After speaking with spokesperson for EA, IGN has learned a few more details on the intended pricing structure for the weapons in Battlefield: Bad Company. There has been some public outcry that EA is trying to "scam" customers as screens of the BF:BC Beta indicated that some weapons might have to be purchased off of Marketplace, thus giving some an advantage over the rest of the playing field.
Here's the real deal straight from the EA Spokesperson, "Battlefield: Bad Company will release five unique weapons free of charge through five different promotional programs prior to launch. EA will again make these weapons available to players free of charge after launch, in case anyone missed the pre-launch promotions.
At launch, EA will release a Gold Edition of Battlefield: Bad Company which will feature an additional five new weapons. For players who do not purchase the Gold Edition of the game, they can still buy the five weapons at a small individualized price per item. All weapons are balanced for gameplay. More weapons offer players more choices but do not create an advantage/disadvantage for players who do not opt to buy new items."
So, if you're one of those gamers who needs to have every weapon, game development diary and behind-the-scenes featurette, do yourself a favor and pick up the Gold Edition. We'll have more coverage on the Battlefield: Bad Company Beta and full release in the near future.