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Attention, soldiers! NeoGAF users have spied the Ultimate Edition of Bad Company 2, a repackaging of the hit FPS that includes a little lagniappe for the typical $60 price tag. If you’ve not yet invested in the multiplayer shooter that is considered an alternative (read: superior) to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, this is the edition you’ll want to grab.

Amazon lists the new package with an August 31st release date, so you have about two weeks until you can squad up and move out with buckets of lead, blood, and f-bombs! The Ultimate Edition will feature the newish Onslaught Mode (videos), Limited Edition Unlocks, VIP downloads, and a copy of Battlefield 1943.

Rumor has it that the upcoming Vietnam expansion for Bad Company 2 didn’t make the cut because it’s due to be packaged with a Game of the Year Edition release of the title in early 2011. Why wait that long? You’ll want to rank up and practice your demolition skills before then anyway!

Medal of Honor’s Limited Edition is a curious, bearded fellow. Though certain Limited Editions of the past were simply the regular game with a few freebies tacked on for pre-ordering, the LE of Medal of Honor carries a different SKU, differentiating it from the normal version in retailers’ inventory. The funny thing is, there’s no price difference between the amped up version and the mundane copy. So aside from making gamers feel like MVPs thanks to the snazzy title, what else comes with the promotion?

Guns, duh. With LE, savvy buyers will have early access to shotguns, for one. Everybody loves shotguns. On top of that, LE owners will have exclusive access to the MP7. Executive producer Greg Goodrich tempts that “Access to a weapon like the MP7 will allow players to experience a tool developed with the Special Operations Community in mind. With its light weight, high rate of fire and its ability to penetrate body armor, the MP7 handles like a pistol yet allows targets to be engaged like a rifle.”

Per EA’s forums:

“We’re excited that we can finally share the Onslaught add-on to Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with you! Playstation3 gamers can jump straight into Bad Company 2’s four-player co-op mode today and test their mettle across four specially enhanced multiplayer maps. By land, by sea, by air… enemies will challenge your squad’s ability to work together and hold the line at every capture point.

Xbox 360 owners will be able to purchase Onslaught mode in the very near future, follow us on Twitter (or find us on Facebook) for the latest news as it happens.

Onslaught is available for purchase for the Playstation 3 on the PSN Store for $9.99, and will soon be available for purchase for the Xbox 360 for 800 MS Points on Xbox Live Marketplace.”

Now that we know we have a little more time before the Onslaught, prepare yourself by viewing our gameplay videos at our YouTube channel.

Tired of the same old maps (that were already installed on the disc)? DICE has set a date for the upcoming Onslaught mode for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Save up your points, because on June 22nd you should be ready to drop 800 of them for a pick-me-update. It’s going to be the same ol’ Valparaiso, Atacama Desert, Isla Inocentes, and Nelson Bay maps, but Onslaught will bring new co-op, objective-based mission play for up to four players. Kit Shortcuts will also become available on June 16th, granting players the option to unlock a kit’s weapons, gadgets, and specializations for about $7 per kit (or $20 for all four). Or, you know, you could just do the work, lazy.

June 15th brings a Massload of space RPG content. On this day, Mass Effect 2 will not only unleash its demo upon the Marketplace, but it will also publish the Overlord DLC. Those new to the title will become (re)acquainted with the cast of Mass Effect 2, while the savvy may explore the expansion’s five new areas as they check out an ominously silent Cerberus research base.

In an unexpected turn of events, Fallout: New Vegas will come with four different bonus packs, each one exclusive to its own specific retail chain. GameStop will bestow upon its customers the Classic Pack, which includes an Armored Vault 13 Suit, a Vault 13 Canteen, a Weathered 10mm Pistol, and four Stimpaks. Amazon is packed with the Tribal version, which includes Tribal Raiding Armor, a Broad Machete, five Bleak Venom doses, and 10 Throwing Spears. For Steam/Walmart loyalists, the Caravan Pack is for you; this bundle is composed of Lightweight Leather Armor, a Sturdy Caravan Shotgun, four Repair Kits, and a pair of Binoculars. Finally, Best Buy gifts consumers with the Mercenary Pack, a collection of Lightweight Metal Armor, the Mercenary’s Grenade Rifle, three Super Stimpaks, and three Doctor’s Bags. While it’s nice to see GameStop’s iron grip on add-on bonuses loosened a little, this bonus pack versatility is sure to rub some collectors the wrong way.

Remember the Dreamcast? Sega has announced that they will begin porting the throwback console’s classic titles to XBLA and PSN later in the year. Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi are slated to lead the rereleases, which will be outfitted with better sound, quality, and the Achievement/Trophy system. Maybe E3 will fill in a few more details?

While visions of E3 dance in our heads, our noggins couldn’t help but turn at the XBLA discounts available until Sunday for XBL Gold members. Worms 2: Armageddon, Peggle, and Duke Nukem 3D are all 50% off, reduced from 800 MS Points to 400 MS Points. If you’ve not yet experienced the addictive Peggle or the invertebrate infantry of Worms 2, now is the time to change that. Serious Sam HD, Battlefield 1943, and Call of Duty Classic are all down from 1200 MS Points to 800 MS Points each.

Speaking of worms, Earthworm Jim HD wiggles its way onto the Xbox LIVE Arcade today. This remasterig of the old classic sees Jim with a fancy new HD coat, which blends well with its new four-player co-op. At 800 MS Points, this is one throwback that should definitely be revisited.

Activision has announced DJ Hero 2, which will slide our way this fall. The set list looks very promising, with tracks from 80+ artists, including Dr. Dre, The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, Metallica, and Lady Gaga. DJ Hero 2 will introduce the microphone to the series, as well as new multiplayer modes in the form of DJ Battle, Party (a la Guitar Hero), and Empire (career mode). For mixmasters new to the series, the DJ Hero 2 deluxe kit will channel Beck, as it includes two turntables and a microphone. To hype the sequel, original DJ Hero owners will be able to download a mashup of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance”/Deadmau5′s “Ghost’s ‘n’ Stuff” for free from June 8-14 on XBL.

Bad Company 2 will sound the battle cry today with the release of VIP Map Pack 3. With this free (for VIP members) update, the Nelson Bay map receives the Squad Deathmatch mode, while Laguna Alta is granted the Squad Rush mode. Are you Very Important?

While E3 is sure to substantiate any truth to the rumors, we’re hearing more and more speculation about Hulu on Xbox 360. Reuters has recently that the free video website will find a home on the 360. If/when it does, Hulu will provide modern videos for free, but older content will come at the price of a monthly fee.

Stay tuned as we hype E3, pointing out what each brand is bringing to the table at this year’s game show. Also, keep a look out for the new forums, which we aim to launch before we fly out to Los Angeles for E3 2010! Thanks for stopping by!

According to Rockstar, Red Dead Redemption will see a title update soon. The patch for Grand Theft Horsey will address many glitches and the poor multiplayer connectivity that occurs during certain quests. Invisibility has no part in the wild west anyway.

This summer, Rockstar will throw open the closet and pull out two free ensembles for the public. Previously only available as pre-order bonuses, the Savvy Merchant and Expert Hunter outfits will be free downloads later in the year.

Available a bit sooner than that, the co-op DLC Outlaws to the End will be released June 22nd. Bundled into the DLC, six missions, co-op challenges, bonus multiplayer rewards, and new Achievements will dust off Marston’s cowboy boots and get him riding once more. All for the cool, cool price of free.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is getting an update, too. Instead of adding new quests, however, Bad Company 2 is getting balanced. Team killing and team damage will reward a player with increased penalty points, whereas completing mission objectives will yield more points.

The M1 Garand gets some love as well. Instead of donating its statistics to the Thompson, kills with the Garand will now be appropriately tagged as Garand kills. You may soon chase your Bronze Star…when the patch hits in the “very near future.”

First off, Tecmo Bowl Throwback finally has a release date of April 28th.  For ten bucks (800 MS Points) you’ll be able to relive the days of early football gaming, when zigzagging was in every offensive play, Bo Jackson was unstoppable, and the Saints weren’t yet Super Bowl champions.  Retro gamers aren’t going to want to miss this one.

EA finally substantiated the Dr. Pepper DLC that will be available on April 21st.  Paying homage to Delta Force and Spetznatz, the Special Activities groups (SPECACT) pack will unlock four unique uniforms (one per kit) and camouflaged M16A2, UMP-45, MG3 and M95.  What’s more, 12 new awards and 3 Achievements will come bundled in with the new duds.  The bad news is that North American players can only grab this upgrade with the applicable Dr. Pepper codes that are printed on promotion-specific cans, while European gamers can buy the kit upgrades at 160 MS Points per kit or 440 MS Points altogether.  Get to drinking your sodas, soldier!

Left 4 Dead 2′s DLC “The Passing” rises up on April 22nd, dead set on taking a bite out of your wallet (alright, no more puns) in the amount of seven dollars, or 560 MS Points.  The Left 4 Dead Blog draws attention to the new Achievements, such as decapitating 18 zombies with a golf club and playing six mutations.

Wait, mutations?

Yes, and that’s all you’ll have to go on until the blog updates tomorrow.

Introduction
Building upon their Frostbite engine DICE teams up with EA to deliver bigger explosions and more destruction than ever! Bad Company is back and this time they are out for more than just money, they are out to save the USA.

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Stockholm, Sweden – February 25, 2010 – DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced that two massive, all-new multiplayer maps for Battlefield: Bad Company(tm) 2 will be unlocked on March 2nd when the game launches in North America. This map pack features the Laguna Alta map playable in Conquest mode and Nelson Bay map playable in Rush mode, bringing the total number of multiplayer maps up to 10. Later in March, DICE will release yet another map pack at no extra charge*, giving players a chance to experience the Arica Harbor map in Conquest mode and Laguna Presa map in Rush mode. Available in the box, the content packs are unlocked by simply inputting a VIP code**.

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As February begins to wind down, the doors to the Crimson Lance armory begin to creak open a little wider. Your diligent informer recently took a peek at the Lance’s inner workings, even going so far as to spy on the General’s own “tweetergrams” in hopes of making off with some top secret intel regarding the newest firepower employed by Pandora’s martial force. At the time, the data gleaned was not truly confirmed and was to be interpreted with caution. Thankfully, recent recon of other sources has turned up some hard facts, which are submitted for your consideration.

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