Bad Company 2 Borrows Modern Warfare 2′s Marketing

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 joins Infinity Ward’s fight against “mapathy” on March 30, unlocking its second set of VIP maps on the same day that Modern Warfare 2′s first map pack drops – only Battlefield’s maps are free.

That’s the point being driven home in a post on the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 website titled “How to avoid ‘mapathy’ without paying.” It’s a riff on the fictional affliction Infinity Ward used on Tuesday to announce the March 30 release date for the first Modern Warfare 2 map pack, poking fun at Activision for charging for the downloadable content while EA gives it out for free.

VIP members will be able to expand on the deep and ever changing sandbox experience, which in itself provides near endless hours of entertainment, by having new content to keep things fresh. It also plays a vital part in making sure you, the players get proper value for the money you’ve invested in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This is why these map packs are available at no extra cost, contradicting the industry standard and what our direct competitors are doing. Of course, it also helps avoid segmenting the community, making sure everyone can play together having the same maps available. There will be future paid downloadable content as well but these packs will focus on expanding other parts of the game experience rather than the selection of maps available for the basic game modes. We’re dedicated to taking care of this product for a long time – helping you avoid “mapathy” without getting nickel-and-dimed.

Of course the Bad Company 2 VIP downloadable content is already on the game disc, and only provided free to purchasers of new copies. The VIP pass included in the retail release can be purchased for $US15 separately, which entitles players to the free content.

Still, it’s fun to see a company grab the ball from a competitor and run with it, and whenever a company speaks out against “mapathy”, it’s the ones suffering from this horrible disease that win, probably.

How to avoid “mapathy” without paying! [Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - Thanks Fabien!]