Senior Producer Patrick Bach at DICE has told XBOX World 360 that DICE has no intentions of ever charging for map packs.

"We don't ever want to charge for our maps and insisted to EA that this attitude was crucial when it came to keeping our community happy and playing together," DICE senior producer Patrick Bach told Xbox World 360 magazine.

Bach commented that DICE had "generous" amounts of DLC planned for Battlefield: Bad Company 2's future.

He added: "We're owned by EA but we're still very much DICE."  

Linked here.
Looks like we don't have to worry about paying for maps (unless you bought your game used).  I for one always knew that DICE was a great developer that cared. All DLC for the first Bad Company was free. What are your thoughts on this apparent good news? Good developer or marketing trickery?

The last quote,  "We're owned by EA but we're still very much DICE" makes me lean towards 'good developer.'
 
That's very welcome news to me!  I don't even care if they ported over BC1 maps, the more the merrier for me.

Good to know, I love DICE and Battlefield

Dice knows how its done

Good old DICE.

Before you start celebrating, I'd keep in mind that EA made no such commitment.

Well lets wait six months when the company that is actually in charge, EA, decides they want more money.  That would probably never happen though, because big corporations don't care about money you know.

Get 10 shades of green outfits for your character, now for only 1200 MS points!
Hopefully EA will listen. Or if they do charge, at least make it a massive pack and not with only 3 maps like that other game.

I wouldn't presume anything. For one, it's up to EA in the end. A company who's been known to charge for DLC in the past (ie Dragon Age). Second of all, DICE representative's also said, "Unless they aren't standard maps we won't charge and there aren't any in the plan that would cost."  ( Joystiq)
 
It doesn't rule out paid DLC coming out. Notice how all the current 'DLC' are variants of old maps, and they charge for them (if you didn't buy new).

" Get 10 shades of green outfits for your character, now for only 1200 MS points!
Hopefully EA will listen. Or if they do charge, at least make it a massive pack and not with only 3 maps like that other game. "

Just a general rate towards overpriced DLC. at 1200 points the mappack is sure to rack in what, 100.000 + Dollars? I doubt it costs them that much money on personal hours to create a few extra maps.

Free maps based on other locales already located in the game and/or unlocking maps for other modes of play... 
 
...or paying $15 for a map pack that is its own separate playlist and everyone vote skips the maps in order to play Crash? 
 
Hrmmm...I know which way I lean towards on this.  I've always found DICE's strategies to be both effective and fair to the consumers.  Those buying used copies of Bad Company 2 just because they wanted to save $5 on a copy and use trade-in credit...IMO...DESERVE to pay for the DLC, as they weren't willing to give the publisher/developer any money in the first place, especially for a game with multiplayer as good as BC2 has. 
 
As for weapon packs and such, DICE's strategy is typically "if it's already on the disc, we're not going to charge you for it".  The costume packs that they have can be redeemed via the Dr. Pepper codes, and even with that, you can SEND A FUCKING E-MAIL and get a code.  You don't even have to buy a damn Dr. Pepper. 
 
....aka  FREE. 
 
Kudos to DICE for being a group of stand-up doods.

I think this might be the first time a console game ever got the same treatment us PC gamers get.  
 
Wow, took 'em long enough to realize maps, game modes, skins, etc...should always be free.

Will not happen

" Everything DICE does with this game seems to be a direct reaction to MW2 drama. "

" Will not happen "

i've always loved the battlefield games and its free content
so i guess i like dice too

" @ryanwho said:

" Everything DICE does with this game seems to be a direct reaction to MW2 drama. "

But DICE always gave free DLC for the last game. "

" @ryanwho said:

" Everything DICE does with this game seems to be a direct reaction to MW2 drama. "

But DICE always gave free DLC for the last game. "

" @FrankCanada97 said:

" @ryanwho said:

" Everything DICE does with this game seems to be a direct reaction to MW2 drama. "

But DICE always gave free DLC for the last game. "

If its expected by default, why make a press release?  "

" To respond to fears resulting from the whole VIP thing and the content on disk? "

" @KaosAngel: Valve charged for the X-Box DLC. It was an EA/Microsoft decision, much like the BFBC2 DLC will be published by EA, thus making it a choice of charge or not by EA. "

" @Fallen189 said:

" Will not happen "

If Valve or Blizzard said it, would you beiieve them then?  I mean, when was the last time either of them charged for an update? "

" @KaosAngel said:

" @Fallen189 said:

" Will not happen "

If Valve or Blizzard said it, would you beiieve them then?  I mean, when was the last time either of them charged for an update? "

Both PC platforms, exclusively. PC Gamers don't EVER deal with that shit. "

" @Fallen189 said:

" @KaosAngel said:

" @Fallen189 said:

" Will not happen "

If Valve or Blizzard said it, would you beiieve them then?  I mean, when was the last time either of them charged for an update? "

Both PC platforms, exclusively. PC Gamers don't EVER deal with that shit. "

Wrong!  Borderlands charges PC version for DLC too.  :( "

" @Fallen189 said:

" Will not happen "

If Valve or Blizzard said it, would you beiieve them then?  I mean, when was the last time either of them charged for an update? "

" @ryanwho said:

" Everything DICE does with this game seems to be a direct reaction to MW2 drama. "

But DICE always gave free DLC for the last game. "

I'm quickly becoming a fan of DICE with all this kind of info.  I played BC1 and enjoyed it, but didn't think it was great.  I bought BC2 and am really enjoying it.  Although, haven't found a good group of people to play online with yet.

" @KaosAngel said:

" @Fallen189 said:

" @KaosAngel said:

" @Fallen189 said:

" Will not happen "

If Valve or Blizzard said it, would you beiieve them then?  I mean, when was the last time either of them charged for an update? "

Both PC platforms, exclusively. PC Gamers don't EVER deal with that shit. "

Wrong!  Borderlands charges PC version for DLC too.  :( "

Wasn't all the Dragon Age DLC paid for too? "

Great, now all I have to do is spend $60 and get free maps.  ^.^
 
hehe

" @Fallen189 said:

" Will not happen "

If Valve or Blizzard said it, would you beiieve them then?  I mean, when was the last time either of them charged for an update? "

Nice, Bring activision down.

Good for them. Even better for us! :D

Word!
 
DICE keepin' it real.
 
Or something.

Free is always welcome. Plus the fact they are to spit out more quality maps. Thanks you DICE!

After Mirror's edge and BFBC2, they are now one of my favorite developers. 

This is good news. I hate paying for maps, so I'm glad they're not making me do that.

I find this to be incredibly smart. I personally wouldnt have a problem paying 5 bucks for 3 or 4 good maps, but it seems the standard has been set at 10 (thanks activision), which ive always thought was a little steep, but now 15!!! Forget it!!
Besides with free maps you dont segregate you player base....so bravo!!

I call bullshit.

" @jakob187: Because we all know that maintaining servers for +10 million players is cheap and making players not pay is a great idea from a business standpoint, amirite? "

You know, I remember back to the "booster pack" plan DICE had for BF2. Although they ended up making the Euro map pack free, DICE isn't completely free of the paid DLC stigma.

" @Meteora said:

" @jakob187: Because we all know that maintaining servers for +10 million players is cheap and making players not pay is a great idea from a business standpoint, amirite? "

It doesn't cost fifteen dollars times ten million people, if that's what your saying. 
 
Anyway, I don't know about never, but for the foreseeable future, I'm sure EA/DICE/EA LA will try to challenge Activision/Infinity Ward/Treyarch/Sledgehammer Games in almost any way they can. And to be honest, I hope they do. 
 
But, if Battlefield does overtake COD and MW, I could totally see them turn on a dime and start charging for map packs, but I suppose that's their right. After all, Microsoft (and possibly Sony) seem to charge companies for their DLC, at least, if Epic and Valve are to be believed. That is why Team Fortress 2 never got updated, and why we couldn't get Left 4 Dead DLC for free, right? "

" @ryanwho said:

" Everything DICE does with this game seems to be a direct reaction to MW2 drama. "

But DICE always gave free DLC for the last game. "

" Well lets wait six months when the company that is actually in charge, EA, decides they want more money.  That would probably never happen though, because big corporations don't care about money you know. "

This is how it's done! 
Now you about you fix the server browser eh?