Score one for Sony exclusivity. Coming on November 19th, there will be a beta released for next year's shooter sequel Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but it will only be coming to the PlayStation 3. Of course there's a catch, as beta codes will only be given to people who pre-order the game from GameStop. The multiplayer beta will unlock the Arica Harbor map for up to 24 players playing the Rush game mode. The press release about the beta promises "a superb balance of vehicle and infantry combat" as American assault troops fight through a Russian military base, then through a desert town, and finally to an industrial area in an attempt to claim Arica Harbor.

"This is an outstanding opportunity for PlayStation gamers to get early access to one of the most action-packed and polished shooters in the marketplace with Battlefield: Bad Company 2," says Rob Dyer, SVP, Publisher Relations, SCEA. "We’re happy to help DICE achieve their superior level of multiplayer excellence in the game."

Patrick Bach, Senior Producer on Battlefield: Bad Company 2, believes that gamers who liked the first Bad Company are going to love the sequel, "From the graphics to the vehicles, weapons and destruction, we are delivering the best online multiplayer game next year, and we want gamers to experience it themselves by playing the beta and demo."

DICE is planning to launch a PC beta in December of this year, and a full game demo will arrive on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 early next year. This is a pretty big coup for Sony, as the beta is coming to the PS3 a full four months before the game even hits stores. Normally the only time a beta comes exclusively to PS3 is when a game is PS3 exclusive to begin with. For a multi-platform game to come to PS3 first may be a sign that developers have noticed the recent increase in PS3 sales. It should prove interesting to see if this is a one-off or the beginning of a trend.

There's also a trailer to get you psyched for the beta, and here it is: