The Best Buy pre-order contains a special, unique re-skinning of the SCAR-11, the standard Assault kit rifle. Technically, they are identical. The look and sound of the rifle is the only difference, but it's a huge one that un-balances the game. Once it is enabled via the EA Account, it cannot be disabled by the user. It is tied to the EA account, not the 2142 install or the soldier. Once you see these screenshots, you'll understand why I've emailed EA, begging them to remove the BB pre-order rifle skin from my game. Also, please click on the thumbnails to see the full-size versions, because the thumbnails just don't do justice to the real thing.
This is the normal SCAR-11. Pay close attention to it's size:
This is the pre-order version. Note the gratuitous increase in bulk:
The thing is so incredibly huge that it blocks nearly the entire right side of the screen. On the Minsk map, there is a flag point with a bunch of concrete-ish blocks set up in front of the flag for infantry to hide behind. If prone, using this rifle, and looking parallel down the blocks, you can't see between them, thus you are easily blindsided when with the normal kit you'd notice your enemy. To top it all off, the Pan-Asian faction's rifle is actually smaller than the normal SCAR-11 of the EU, throwing the balance of the game off.
Like I said, I've emailed EA and asked them to remove this from my account. The only way I could do it on my own is to create a new EA account. Then I'd lose my unlocks, veteran status and any other stuff I've accumulated while playing as PAC before seeing this travesty. I'll update this post with any new information. Until then, let these screenshots be a guide. If you like the big-ass version, pop the serial number into your EA account on the 2142 website and game on. If you hate it, I hope for your sake you haven't already done so. Otherwise you might find the game unplayable (at least on the EU faction) until it's removed.
I'm gonna go ahead and call this the worst pre-order bonus ever, as it actually breaks the game for me. I'm OK with in-game ads (it's not spyware, people), but this is just crap. It is in no way a "gift" from DICE and EA. It's an ass pounding with a sandpaper cock sleeve.
This is the normal SCAR-11. Pay close attention to it's size:
This is the pre-order version. Note the gratuitous increase in bulk:
The thing is so incredibly huge that it blocks nearly the entire right side of the screen. On the Minsk map, there is a flag point with a bunch of concrete-ish blocks set up in front of the flag for infantry to hide behind. If prone, using this rifle, and looking parallel down the blocks, you can't see between them, thus you are easily blindsided when with the normal kit you'd notice your enemy. To top it all off, the Pan-Asian faction's rifle is actually smaller than the normal SCAR-11 of the EU, throwing the balance of the game off.
Like I said, I've emailed EA and asked them to remove this from my account. The only way I could do it on my own is to create a new EA account. Then I'd lose my unlocks, veteran status and any other stuff I've accumulated while playing as PAC before seeing this travesty. I'll update this post with any new information. Until then, let these screenshots be a guide. If you like the big-ass version, pop the serial number into your EA account on the 2142 website and game on. If you hate it, I hope for your sake you haven't already done so. Otherwise you might find the game unplayable (at least on the EU faction) until it's removed.
I'm gonna go ahead and call this the worst pre-order bonus ever, as it actually breaks the game for me. I'm OK with in-game ads (it's not spyware, people), but this is just crap. It is in no way a "gift" from DICE and EA. It's an ass pounding with a sandpaper cock sleeve.
ed up their account management system, there's a 
