Not content to let Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 hog the spotlight this November, Electronic Arts and DICE have announced that the beta for their upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will launch November 19th exclusively for the PlayStation 3.

According to the official blog for Battlefield: Bad Company 2, gamers in North America who pre-order a copy of i>Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at Best Buy or Gamestop will be able to snag an invitation to the beta.

Nothing has yet to be announced for Asian or European gamers, but at least Xbox 360 and PC owners are not being left entirely out of the loop. A beta for the PC version of Bad Company 2 is planned for December, and a multiplayer demo is scheduled for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 early in 2010.

In 2008, Xbox 360 owners were treated to an exclusive beta for the original Battlefield: Bad Company.

When the Bad Company 2 beta lands later this month for PlayStation 3, gamers will be able to wage a 24-man war in the Arica Harbor map. Only one of the game’s four modes, Rush, will be available in the beta.

Similar to other installments in the Battlefield series, Bad Company 2 allows gamers to select one of several weapon kits, commandeer vehicles and destroy the environment while attacking and defending strategic points around the map. A number of new additions in Bad Company 2 include new vehicles, like the UH-60 Black Hawk and a quad bike, customizable guns and revamped weapon kits.

According to a press release issued by Electronic Arts, “PS3 gamers will be able to experience the unprecedented action, destruction, vehicular warfare, squad play and open sandbox environments that only Battlefield can deliver. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 provides a true all-out war experience like no other modern warfare game.”

The other modern warfare game being referred to is, of course, Modern Warfare 2 which is slated for release on November 10th.

The original Battlefield: Bad Company was launched in June 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It received a number of favorable reviews that praised its innovative Frostbite Engine that allowed gamers to destroy their environment using gunfire and explosions.

Despite the fact that Battlefield series originated and rose to prominence on the PC, Bad Company was one of the few Battlefield games to be console exclusive.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has a release date of March 2, 2010 and will be available for PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360.

Our Take

As psyched as I am for Modern Warfare 2, there’s definitely going to be more than enough room in my schedule for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as well. I was a huge fan of the first one. Besides, after four months of playing Modern Warfare 2 non-stop, I’m sure gamers will be looking for a change in pace.