In what can only be described as a slap in the face to Infinity Ward and Activision, the people at DICE and EA have updated their blog with a post poking fun at the "Mapathy" campaign from a few days ago.  The second free map pack for Bad Company 2 will be available on March 30th on all platforms to those who have entered their VIP code in game and will include the following:

Arica Harbor Conquest mode - US Command launches a break through action directly at the Russian base. Collateral damage is of no consequence. Capture and secure tactical positions in Conquest Mode across the vast Arica Harbor map.

Laguna Presa Rush mode - The valley and surrounding mountains possess a strategic value in the battle for South America, and an infantry assault supported by light armor vehicles is likely by both armies as US forces defend the nearby Dam.

As for the negative marketing going on, I'll let you decide for yourself if there is some bad blood here or if it's just friendly competition:

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.

Tomorrow, at 8:00am GMT (3:00am EST), EA will be resetting their BFBC2 servers for maintenance and will remain down for an undetermined amount of time. Luckily this scheduled time won’t have a large impact on those playing the game as it is either early in the morning or late at night when this downtime will happen (depending on your time zone).

The BFBC2 servers have been suffering from several problems since the release of the game, preventing a lot of players from playing the game’s multiplayer so hopefully this downtime will address and fix the majority of their problems.

EA Maintenance & BC2 [Battlefield Blog]

With a little under one month before retail release, Electronic Arts has release a new wave of screenshots showing us what DICE's Frostbite Engine is capable of. Showing off two single player screens and some multiplayer shots from the new Panama Canal map; the game looks beautiful. Expect more media to be sent out as we get closer to the street date and enjoy the gallery below.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is schedule for release on March 2 and March 5 for North America and Europe, respectively on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

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In a press release that was shot out earlier today, Electronic Arts hosted a conference call for their investors about the downturn in the 2010 financial projections. The end result is that the primary contributing factors to the change in expectations are the result of "weakness for EA and the overall packaged goods sector in Europe, " and "a product mix shift to lower margin distribution products in the December quarter, primarily in North America." In layman's terms, the profit margin for their top sellers in North America were not very big.

The full scale of the losses don't look that big at first glance, but they really are some decent sized swings in the wrong direction. It will be interesting to see how the other big publishers weathered the Holiday Season this year, and chances are good that EA won't be alone with a negative projection year over year. If you're interested in seeing the full financial numbers, follow the break:

ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks and most recently Doom creator id Software, announced today that it has acquired rights to publish post-apocalyptic FPS Rage. Back when it was still an independent entity, id originally intended distribute the title through EA's Partners label.

ZeniMax assured that development on Rage has been unaffected by this move. The fact that Rage switched hands is somewhat surprising, considering it was signed on with EA back in 2008. This was a quick and sudden deal, meaning it's plausible to assume that money was involved to tie things up quickly.  EA certainly won't have trouble allocating the extra funds with its ambitious Medal of Honor reboot on the way.

Rage is scheduled for a release next year on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Rather than lamenting over lost sales, EA boss John Riccitiello is viewing piracy in a different light. He believes it is possible to win back customers through downloadable offerings, stating that pirates can "steal the disc, but they can’t steal the DLC." He likens the same reasoning to those picking up titles second-hand as well.

EA’s went live with the official site for its modern day Medal of Honor reboot, placing the multi-platform war shooter snug inside a fall 2010 release window.

In development by DICE, this self-titled installment takes the series outside the WWII pacific theater for the first time, taking cues from the success of Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty franchise.

Medal of Honor Reboot Set for Fall 2010 - [eXophase.com]

EA today announced that the concluding chapter to the Tiberian saga, entitled Commander & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, will hit store shelves March 16 in the US, with a European release following on the 19th.

Exclusive to PC, those who pre-order the game at participating retailers will receive access to the upcoming beta test, as well as a copy of the game’s soundtrack and an additional prequel bonus mission.

Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight Dated, Hits Shelves March 16 - [eXophase.com]

Electronic Arts announced today that Mass Effect 2 will be arriving in North America on January 26th and in Europe on January 29th. In addition to finally being dated, BioWare has unveiled the now obligatory North American pre-order bonuses that will be made available at GameStop and other retailers; time to choose.

GameStop will be awarding pre-orderers with Terminus Gear, which includes an armor set and a weapon:

• The Terminus Armor is designed for use in extreme planetary conditions, increasing run speed and personal shields, and augmenting weapons with an additional magazine of reserve ammo.
• The M-90 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon generates a high-powered localized gravity well, accelerating particles to near-infinite mass, and ultimately expanding the selection of heavy weapons available to players when they gear up for combat missions in Mass Effect 2.

People deciding to avoid GameStop and go with other retailers will be able to grab the Inferno Armor:

• The Inferno Armor is used by officers to monitor battlefield conditions by recognizing elevated heart rates, and regulates sub-systems with extreme efficiency to allow for greater response times – together these abilities translate in-game into a negotiation bonus for Commander Shepard and an increase in run speed and augmented damage from combat powers.

Still no official word substantiating rumors that Mass Effect 2 will also be arriving on the PlayStation 3, but the fact that it wasn't announced today with the pre-order bonuses doesn't bode well for that possibility any longer. Pictures of the two armor sets can be seen below. (The Inferno Set is the red one for reference.)

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Dated for release sometime in May of 2010, Skate 3 is yet again trying to push the envelope of the skateboarding game genre by adding a robust cooperative experience. Team up with your crew and challenge rival crews in team based modes to see who is superior in the all new skating locale of Port Carverton.  "I'm gon' go call my crew. You go call your crew. We can rendezvous at the bar around two."

“The social and community aspects of the SKATE franchise are something we’ve always embraced, but we’ve never done anything to the scale you’re going to see in SKATE 3,” said Senior Producer, Jason DeLong. “We’re giving gamers a very unique experience by providing them with the tools they need to build their ultimate team or to create a team comprised entirely of their online friends. From there, it’s all about proving yourself – teaming up, and throwing down.”

Players who pre-order Skate 3 will gain access to the Black Box Distribution Skate Park, where the Zero, Mystery, and Fallen skate teams can be found.  Skate 3 is being developed for release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by Black Box, an Electronic Arts studio.