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Epic dishes on Gears of War 2 TU4, Dark Corners Achievements
Epic is waiting on certification for Title Update 4, the latest major update to Gears of War 2, but that didn't stop Rod Fergusson from hitting the forums and dropping some info. First of all, Public Horde matches will now have the ability to restart on a failed wave, instead of having to go all the way back to square one. Then there's the addition of experience to Horde mode (which we knew about), which Rod says will break down as follows: 50 points per completed Casual wave. 75 points per completed Normal wave. 100 points per completed Hardcore wave. 125 points per completed Insane wave. Epic is also adding Achievements for the new Dark Corners DLC and updating the game with 325 more points of delicious Gamerscore. Head past the break for the full list.
Xbox 360 hits the big screen at Cowboys Stadium
A tipster at our sister site Engadget snapped this shot from Gears of War 2's title screen, while waiting for a controller to be reconnected, on the enormendous 72 x 160-foot 'LED wall' at Dallas Cowboys Stadium late last week. It's reported that the stadium was being set up for the Jonas Brothers' June 20 concert, and the one piloting the system was none other than Steve 'SoneAF1015' Fatone, the group's video director. Even better, footage emerged on YouTube as well (seen after the break), showcasing the screen in action, though playing Halo 3 as opposed to Gears of War 2. Other shots drop presumably Mr. Fatone (pronounce that as you will) playing Call of Duty 2 and, erm, showing everyone his Gamercard, paltry Gamerscore in-tow. But alas, congrats to you, Mr. Fatone, you've likely just played the biggest game of Halo 3 ever. Gallery: Giant Cowboys Stadium LED wall caught playing Xbox 360 during downtime
Rumor: Gears of War 2 chainsawdomizing PC
There are some rumors circulating around the internets that Gears of War 2 could make a belated arrival on the PC platform, just like the first title. IGN points to Beantown Games, the originator of this vicious little rumor, which posted details from a supposed unreleased press release for the game, along with supposed box art shots featuring the Games for Windows logo.IGN then gave Kotaku the nod, who went to work checking into some of the stuff Beantown Games posted. The blog found inconsistencies in the Beantown post, with the supposed leaked press release being a near carbon copy of the original press release for Gears of War 2 on Xbox 360. Then, there's the UPC codes, which apparently all point to The Golden Compass. It's odd, to say the least.As much as all of this seems like malarkey, one shouldn't entirely rule out the possibility of Gears of War 2 on the PC. The first game released on PC in November of 2007, a full year after the release of the original Xbox 360 game. Since the sequel released on Xbox 360 in November of last year, we wouldn't put it past Epic and Microsoft to crank the game out on PC some time in 2009. Though, when we contacted Microsoft, a spokesperson said "We have no plans for Gears of War 2 on the PC," so take it as you will.Source - Beantown Games [Via IGN]Source - Kotaku
E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup
E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted. We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.
A look at Epic's latest Unreal Engine 3 additions
We first heard about some changes coming to Unreal Engine 3's backend way back at GDC, where the tech was first demonstrated for developers. At last week's E3, Epic was kind enough to give us a demonstration of some of the changes coming to its famous engine, and we have to say they're pretty spiffy. Nothing is jaw-dropping, but with some tweaks under the hood, the development process and post-release analysis can help developers utilizing Unreal Engine 3 in many surprising ways.%Gallery-65783%
Hands-on: Gears of War 2 Dark Corners 'Nowhere'
This should actually be called "Hands-on: Gears of War 2 Dark Corners DLC -- One Map Only," because Epic wasn't showing off any of the single player campaign when we stopped by, and it only had two kiosks on the side of the Microsoft booth playing the Nowhere map. Even though the other maps appeared in the menu screen, they wouldn't let us select them. What are you hiding from us, Epic?So here's a tiny review of Nowhere, and a big new video featuring the "Road to Ruin" deleted chapter of the DLC, along with a peek at the seven new maps just beyond the jump. %Gallery-65567%
Gears 2 Combustible map pack is Xbox's insulting deal of the week
Major Nelson brings word of another bad deal for Xbox's "deal of the week." The latest laughable offer is that the Gears of War 2 Combustible map pack is discounted from 800 ($10) to the jaw-dropping price of 560 ($7). Hold on, let us get the Sham Wow to absorb the drool of shock dribbling out of our mouths.So, basically, if you haven't downloaded any of the new Gears of War 2 map packs yet, going online and downloading them breaks down like this: Combustible maps (560 / $7) - available now Snowblind maps (800 / $10) - available now Dark Corners (1200 / $15) - available July 28 That comes to a grand total of $32 dollars, $12 more expensive than purchasing All Fronts, which includes all of this stuff (and more!) for 1600 ($20) when it releases July 28. It's a sucker punch (not the good kind) for this content to go on sale now.[Add the Gears 2: Combustible Multiplayer Map Pack to your download queue ... although we recommend you don't.] %Gallery-39355%
Epic cuts price on 'Dark Corners,' pushes 'All Fronts' to Xbox Live Marketplace
We finally know why 'All Fronts' started vanishing from online retailers. In speaking with IGN, Epic's Rod Fergusson said that the feedback from fans on the original 1600 ($20) price for 'Dark Corners' and the retail release of 'All Fronts' wasn't, well ... favorable. So, Epic decided to mix things up. Dark Corners will now be offered at a much cheaper price of 1200 ($15). As for 'All Fronts,' it's ditching its planned retail release for an exclusive Xbox Live Marketplace stay, where fans will be able to download the content for 1600 ($20) at 12:00am GMT on July 28.[Thanks, surinder!]
Gears of War 2 'All Fronts' pre-orders vanish from the web
A tipster sent in word that GameStop had pulled all pre-orders for Gears of War 2 retail compilation 'All Fronts', and lo and behold, it has. So we did some snooping, checking out Best Buy, Target, GameCrazy, and Amazon, and found each also have pulled it.So, what does this mean? It's anyone's guess at this point, but, to clarify, we've put in word to Epic and will be sure to update you all as soon as we hear back.[Thanks, Urza!]
Gears of War Xbox 360 bundle heads down under
Microsoft is sending a special Gears of War Xbox 360 bundle (depicted above) to our friends in Australia. Included in the bundle are copies of the original Gears of War and Gears of War 2. Sadly, the console itself isn't as special as the box it comes in, for it's of the plain white Pro variety.The new bundle will hit Aussie store shelves on June 4 and retail for $449 AU.[Thanks, Josh]
Video: Check out GOW 2 Memorial map, gameplay
GameTrailers has released two new videos from the upcoming Gears of War 2 DLC explosion "All Fronts." The first is a flythrough of one of the new maps, Memorial. The map features a two level courtyard that provides open ground on the upper level and tight underground passages on the lower level. There's also a small plaza at the far end. We're sure it would make for some epic Horde mode standoffs.Don't take our word for it though, as the second video features plenty of action on Memorial in both versus multiplayer and Horde modes. Find both videos after the break.
Gears of War 2 goes old school this weekend
Well, as old school as 2006, anyway, as Epic has announced another Gears of War 2 weekend event. This weekend, the sequel will get a touch of the original Gears of War experience, as Epic will be turning off the concussion from smoke grenades (thank you!), and limiting team size to four in public matches in the Execution - Warzone, Annex - KOTH, and Guardian - Submission playlists. The madness has started as of 9 AM EST this morning and will continue through Tuesday, May 26, at 9 AM EST. You can thank Memorial Day for that extra day of fun, folks![Thanks, Joe!]
Next Gears of War 2 update adding experience to Horde mode
G4 recently aired a preview for the new Gears of War 2 compilation, All Fronts, that features an odd in-game pop-up around the 2:49 mark, highlighted in the image above. It shows a player earning experience during a Horde match, which all good COG soldiers know isn't normal. So, we bugged Epic about it, and the developer has confirmed with Joystiq that the next title update for the game will add experience to Horde mode.Advances to seduce Epic to put out further information about the update, including a release date, proved useless. Jeez Epic, you can be so prude sometimes![Via Stick Skills]
Microsoft resets Gamerscores, Toulouse explains why
Correcting the "miscreants" can be an ornery task. Just ask Stephen Toulouse, Xbox Live's virtual bouncer, and the man responsible for resetting your cheatin' heart (er, Gamerscore) back to zero. A recent wave of Gamerscore resets have hit Xbox Live and Toulouse was on Major Nelson's weekly show yesterday to explain what happened. "A couple weeks ago ... we did a Gamerscore reset pass on several Gears of War 2 players who had illegitimately toggled the 'Level 100' Achievement for a map pack that had just come out," Toulouse told the Major.According to the show, the mathematics behind how quickly people were earning the achievement were, simply put, impossible. "Any time you earn an Achievement you don't actually have to earn, that's against the terms of use," Toulouse said of the official policing policy, something Microsoft has adhered to since the inception of Xbox Live Achievements. And to those of you who have a sibling or friend to blame on your Gamerscore reset, Toulouse feels little sympathy for you. He told the Major that you probably need to address that person and that it's ultimately "your responsibility" to take care of your console and online representation. Tough noogies, indeed!
Gears of War 2 hops on the double XP bandwagon
Double XP weekends are usually only reserved for Halo 3, Call of Duty 4 and Call of Duty: World at War, but now that's about to change. For every enemy you chainsaw or shred with your precious shotgun (or just kill, frankly) in Gears of War 2 this weekend, you'll receive double the experience points. It all starts on Friday, May 15, at 5 AM EST, when Epic will throw the switch and let the rushing river of XP flow. You'll have until Monday, May 18, at 9 AM EST to take advantage, and the double XP will count across all playlists and match types. So, break out the WD-40, grease that chainsaw up, and get ready to show the Locust what's what.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Microsoft hosts sneak peek event for new Gears of War 2 map this Friday
If you live in the Seattle area and find yourself dreaming of dead Locust scum on a daily basis, then you may be interested in a Gears of War 2 play session being set up by Microsoft at the Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. This Friday, Microsoft will open the doors and allow the first 800 people (who are 17 and older, of course) to enjoy one of the new maps on offer in the newly announced All Fronts compilation. There will also be a Gears creator panel featuring Epic Games president Dr. Michael Capps and lead writer Joshua Ortega.The event will be limited to just the 800 people, so Microsoft suggests you show up much earlier than the 8pm PT starting time (the event will run until 11pm PT). We suggest you bust out the WD-40, because you don't want to go into battle without a well-oiled Lancer.
Gears of War 2 'All Fronts' retail compilation on July 28
Gears of War 2 has done tremendously well, with Epic announcing that the game has sold over 5 million copies. So, how does a company celebrate such a milestone? Enter the "All Fronts" compilation, a $19.99 (£14.99/€19.99 for our European brethren) retail expansion that includes all of the game's previously released DLC map packs (Flashback, Combustible, and Snowblind) plus something new. Epic will also mix in "Dark Corners," a pack that includes seven new multiplayer maps and a deleted campaign chapter called "Road to Ruin." "Road to Ruin" sees Marcus and Dom teaming up again to go into the Hollow and take down some more Locust. What's interesting is that the press release mentions two ways to play this scenario: "guns blazing or in all-new stealth mode." Curious, indeed!The retail-only package will also provide more purchasing incentive in a custom Live theme, poster, strategy guide, and an introductory video by Cliff Bleszinski. The Dark Corners content will also be available separately, directly through Xbox Live for 1600 ($20) for those of us who already own the previously released DLC (where's our discount for being loyal?). Head past the break for a summary of the new maps from the press release.%Gallery-51731%
Microsoft targets Gears of War 2 cheaters, resets their Gamerscore
Major Nelson drops word that Microsoft has taken some very awesome steps toward those glitching Achievements in Gears of War 2. Microsoft was able to target a specific group of people who unlocked Achievements in the game using a specific hack and, as you read this, is in the process of resetting their Gamerscores. Yes, folks, they're having their Gamerscores reset back to zero.Is this too harsh a punishment, to have all of their Gamerscore reset? Should Microsoft just erase these individuals' Gears of War 2 Achievements?
Jim Lee to illustrate Gears of War comic cover
Why miss, you look awfully proud of yourself. Is it because you had the gumption to down a brumak or did you look down and realize that you were drawn by comic book icon Jim Lee? Just go on sitting inappropriately atop that beastie's noggin while you mull it over.Calling Gears of War "visceral yet elegant," Lee will illustrate the cover for the #9 issue of DC's comic book adaptation, which launched in late 2008 under the company's Wildstorm imprint. The issue is said to introduce a new character to the story, who we'd guess is miss sassy pants up there. According to the publisher, the series has enjoyed success so far among comic book enthusiasts, with the first two issues completely selling through their initial printing. The Jim Lee-covered issue is expected to fill collectors' pull lists in July, while a second alternate cover by Epic's art director Chris Perna is promised as well. Now, climb down off that thing, you're making us nervous.
Microsoft readying 31-game barrage for Japan
Microsoft's plans for the Far East have always been something of a murky science, pea soup made somewhat more clear following the company's recent media conference in Japan. Siliconera reports that the Xbox 360 will play host to a number of high-profile titles in Japan in the months ahead, 31 in all, including Magna Carta 2 in August and tri-Ace RPG End of Eternity (sadly not based on the Isaac Asimov novel) in the winter.Japanese gamers will finally get to suit up as a decidedly not dead yet Commander Shepard when the original Mass Effect finally graces Japanese store shelves on May 21, while players will have to wait until later this summer to cure the locust plague in Gears of War 2. Another 14 XBLA titles were confirmed at the event, including the previously announced remake of mech shooter Virtual On Oratorio Tangram, which will arrive in Japan on April 29. Other notable upcoming downloads include Mega Man 9 in June, Space Invaders Extreme this spring and The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match sometime in 2010. And what of Square Enix, which plans fill Japanese XBLA appetites this year with puzzler Yosumin Live, Project Cube and the wonderfully titled 0 Day Attack on Earth (pictured)? Well, we have those trailers for you after the break.Source: This Is What Microsoft Has Planned For Japanese Retailers For NowSource: Square Enix And SNK Blast Announce Xbox Live Arcade GamesSource: Watch Some Square Enix Xbox Live Arcade Trailers
