GearsOfWar
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Gears of War PC montage video leaked [update 1]
Looks like someone made a boo boo. Those silly cats over at GameVideos.com posted a video entitled "Gears of War PC 'E3 Action' montage" and quickly pulled it. But fret not fanboys, because Quellex saved the video and posted it on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. But before you take a look at this leaked Gears PC montage be warned that it may make your inner fanboy scream with anger and disgust. Why? Because the video showcases what looks to be not only new multiplayer maps and additional campaign missions, but it also showcases a boss battle with a Brumak. Yup, that same Brumak that didn't make it into the 360 version of Gears. Hopefully there's more to this story that'll come out of E3, something along the lines of all the new additional PC content being available for free to Xbox 360 owners. Otherwise we shun you Epic and your PC content ... we want to fight Brumaks too!Update 1: We've removed our link to the YouTube video at GameVideos.com's request, but now that the giant cat Brumak's out of the bag, it's gonna be awfully tough to get him back in.[Via NeoGAF]
First video of Gears of War for PC, here and gone in 10 minutes
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Gears_of_War_PC_glimpsed_in_video'; Forty miles below sea level, deep in the heart of the Joystiq bunker, the tiniest of blips lit up our Internets. Footage of Epic's Gears of War for PC had hit the web in an instant and vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Though we've known of a few clues regarding this release, nothing had been confirmed. But now that we have seen Gears running at higher resolutions, silkier framerates and with brand new content (see: Brumak above), we can no longer deny its existence.Our only fear relates to requirements. With Roboblitz Rainbow Six Vegas being the only Unreal Engine 3 testing bed on the PC, the glorious beauty of Gears is bound to melt a few systems. The video itself was tagged under "E32007," so we're bound to hear more solid information on this release very soon.Hey Cliffy, Brumak will be available as downloadable content for 360 owners, right? Buddy?[Update - Yes, Rainbow Six Vegas is just a touch more demanding than Roboblitz. Thanks, Blackmanfu!]
Cliffy B's adolescent story inspires comedic skit
We knew Cliffy B liked the spotlight, but we didn't know he also enjoyed comedic improv. The other night, during a DSI Comedy Theatre performance in North Carolina, the improv crew invited Cliffy B on stage to tell of his childhood, his Nintendo roots, and how badass he thought the Nintendo Power Glove was back in the day. As expected, Cliff's storytelling is pretty darn good, but the improv crews' rendition of his story leaves us scratching our heads a little. No matter, it's Cliffy B taking the stage, so be amazed and give the storytelling and improv a watch. Video ever so conveniently embedded above.[Via Digg]
Gears of War soundtrack drops July 31st
Gears fanboys will be excited to know that the sweet, sweet sounds of our beloved Gears of War will soon be lovingly lasered onto a piece of media plastic. The official Gears of War Soundtrack was announced yesterday and will hit major retailers and be available online July 31st. The CD will feature 28 musical tracks that will chronologically take listeners through Gears' campaign and feature the Northwest Symphonia orchestra. Think of the soundtrack as a musical version of the whole "destroyed beauty" motif. Complete list of all 28 tracks are viewable after the break including our favorites "I Will Kryll You" and "Running With Boomers".
Today's most standup video: CliffyB, the comedian
You know the old saying: game designers always want to be comedians, and comedians always want to be game designers. As part of DSI Comedy Theater, Gears of War creator CliffyB provided humorous anecdotes on his childhood and what drove him to the Nintendo World Championship. The troupe provides performance inspired by CliffyB's stories.We don't want to spoil any of it, so go on and check it out yourself. Video embedded after the break.
Fanswag: Gears of War Modeling Book Winners
Our Gears of War Modeling Book Contest has come to an end and we had some talented folks send in some great Locust creations. Not only did we have some great entries, but we also received entries that weren't really entries. Looking in our inbox we received emails from out of the country (this is a US only contest), entries that didn't include any attached artwork, and entries that were out of the country AND didn't include artwork. Those emails made us laugh and exercise our "delete email" finger. But, in the end, we came away satisfied with the creations our fellow fanboys submitted. So, we bet you are wondering which three entries were chosen to win a copy of Ballistic Publishing's d'artiste: Character Modeling 2, what the Locust creations look like, and if Epic Games will be using the winning designs in the Gears of War sequel. Well, the answers to all those questions and more are posted after the break. Click along and come join our Locust art gallery fun.%Gallery-4473%
Reminder: Submit art for GoW Modeling Book Contest
Did you know we're giving away three hardcover copies of Ballistic Publishing's d'artiste: Character Modeling 2 that feature amazing Gears of War artwork and are valued at over $50 a piece? You did huh? Well, quite being so lazy and send in your locust artwork already! Remember, all you have to do to win a copy is create a new, never before seen Locust creature and send it to us in .jpg format. But you better hurry, because the contest ends July 2nd when we'll be picking our favorite entries who'll win a copy of the modeling book. Complete list of contest rules, details and how to enter are available on the contest page. Run along now and get creative!
Fanswag: Gears of War Modeling Book Contest
We've been bitten by the contest bug and feel the need to offer up three copies of Ballistic Publishing's d'artiste: Character Modeling 2 hardcover books, which feature Gears of War modeler to the stars Kevin Lanning. We've mentioned this amazing modeling book before, because it features Lanning's Gears artwork, wire-frames, renders and actually shows how the pros go about making these high-poly wonders. It's quite the nifty modeling book indeed. So, now that you know what we're giving away, let's get to the details.In the spirit of the creative genius that went into these character models, we're going to ask you to come up with your own character design. Specifically, we want you to create a new species of Locust from Gears of War. You can use any medium you like, be it Photoshop, clay, or a toothpick sculpture. As long as you can submit an image of it (JPEG, 415 pixels wide or more, less than 1MB), it's fine by us.Once you've read the rules, click here to access the official release form. Once you agree to the terms, you can submit your entry to the email address provided. The contest runs until 2:00PM EDT, July 2, 2007, so there's plenty of time to make something that really stands out. The top three submissions will receive a copy of d'artiste: Character Modeling 2. Get to creating and good luck!Click here for the official Gears of War Modeling Book Contest rules
Xbox 360 goes disco at Bonnaroo
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival can be described in many ways, but gamer's paradise is not the first phrase that comes to mind. Monstrosity of music, perhaps, or neo-hippie nirvana -- these are much more apt descriptions. However, one tiny corner of the farm was in fact an electronic Eden, gamer style, at this year's festival. We were curious about the console's presence at the festival, and the Microsoft rep on hand wasn't shy about answering questions. "Why not Bonnaroo? There are tons of people, it's good exposure for the system, and it's a great chance to demonstrate the 360." From what we saw of the crowds in the tent, she was right about the exposure. The Arcade was never empty, and several of the consoles had small crowds clustered around the screens. The Xbox 360 Discothéque Arcade, like so many of the enclosed structures at Bonnaroo, didn't look like much from the outside. Dust-streaked white walls shielded gamers from the boiling Tennessee sun, and the doorway was perfectly positioned to catch the occasional (and very welcome) breeze. Inside, thick shag rugs and battered sofas turned the Arcade into the perfect chill-out area. While the tent wasn't air-conditioned, the simple presence of shade made the Arcade a big draw for gamers and nongamers alike. %Gallery-4254%
Epic's Mark Rein: No Gears of War 2 at Min-E3
If you're one of the thousands, nay millions, hoping that a Gears of War sequel is on the plate for Microsoft's super-secret Min-E3 plans ... you're just going to have to wait longer.Mark Rein, VP of Epic Games, tells BeyondUnreal.com that they are not announcing a sequel to Gears this year at E3. He writes to them, "Did you see the update we just did for Gears of War last week? We're still working on the first one." Rein has been saying since GDC that there are no plans to announce a sequel, even though it's been no secret that many will eventually be released. This is the year of Halo for Microsoft, however next year...
Gears of War 2? Not happening at E3
It was rumored, but ultimately the E3 Gears of War sequel announcement was just that ... a rumor. Beyond Unreal contacted Mark Rein about the possibility that a Gears of War sequel would be announced at this year's E3 and his response was somewhere along the lines of no. "We are not announcing a sequel to Gears of War at E3 this year" Rein responded and reinforced their commitment to Gears of War's DLC by stating that "we're still working on the first one". As fans of the Gears franchise we're more than fine with no new news at E3. Microsoft's E3 spiel will more than likely be about Halo 3 and other third party titles, so Gears news really isn't necessary. So Epic, you just take your time and put together one of the most rockin' Gears of War 2 announcement trailers ever and take comfort in knowing that you have the support of at least one blogger around these parts.
New Gears of War achievements rundown
The Gears of War auto update rolled out earlier this morning implementing an updated roadie run (third time's the charm), general maintenance and our favorite ... new achievements. The eight new Gears achievements are wrapped up in the newish content all achievable either by playing the Annex gametype or by playing in the new Hidden Fronts maps (which cost 800 Microsoft points, but will be free in September). Our favorites? Based strictly on their names we love the 300 reference in "THIS! IS! ANNEX!", the nubness of "Nub Pwn3r", and "All That Juice" ... because it made us chuckle. But we're sure we'll achieve "You Down With E.P.I.C?" first, because it looks to be the easiest. Complete description of all eight new achievements is viewable after the break. Annex ... here we come.
New Gears of War achievements reward the dedicated
New Gears of War achievements are coming June 14 at 2:00 a.m. GMT, which for those in the US means tonight at 10:00 p.m. EDT. A newsbrief on the GoW page outlines the eight new achievements for the Annex gametype and the Hidden Fronts multiplayer map pack. These achievements are not for those looking for a quick way to upgrade their gamerscore, however, and are primarily for those who want to show off that they've logged in hundreds of hours of game time. Achievements are listed after the break.Also included in the download is a patch that fixes a number of bugs in the game and multiplayer. The Annex gametype is currently available for free. The Hidden Fronts map pack is 800 MS points now but will go free September 3.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
GoW Update & Achievements tomorrow
Major Nelson gives word that Gears of War's upcoming title update will be available at 2:00 AM GMT PDT, June 14th. Technically, that's still today in North American timezones. Either way, the update will have 8 new Achievements with a combined worth of 250 Gamerscore, relating to the Hidden Fronts map pack and the new Annex gametype. It also will refine the Roadie Run (again), and fix some exploits in the multiplayer. If you're dropped Gears for some other titles, will this draw you back in?
Live Top Ten: Betacular
This week's Live Top Ten shows a trend that will continue on through to the 10th. The Halo 3 Beta is being played a lot, by way of our actions Crackdown. Not enough to knock Gears of War of its top spot, but certainly enough to give the retail game second, and the beta in accesses in third. Of course, there is more on the list worth noting other than those three worth mentioning, such as the DiRT demo, or the free XBLA title, Aegis Wing. Full list can be found after the break, or you can just go back to playing the beta. We'll encourage you in your habit.
Gears of War novelization coming, Steven Kent at the helm
While trolling some online book retailers, as video game bloggers are often wont to do, VH1 Gamebreak stumbled across a listing for a novelization of video game-cum-horror movie-cum-science fiction cliché fest, Gears of War. Now, don't get us wrong, we don't mean to imply that we didn't like Marcus Fenix's touching tale of redemption -- in fact, it was our favorite game of last year -- but we never considered the story to be the game's strong point. Why was Marcus Fenix going back to his Dad's house again?Sure, they're making a movie based on it, but those often show a similar disregard for plot consistency. However, a novel .... The good news is, former games journalist Steven Kent (he wrote this) will be handling the adaptation. But what good is he at communicating the fraternal bond between Marcus and Dom you ask? Well, he also wrote this, which just so happens to be about space marines and was also well received. To be honest, we're just excited to discover why Marcus' childhood home also happened to be the nexus of the battle against the Locust. What are the chances?[Via VH1 Gamebreak]
Gears of War book sighted online
Besides eating and sleeping (and the dreaded "working"), you have to do something between gaming sessions. What better way to utilize this dead space than to read books about video games? If Gears of War is your thing, you're in luck, because It looks like a Gears of War book is in the works. We've found it listed at several retailers, including Wal-Mart. Assuming the listing is correct, the book is being written by game history guru, Steven Kent, most famous to gamers for his book, The Ultimate History of Video Games. Clocking in at 352 pages, the book is slated for an August release from Del Ray. We're assuming the title, Gears of War 1, is only a placeholder (it had better be).What say you fanboys, are you in for some light summer reading? You know, explosions, eviscerations, that kind of thing.[Via CVG]
UT3 shall be the prettiest of them all
In the latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine Epic discusses everything Unreal Tournament 3 and says that the game will look graphically better than Gears of War. Epic says that the Unreal Engine 3 has been tweaked and improved for use on the 360 since Gears launched and they're taking full advantage of its capabilities. Lead designer Steven Polge's even goes as far as to say that UT3, "it's Gears on crack. Cover is for wimps!". OXM also confirmed the game's vehicle count, talks about the control scheme, and confirmed that UT3 will include four player campaign co-op over Xbox Live. But we're just excited to see how much prettier UT3 can actually get, because Gears already set the bar quite high.[Thanks, DjDatz]
New achievements in next Gears of War update
Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein has announced that the next Gears of War update will add "new achievements relating to Annex and the Hidden Fronts [downloadable content]."Although Gears of War currently has the once-max 1000 gamerscore points alloted over 49 achievements, Microsoft amended the policy to allow an additional 250 points for new content. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion utilized the new policy for its Shivering Isles expansion.Rein also said that the update will tackle the "previously mentioned plan to improve roadie run" as well as more exploit squashing and the ever-popular 'general housekeeping.'" Not listed? The not-for-public-view Gears of War golf game. Come on Epic, give us Marcus Fenix putt-putt!%Gallery-2901%%Gallery-2494%[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Next Gears update will bring more achievements
Epic's Mark Rein hopped on the official Gears forums to tell everyone that they are working hard on the next auto update and that they've included a few unexpected goodies. Not only are they tweaking the roadie run as promised, but they are adding some glorious NEW achievements to both the Annex gametype and the Hidden Fronts DLC, taking advantage of the new Gamerscore policy. Rein also goes on to say that the update will take care of random exploits and general housekeeping, but that they do not have a firm release date for the update yet.Brand new Gears achievements simply rocks! It's something that I have been vocal about and to my surprise is going to happen. Now, for those of us who've earned the Seriously achievement, we can milk Gears for even more Gamerscore points. Dreamy isn't it? It's almost as if the Gears of War angels (Epic Games) have flown down from the heavens and blessed us once again.[Via GamingTalkHQ]
