windows XP, Vista, and 7 with new tech that further improves things like lighting and shadows. Enhanced Gameplay - The PC version also includes wide peripheral support like Joysticks for flying, NVIDIA 3D Vision, Logitech LCD Keyboards and VoIP Support plus a variety of specific features tailored for PC play. Friend Support - Find your friends online with the new buddy list to see if and who is online so you can quickly join their game.
Dedicated Ranked Server - Everyone gets non-stop action with no connection penalties based on some other player's Internet. Ranked Server Provider program will give players the opportunity to rent their own server(s) located in professional grade datacenters, ability to modify settings like map rotation, create reserved slots for friends or clan members, kick & Ban players, and custom name your ranked server. Clan Support & Private Servers - Independent Clan Tag, and ability to rent servers for hosting and controlling private password protected competitive servers with expanded control over the settings from public ranked servers. PC Squad Play System - Updated from previous Battlefield PC titles now gives control of your squad before heading into combat.