The PC beta has been distributed among 100,000 players, and the feedback has been pouring in for DICE since the beta started. Now a post from DICE on the EA UK Forums reveals that the second major update for the beta will be pushed out later today. No news on what has been updated specifically.

Amazon and Walmart are running some decent pre-order deals on Bad Company 2, where both retailers will give you a $20 gift card if you pre-order the game (only PS3 and Xbox 360). The $20 gift card can only be used towards other games, though. If you’re interested, see Amazon’s offer and Walmart’s offer.

DICE Germany has been so kind to give us a new video, this time, something for the ones in mood for Valentine’s Day. In fact, it’s just a compilation of the usual footage we’ve seen, with a few hearts thrown in.

According to rumors at BFeditor.org, there were 12 map loading screens found in the PC beta files, which of course suggests that there might indeed be 12 maps.

However, the official word from DICE is that there are only 8 maps, as printed at the back of the box and featured in the new field manual. However, one DICE employee suggested as many as 16 maps (!) in an interview with IGN.

On the other hand, we also know that ESRB ratings suggested maps which include “WW2 settings”, namely, the maps from Battlefield 1943 — which could be released as DLC later on (DLC has already been confirmed). That would bring the total to 11 maps (8 + 3 DLC). The last one could very well be the rumored remake of Strike at Karkand, as we reported earlier.

The recently released Bad Company 2 demo has been downloaded over 2 million times on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, according to EA Games. With over 2 million in just five days, the demo is “on pace to become the fastest downloaded demo in EA history”, according to EA Games.

However, once again, there was no mention of a demo for PC gamers — it appears the beta will be the only “trial” they’ll get before the full game is available.

DICE has released a demo walkthrough of Bad Company 2 (the demo is out on the PS3 and Xbox 360), which centers around the same map PC players have been testing the beta on: Port Valdez. It does a good explanation of the tactics, objectives and skills needed to play the game, and is a good watch if you’re not familiar with the game.

According to Bad Company 2 producer Patrick Bach, Bad Company 2 will include an online store within the game, where players can purchase items.

“We have an in-game store where you get free content or you can buy new content to the game, so it’s a very integral part of the game that we will have a long post-launch campaign. I think people will be thrilled to see what’s in that already. On day one, you will get some really cool stuff.”

This might be seen as bad news for some, as in game DLC, particularly the notion of buying guns and upgrades, has gotten a bit out of hand in the recent years, and players generally resent this kind of action. We’ll have to wait and see if the BC2 “online store” is a valuable addition to the game, or a nickle-and-dime deal from EA’s side.

Modern Warfare 2 is one of the biggest selling titles of all time, and has sold a reported 10 million copies since its release last November. The multiplayer portion of Modern Warfare 2 has in particular been hailed as one of the best multiplayer experiences available today.

But we don’t think so. In fact, we can think of a number of reasons why Battlefield Bad Company 2 is a lot better multiplayer experience than Modern Warfare 2. They are:

Teamwork, Squads

Battlefield has always been about teamwork, the different classes complement each other during battle. If you’re out of ammo, you get some from your teammates, if you’re on health, you get some from your teammate (and get revived when you’re dead). And if you’re in a squad, you can diversify between classes to balance things out and increase your chances of winning the battle.

Vehicles

Vehicles have always been a part of Battlefield, and that goes for Bad Company 2 as well. From Tanks, to APCs, to Quads and Helicopters, one of the biggest differences between BC2 and MW2 is the obvious inclusion of vehicles in BC2 — and even when in a tank or helicopter, teamwork is still crucial, as having a teammate as the gunner makes all the difference in battle.

Destruction

While Modern Warfare 2 features a generic static environment, everything in Bad Company 2 can be destroyed, walls can be torn down, covers blown up and entire buildings leveled. “Cover” is only cover until a rocket hits it, then you better run elsewhere. The destruction adds a whole new level to the gameplay.

More players, stats and awards

The Battlefield franchise has always relied on huge battlefields with lots of players — usually 64. For Bad Company 2, the limit is 24 (compared to 18 in MW2) on consoles and 32 on the PC. Granted, more players doesn’t always equal more fun, but when it comes to Battelfield, it usually does. In addition to more players, BC2 offers a ton of new awards, weapon unlocks and details statistics for each player.

Dedicated servers (PC)

PC gamers were disappointed when it turned out that dedicated servers were a no-go for the PC version of MW2, and likewise with the 18-player limit. By all accounts, the PC version is simply a port of the console version. Bad Company 2 however, has a bit more in store for PC owners, dedicated servers and more players being the first and obvious additions.

DICE has released a limited edition printed field guide for Bad Company 2, which has gotten to a select few who pre-ordered the game. However, there’s also an online version available at UltimatePresitge.com — where you can get lots of tips on the weapons, vehicles and maps in Bad Company 2.

However, to access the site, you must either have an Xbox Live account (Gamertag), or be a part of the Battefield Veterans program (you can sign up for the Veterans program here).

According to ESRB rating’s description of Bad Company 2 seems to include World War 2 levels, like the ones present in Battlefield 1943. Here’s what the ESRB certificate said, in part:

“…players conduct missions on an unnamed Japanese island during World War II and then move into the modern day.”

Since ESRB gets to review the complete and final game, it’s quite possible that we’ll see one or more maps imported from Battlefield 1943 — BC2 already has several of the weapons available from BF 1943. You can read the full ratings description here.