Thanks to sad infomercials and brilliant impact aisle placement in Wal-Marts and CVSes across North America, Snuggies are all the rage. Like a tender cotton body bag, these sensational products keep numerous (old) folks warm while watching the television or other similar immobile activities -- like hacking dudes in Gears of War.

That’s right. Check out that ten s--tloads of spectacular in the header image. Revealed in a tweet by an Epic Games PR person (via Planet Xbox 360), the world now has its first prototype Gears of War-themed Snuggie, which should be perfect for those cold nights spent with a controller, a soda, Marcus Fenix and his crew. Think about it.

[Update: This thing is a prototype -- a real thing.]

You'd have to be either a huge Gears of War fan or have an insane amount of disposable income to be able to afford TriForce's 1:1 scale Lancer Assault Rifle. The highly impressive replica costs $949.99, and will be available in February of next year.

These Lancers are 40" in length, weigh 15 pounds, have working LED lights, and only 500 of them are being created. TriForce is taking pre-orders now, if you actually are into this sort of thing. Not that these replicas aren't incredibly cool, but seriously.

Personally, the Amazon.com Lancer meets my chainsaw gun needs; if I had an extra $1k sitting around, I'd probably get a huge Alien bust or something equally nerdy. On second thought, I shouldn't be allowed to judge how others spend their money.

A fair bit of the latest Achievements added to Gears of War 2 are tied to the multiplayer ranking system. If you’re an Achievement whore that lacks patience or mad chainsaw skills, this can be a bit of a bummer. But, then again, every holiday weekend seems to usher in a Gears 2 multiplayer XP event.

Well, what do you know? Epic Games is throwing a Labor Day event. Starting this morning and stretching through September 8th, everyone can earn double XP in multiplayer. In addition to this, winning teams in competitive public matches are being awarded with an extra 500 points.

Also, Horde has been moved up to “Hardcore” difficulty, with “every tenth wave populated entirely by Sires.”

Sounds thrilling and it’s totally happening right now! Go go go.

[via VideoGamer]

This is an industry where Electronic Arts can contrive its own fictional Christian protest and Sony can drag a dead goat out at a God of War launch party, yet there are still some weird promotional schemes that make me scratch my head. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Imulsion, a brand new drink that emulates the mutating fuel source from Gears of War. This is actually happening!

The cans will cost $2.99 a pop, and it's likely some sort of energy drink since this comes from the same chaps responsible for the sugar-laden Street Fighter liquids. The fact that there's no readily available nutritional value scares me. Still, if you're brave you can get the demented things from Amazon, and drink them until the sodium turns your blood white and causes foam to squirt from your eyes. 

I cannot believe this thing actually exists. Imulsion isn't even supposed to be edible.

Gears of War 2 Game of the Year Edition is happening. GameStop is now taking pre-orders for a newly packaged version of the billion-year-old shooter. Priced at $39.99, this edition’s value stems from the ten s--tloads of downloadable content thrown into the mix. The "All Fronts Collection" -- nineteen multiplayer maps and the ‘deleted scene’ campaign mission -- ships with it as (update) a redeemable code.

If you’ve been looking for a way to get into Gears of War 2 on the cheap without going the “Used” route, this seems like the best way to do it. The game is a rollercoaster of awesome and the multiplayer component isn’t too shabby if you stay away from the majority of public people (read: cheaters).

Gears 2 GOTY hits GameStop September 1st.

[Thanks, Hawk xSx and TheWeaponeer!]

Tecmo is working on a game called Quantum that I got to peek at during E3. The game is looking like it could potentially be quite good, but there's no denying the fact that it looks almost exactly like Gears of War, from the gameplay to the character designs. Tecmo is at least self-aware enough to realize that Quantum will be compared to the game it shamelessly pilfers from.

"We are aware that people will draw comparisons [with Gears of War]," says Ben Laurence, PR manager of Tecmo Koei Europe, "but Quantum will be a fantastic game in its own right."

I'm not one who really cares that a game is totally original and unique, so long as it's good, and if Quantum is  a fun shooter, than it's not going to matter much. That said, Quantum really has been remorseless in its Gears pillaging. Saying it will draw comparisons is like saying the next Dead or Alive will have a few breasts in it.

Ever notice how there are quite a few videogames that feature protagonists with high-tech armor? So did we! This past week, Brad talked with the designers of these very games, asking what the armor of these characters says about them and the world they live in, as well as what the design process entailed.

First, Brad spoke with Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski about arguably the most recognizable videogame armor around these days, the Gears of War COG armor. We were told it "required many iterations" during the design stage to reach the point where the armor felt "iconic."

Next, Fallout 3 lead designer Emil Pagliarulo told us everything we needed to know about the Brotherhood of Steel's Power Armor, saying it allows Wastelanders to go "on the offensive" and "beyond survival."

On Thursday, the lead designer of Crysis, Sten Hubler, revealed to us that the original Nanosuit was much bulkier than what we're familiar with, and that players weren't meant to get the suit until around the halfway point when the aliens show up. 

Finally, Brad hit up Section 8 lead designer Robert Siwiak for insight into the design inspirations for the 8th Regiment's futuristic suit of armor. The team "explored designs that paired the sleek Eastern luxury car aesthetics with the aggressive hot-rod/muscle car designs from the West, and combined that with military intent and purpose."

Make sure to also check out the gallery for an exciting look at the concept art for the different types of armor we've been discussing.

Now that this thing is officially live, publisher can start flooding the Avatar Marketplace on Xbox LIVE with all sorts of neat (yet useless) promotional crap. Case in point -- today, BioShock 2, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, Gears of War 2, and Splinter Cell: Conviction items hit the Avatar Marketplace.

Available in the BioShock 2 store are items like a Big Daddy doll, or a Big Daddy helmet. The Star Wars: Clone Wars store can hook you up with a Clone Trooper costume, or you can go the simple-yet-sophisticated-route with a blue lightsaber. Splinter Cell fans can get some skin-tight, leather espionage outfits... if that's your thing. Each store also has its share of branded t-shirts, some of which we're hoping we can buy "IRL" somewhere down the line; the designs are that cool. 

Of course, be prepared to spend some money -- nothing is free. If you want the full Star Wars look, you'll have to buy the Obi-Wan Tunic and Lightsaber as separate items, which cost 320 and 400 MS Points, respectively. Consider carefully if Avatar cosplay is worth nine dollars. 

Also live are Quicksilver, Addidas, and tokidoki (OMG so cute!) stores. Check out some images we grabbed off-screen in our gallery and after the jump.

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“Jack, rip this door,” a voice says, the words echoing in the tiny chamber. Hot shrapnel flickers and temporarily brightens the dark room Marcus Fenix has been imprisoned in. Once ripped, the door swings wide. Light creeps in. Fenix’s silhouette sweeps across the screen. He’s naked. For the first and only time in the Gears of War series, Fenix is shown without armor. After the scene, the grisly protagonist dons a suit fit for combat. Heavy and bulbous, the metallic plate covers the entirety of his chest and torso, as well as his shoulders, thigh, arms, and legs.

Heavy plate has become a running joke of sorts. We’ve become accustomed to seeing big and burly men wearing equally big and burly armor in our videogames. I recently asked four studios the same two questions in order to figure out why huge or space-like armor appears in their games. The first studio I spoke with is Gears of War developer, Epic Games. Designer Cliff Bleszinski took a few moments to answer via e-mail.

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We caught up with Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski at a Microsoft function during Comic-con. Well, it wasn't as much "catching up" as it was an impromptu interview. You see, we had an interview scheduled for the next day, but he had some other things come up. That's okay, we found time to talk about Gears of War 2's newest DLC, Dark Corners anyway. You know, tons of new maps and more single player gameplay -- all that. It has dropped on XBLA for 1,200 Microsoft points. Check it all out in the video below.

I tried to call Cliff out on our interview cancellation, as you'll see in the video. He said that he prefers Kotaku over us as his defense. I do too. Better cake coverage. Cliff, I know where you went that next day. I laughed heartily when a source informed me. I hope that one day I can get to a point where I can cancel my meetings for something like that!

From the Jo-Bros with love. <3

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So you may have noticed the severe lack of women in the Gears of War universe. There's Dom's wife, that other woman who keeps yelling at you over the intercom and I think I saw one running for her life at one point. Outside of that female appearances in the Gears games are slim to none. Evidently mankind's last stand can truly only be taken by men. Or can the ladies join in too?

Speaking on an episode of 1 vs. 100 Cliff Bleszinski himself said he had absolutely no comment on the subject of a female Gear in Gears of War 3, especially since there is no such thing as Gears of War 3 at the moment. Theoretically though, if said game was to exist, Bleszinski says that the female Gear from the cover of the Gears of War comic book pictured above “may or may not” be involved in the said theoretical videogame.This doesn't really confirm if she is playable, but even if she isn't it would be nice to have another person in the game without a neck as thick as my thigh.

(Note: If I've missed some obscure Gears lore that gives the reason for the lack of female soldiers I apologize. I've only played the games.)

[Thanks, J.W.]

Gears of War 2-ownin’ Xbox LIVE Silver members are getting a special treat courtesy of Epic Games and Microsoft this weekend. According to the Gears 2 Web site, multiplayer is -- in a sense -- free for the weekend. Until 11:59 on August 3rd, Silver members can play Gears 2 multiplayer without having to upgrade to a Gold account.

Gold members should smell blood in the water. Think about the wonderful statistical-boosting opportunity Epic just handed you. Clueless folk are filling rooms as you’re reading this. One weekend isn’t enough to learn the nuance of the chainsaw battle or become familiar with sniper rifle or Hammer of Dawn spawn-points. It certainly isn’t long enough to learn all of the special hiding spots you may frequent on boring afternoons. Time to feed, guys.

[1UP]

In case you forgot, a bunch of downloadable content for Gears of War 2 is dropping today. There's the "Dark Corners" pack and the "All Fronts Collection." The DLC costs $15 and $20 respectively, so if you know what they entail, hit those links to start downloading.

For everyone else, here's a quick refresher. "Dark Corners" contains both a single-player chapter called "Road to Ruin" in which Marcus and Dom dress up as Theron Guards and act all sneaky like. Beyond that, there's seven different multiplayer maps, one of which comes from the original Gears of War (Allfathers Garden).

As for the "All Fronts Collection," the price may seem a little high, but it's actually quite the bargain. For $20, you get all nineteen Gears 2 multiplayer maps that have been released as DLC so far (including the "Dark Corners" maps) as well as "Road to Ruin."

This is perfect for anyone who hasn't jumped on the premium add-ons yet, although if you're like me there's just no way that many maps are going to fit on your aging 20 GB Xbox 360 hard drive.

Lot's of gaming movie news coming out thanks to panels at SDCC this year. Is it important? Of course! The proper choosing of actors for Gears of War for instance could make or break the film. A current fan favorite to be in the film is Dwayne Johnson, who was also chosen by the film's screenwriter. However, neither the fans nor the screenwriter really have much say over casting and so it appears that Johnson will not be in the Gears film at all as director Len Wiseman doesn't want to have any ties to the Doom movie.

Speaking at the San Diego Comic-Con he ran through the reasons they would not be casting Johnson, and probably made the action star feel pretty bad while doing it. "A Doom connection would not be smart for us," Wiseman validly said. He then went on to add a little backhanded insult by saying the he would not choose an actor by throwing "a bunch of strongmen into the ring and see who comes out victorious… I'm looking for an actor for the role and then [I'll] put him into shape. I'm always thinking who could play the best Marcus. You want to get hooked into the character [first] and then all the amazing spectacle."

Dude, your last movie was Live Free or Die Hard, which was an awesome action film, but hardly puts you on a pulpit to reject The Rock as an actor. In my opinion Johnson is by far one of the best action stars out there, and since so far Marcus' range of emotion has been from gruff to gruffer I'm not seeing where the issue would be. Of course I secretly heart the Doom movie as a guilty pleasure so I'm probably a bit biased.

Here we go. Now that Microsoft is confident in charging money for its useless Avatar clothing, we're finally getting stuff that almost approaches interesting. No more sunglasses or silly shoes, we're actually getting videogame-themed clothes for our videogame Avatars on a videogame machine. How about that? The only trouble is, we now have to pay for it.

Revealed at the Comic-Con "Gearsiverse" panel, these uniforms will allow your Avatar to represent either the COG or the Locust. Since Microsoft has a silly rule that says Avatars are not allowed to look "inhuman," the Locust armor looks about ten times more lame than it actually should. In fact, it looks incredibly stupid and there's no way I'd have even guessed it was based on the Locust without being told first.

The armor sets should be available when the update hits next month, and they don't make the Avatars look any less like effette, twee, camp little fashion models. 

Not even Dynasty Warriors clothes would make me buy Avatar stuff.

Epic Games just released two images taken from the Road to Ruin campaign mission included in the upcoming Gears of War 2 DLC, “Dark Corners.” As we said previously, “Dark Corners” isn’t a traditional bit of content. Road to Ruin is Epic’s first attempt at bringing downloadable single-player content to the series and it’s mildly different than the typical campaign stuff. In the add-on, players will be presented with a choice deep in the Locust Hollow: be stealthy or be Rambo.

Earlier this week, designer Cliff Bleszinksi talked about the Road to Ruin content on Major Nelson’s podcast. He revealed that it was a “ninety-minute” swathe of content cut from the game. In other words, Road to Ruin is ten sh--loads of new.

Interestingly, neither of the images have Dom and Marcus. Instead, we’re presented with Baird and Cole. We’re not complaining about it: it’s just that these two guys don’t look as cute as the dynamic duo in their little Theron outfits.

Gears of War 2 “Dark Corners” hits with the "All Fronts" collection on July 28 for fifteen bucks. 

[Update: OK. OK. I forgot the Internet considers everything old. Anyway, here's some more screens taken strictly from the multiplayer portion. These just hit my wire as well, but they're probably old. Anything not released within the last six or seven seconds is old, right? Check out these ridiculously old screens in the gallery below.]

“Dark Corners” isn’t a traditional bit of downloadable content. The upcoming Gears of War 2 DLC will be multiplayer heavy as per Epic Games standard, however, nestled underneath the seven maps is a new downloadable campaign mission. A mission with a twist, no less: go guns blazing or sneak. Recently, Cliff Bleszinski gave Major Nelson a rundown of the ninety-minute campaign slice and revealed that the DLC was originally “snipped” from the game.

"It's a 90-minute section that was actually snipped out of Gears of War 2, where Marcus and Dom are actually going to the Locust homeworld and they're basically suited up in Locust armor and have a choice -- because they knocked out a couple of Therons -- they can go in guns-blazing as they always do, Rambo-style, or they can go with a more stealth approach, so it's a little bit of stealth in the Gears universe," Bleszinski said on Nelson’s podcast.

"You get Achievements for playing the mode either way and it kind of plugs right into the main game. It's actually the first time we've done any sort of single-player DLC. It's kind of a test to see whether people dig it."

If the single image of the content holds true, the stealth approach will have Marcus and Dom donning Theron gear. We’re pretty sure the Locust don’t have lockers, so it’ll be interesting to see, at the very least, how the dynamic duo get their duds. (Flaying, ftw.)

Gears of War 2 “Dark Corners” hits with the "All Fronts" collection on July 28 for fifteen bucks.

[via Eurogamer]

Some offline Gears of War 2 enthusiasts aren’t happy with Title Update 4. In addition to adding XP to Horde mode, Epic Games added oomph to the smoke grenade. The sissy projectile now causes a momentary cringe effect on players during animations. While people seem somewhat fine with the change, they aren’t in love with the update. According to a few rabble-rousers on the game’s official message board, the added cringe effect won’t work offline.

Title Update 4 was released on June 3 and was accompanied by a bonus XP weekend deal, a celebration of sorts for the American national holiday. Instead of barbequing or risking their lives with mini-ballistics, Gears 2 message board users have been furiously posting in a thread about the issue. It’s currently over 65 pages long.

Apparently, national videogame tournaments that feature Gears 2 are still playing games over LAN, so this is a bummer for those who desire to compete with Title Update 4.

We can’t verify the offline cringe claim. It’s 2009 and the Internet exists. But we get your complaint: just give Epic some time. Dudes are probably off for the weekend.

Tickers. Apparently, these exploding little buggers are the equivalent of fireworks in the Gears of War universe -- a point we’ll get to shortly. Normally, we’d argue that Marcus and Dom’s relationship is more explosive (and colorful), but this doesn’t seem like the right context. Marcus and Dom are merely skins in multiplayer, not the living, breathing men we’ve come to know through the past game’s campaigns. Oh, right, context: Epic Games is throwing a Gears of War 2 multiplayer event this weekend.

In honor of America’s independence (and the upcoming Title Update 4), Epic is doubling the XP gain and dishing out a bonus 500 XP for all winning teams in Gears of War 2. If competitive play isn’t your thing, don’t worry: Horde mode will have it’s own bonus. A special grouping of Tickers will be spawning every tenth wave, ensuring you’ll be getting your 4th of July boom some way or another.

The celebratory event will be taking place this Friday and rolling through Monday. It’s a short window, but what else are you going to be doing? Family, friends and cheap explosives are so dull.

[via 1UP]

Books. These ancient bound things with text are more expensive than a map pack and heavier than a Gold Lancer download card. They don’t give their owners rumble feedback and they certainly can’t be played via an Xbox 360. Thankfully, these non-digital abominations aren’t completely worthless: they make nifty paperweights and can even plug the plot holes and story gaps videogame writers leave in their games.

Such is the case for Gears of War: Aspho Fields. In the book, author Karen Traviss opts to explain events between the original Gears of War and Gears of War 2 -- unexplored territory by the videogames. Apparently, this book was so hot Random House decided to ink another contract. Yes. Another Gears of War book is coming.

It’s called Gears of War: Jacinto’s Remnant and it hits, uh, book shelves on July 28. For fifteen bucks, you can read this thing and learn about stuff that happens after Gears of War 2. (Spoiler Alert: it’s about tough guys killing tough things in a tough war.)

If you want to know more about the book, the press release is available below the fold. If you just want to stare at pretty pictures, the cover art is available in the header and in the gallery below.

We haven’t read anything Gears fiction aside from that awesome slash stuff available on the Internet. (Dom and Marcus were made for each other.) What did you guys think about the first book? Do you have any interest in this one? view full story + comments

Epic has released information on what will be contained in the fourth major title update to Gears of War 2. The update adds multiplayer experience rewards for playing Horde mode, improves the odds that downloadable content will appear in map selections (provided all players own the relevant DLC) and adds support for the deleted chapter, "Road to Ruin," which will be released on July 28th in the Dark Corners Map Pack. It also contains a host of bug fixes, closes a few exploits and makes some balance adjustments.

More importantly, the multiplayer game will now warn players when they are about to drop out of a match that they will lose multiplayer experience for the action. With luck, that may convince some people to actually stick around to the end of a game that they're losing. If I had my druthers, that message would be a painfully long, slow, auto-scrolling message that could not be exited until it reaches its conclusion. That, to me, is a far greater punishment for dropping out than losing a few XP.

The update is currently going through Microsoft's certification process and is expected to release in the next few weeks.

Cliff Bleszinski has a reputation as a bit of a wanker, partly because he decided to stop calling himself Cliffy B, which some people took to be a mark of arrogance. According to Cliff, however, he doesn't really care what you call him. I am going to start calling him Coco Bongos.

"Honestly, that was just a media experiment to me. It was Stephen Totilo who started it," explains Coco. "I had an IM conversation with him and said, 'I'm thinking of abandoning that.' And he broke it on MTV Multiplayer, and it got picked up everywhere, and then it turned into "Who does he think he is?" Dude, the fact that you're getting upset just means you're playing along with my joke here. You can call me whatever you like as long as you play the game."

I've never understood why people hate Coco Bongos so much. He might have a bit of an ego, but when you create one of the most popular shooters of the generation, I think you're allowed at least a little bit of an attitude. So long as he doesn't start Twittering for police help after being attacked by the Black Eyed Peas, he can't be that bad.

Put down that razor, don't swallow that poison and for the love of God pull that hosepipe full of carbon monoxide out from your car window! Cliffy "Don't call me Cliffy B" B has revealed to the world that he is not yet burned out on Gears of War, despite wanting to explore fresh IP. The world sighs a collective breath of relief.

"There have only been two Gears games," sensationally reveals Cliffy while talking to OXM. "There are still plenty of opportunities for things you can do in a cover-based shooter and there are still a lot of stories to tell in the Gears universe.

"I'm not burned out with the franchise at all. But there are tradeoffs. With an established IP, you're not saying, 'are we going to do cover?' and 'who is this Cole Train guy?' It's all there - the writer writes and it's a known entity. But with a new IP, it's raw and wide open. It's like solving a giant puzzle in your head, and it's great.

Cliffy also says that he doesn't ever want to work on a licensed game, stating that he would "go out and put a shotgun in his mouth" if he was forced to. I won't attempt to pre-empt any jokes you want to make about giving Cliffy a sawn-off and the source code for Iron Man 2.

The fans have spoken, and Epic has listened. The previously announced "Dark Corners" add-on for Gears of War 2 is going to be cheaper than we thought. Originally, the downloadable content was priced at $20, but IGN has since reported that isn't the case any more.

Instead, "Dark Corners" will be only $15 at launch on July 28, because people like you and me complained. Considering the amount of content the DLC brings -- one new campaign chapter and seven new multiplayer maps -- I'd say it's justifiable for the average Gears fan.

And what about the deluxe platinum extreme collection of all the Gears of War 2 DLC, the "All Fronts Collection"? Last we heard, the $20 bundle had a planned retail release. According to Epic's Rod Fergusson, not any more it doesn't! "All Fronts" will now be purchasable only from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, for the same crazy price. Yay?

[Via Joystiq]

Destructoid has the pleasure of being the first to show off this fantastic piece of cover art for the upcoming Gears of War Sourcebook, a book featuring art from comic talent that just happen to be big Gears fans. While all the rest of the internet has stand-in placeholder images, DC Comics and Wildstorm was kind enough to pass us the real deal to show you, created by artist Stephen Platt. Check out the full image in our gallery below.

Dude is gettin' sawed the eff up!

This Gears of War Sourcebook, set to release June 17, features art and pinups as well as a short story written by Gears of War 2 writer Joshua Ortega. I'm sure fans know that the Wildstorm imprint is also cranking out Gears of War comics. Jim Lee did work for issue number 9.

Have any of you checked out the comics? Are you down for the Sourcebook?

 

Soon Australians will be able to get their hands on an, uh, epic Xbox 360 bundle. Microsoft is releasing -- while supplies last -- the “Gears of War” bundle on June 4.

The discounted collection will include Epic’s original Gears of War, Gears of War 2, an Xbox 360 Pro (60 GB hard drive), all the cords one can stand to jam behind their television stand, and a white controller.

As you can see above, Microsoft spared no expense on the packaging.

The bundle has a suggested price of $449 dollars (or 27,500 Microsoft Moon Dollars); so get it while it’s hot. Or don't. We won't judge your silly decisions.

[via OXCGN]

Somebody got a wrench? Epic has a leaky faucet. Yesterday, Stick Skills got their hands on a list of supposed Achievements for the “Dark Corners” map pack for Gears of War 2. The majority of the 13 Achievements are multiplayer heavy -- get to this rank on this map, etc.

The interesting ones, if this list is to be believed, are the Achievements for the campaign mission, Road to Ruin. When announced (as a “deleted scene”) Microsoft teased two ways to play the mission, stealth and action. If you read the below literally, it appears as if the option will be just that. An option.

Highway to Hell (25)
Complete the "Road to Ruin" deleted scene after choosing the blasting option

My Way or the Highway (25)
Without being detected, complete the "Road to Ruin" deleted scene after choosing the stealth option

Right trigger for blasting and left trigger for stealth seems right to us. Although, a sexy mini-game featuring Marcus putting on that Theron outfit wouldn’t be so bad either.

The Gears of War movie is right around the corner. Screenwriter Chris Morgan says that things are actually in the budgeting phase now. And since they're already thinking about money, this would probably be a good time to decide who will be playing the lead role of Marcus Fenix.

“Normally when I write, I think about the actor I’m writing for, but this one’s been difficult,” Morgan told MTV Movie Blog. 

I'm with him. My mind doesn't jump to an obvious choice either. Morgan mentions that the struggle is finding a "big guy who can play it stoic the whole time" and can also be an emotional character. He says that they need “a really f’ing good actor to pull off being a silent tough guy and put some humanity into it.”

So who came to mind? The Rock. 

“The Rock is awesome,” Morgan said. “There’s a genuine actor. Not only can he play the tough guy, but he can also play the nuanced, sensitive funny sad moments as well. But finding that guy is incredibly difficult.”

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Whoa. On July 28, Epic Games is dropping ten s--tloads worth of Gears of War 2 downloadable content into one cute retail package. "The Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection" will have all the previous DLC for the game -- "Snowblind," "Combustible," and "Flashback" -- as well as seven new multiplayer maps, a “deleted” campaign chapter called Road to Ruin, a premium theme, an introductory video, a poster, AND a strategy guide. Like we said, ten s--tloads.

Road to Ruin -- perhaps the most intriguing since Epic has yet to touch the campaign with DLC -- will have the COG funky bunch (Dom and Marcus) returning to the Locust Hollow. Apparently, this once cut campaign mission will feature some sort of stealth mode, but the option to chainsaw, curse, and shoot your way through the new level is still viable. As you can see from the image above, it appears as though Marcus is dressed as a Theron. Costume swapping is always a plus.

Of course, if you still get your kicks from multiplayer, the seven new maps should make you a happy man. You can view a breakdown of the "Dark Corners" map pack from the press release after the break. (It will be available for download on July 28, when this retail package hits.)

The best part about the “All Fronts Collection” is its price: $19.99. Sorta makes you want to get back into the game, right? Aw, c’mon!

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It has recently come to the attention of Microsoft that some of Xbox LIVE's shadier members are using a hack to gain precious Achievement points for Gears of War 2.

The perpetrators? They're going to have their gamerscores reset and will be labeled as cheaters in their XBL profiles; here's an example of what happens when you find a stranger in the alps screw with the big M.

All I have to say to the cheaters is this: way to ruin the fun of Achievements, guys. You're getting what you fully deserve. The points should be about extending a game's length, not your e-peen.

I view Achievements as a tool to help me get more value out of my games, and in some rare cases make me tackle gameplay in new, creative ways. Obviously, side-stepping this process flat-out defeats the whole purpose, and is something only an assclown would do.

Famed comic book illustrator Jim Lee is set to provide the cover artwork for Gears of War #9, which will be out in July and is said to bring an all-new Gears character into the equation.

If I were the gambling type, I'd probably bet money on this new character being killed off, because when you have a story about constant war, one of the good guys is bound to die eventually. Or else their loved ones, which only further fuels their willingness to fight and prolongs the conflict. These stories are deep, guys.

In case you were wondering, Jim Lee has totally played Gears of War. In fact, he says "it's the most visceral yet elegant game" he's ever played, and is "thrilled to be able to contribute something new to the ever expanding mythos." Dude really loves him some Gears, apparently. Got a problem with that? Good.

If you’re like me, you get behind on downloadable content. Gears of War 2’s latest multiplayer expansion, the ‘Snowblind’ map pack, debuted on Xbox LIVE March 31 for 800 Microsoft Points. The DLC adds 250 Achievement points that tie into the new ranking system and adds a total four maps: Courtyard, Underhill, Grindyard and Fuel Depot.

If you’re interested in the content, but haven’t committed the Space Dollars yet, perhaps Marcus Fenix Baird can sway you. After the break is a bit of a walkthrough of all the maps voiced by the freak blonde-headed wonder engineer. He’s slightly out of character -- no cursing, unfortunately -- but it’s entertaining, nonetheless.

Those of you who have purchased, what do you think of the content? Is Fuel Depot worth the revisit? Are there any Christmas trees in any of the levels?

(Update: OK, the narrator is Baird, not Marcus Fenix. Unfortunately, it still lacks cursing.)

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If you're the kind of person who flicks their bean with delirious joy over the idea of a console-exclusive game developer playing a console-exclusive game on the OTHER SIDE, then prepare to shoot a wad of liquid silk at the jawdropping concept of Gears of War 2's executive producer playing Killzone 2! Oh, that naughty man.

"I play a lot of things," says Rod Fergusson, blowing our minds. "I play World of Warcraft. Most recently I finished 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, which was a lot of fun. I’ve been playing some Killzone, I’ve been playing some RE5." 

CAN YOU NOT SEE THIS IS ASTOUNDING!?

Unfortunately, Fergusson is also as frightened as a lamb of scary things, and won't play Dead Space: "I struggle with horror games like Dead Space. I can’t distance myself from things I’m watching, so I don’t keep a professional distanceI’m the guy that cries in Bambi and jumps in thriller movies."

Videogame developers playing videogames. What will they think of next?

Word on the street is that Gears of War 2 is going to get yet another piece of downloadable content on top of next week's Snowblind map pack. A user over on the game's official forums stumbled across the above Asian Xbox LIVE Marketplace product page, but the forum post has since been deleted.

Dark Corners, according to the image above, appears to be the next DLC for Gears 2. While I don't think it's impossible that this could be another map pack, I do think it's unlikely. In fact, I'm much more inclined to believe Dark Corners could very well be an addition to the Gears 2 single-player component.

This is all unconfirmed, of course, but with GDC 09 currently going on, it wouldn't be unheard of to expect an update on the situation soon.

Speculate away, Destructoid community.

[Via Joystiq]

It’s safe to say that Epic’s third title update for Gears of War 2 is well on its way to hitting the planned March 24 release date. This afternoon, a Joystiq reader spotted a full listing of the unreleased content's Achievements on Microsoft’s Xbox Web site. The majority of the 'Cheevos reward players for reaching multiplayer rank benchmarks -- the notable addition of the title update. The catch is that players will have to purchase the ‘Snowblind’ map pack in order to be rewarded for their multiplayer badassery. (It's a bummer that Microsoft doesn't allow developers to make Achievements whenever.)

We’ve provided the full listing post-jump, but here’s a drool-worthy excerpt:

• Rookie Gear (10 points) - Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 5 (Public only)
• Battle-Tested Gear (30 points) - Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 25 (Public only)
• Battle-Hardened Gear (50 points) - Reach level 50 and play a match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only)
• Veteran Gear (75 points) - Reach level 100 and win a match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only)

Speaking of Gears of War 2, we’re throwing one hell of a Friday Night Fights tonight. Destructoid and Microsoft have come together to shower participants in goodies. We have a Gears-themed trucker hat, a limited edition art book, four golden weapon codes and six COG tags to give away. All you have to do is boot up Gears of War 2 multiplayer, check out this post to find the hosts, etc., and rock out with your chainsaw out.

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We have got a plethora of Gears of War 2-related news for you today, thanks to an interview GameSpot had with executive producer Rod Fergusson. First off, here's the relatively good news: the Snowblind Map Pack, which contains Grindyard, Under Hill, Courtyard, and a Fuel Depot remake, is looking at a March 31 release. A price point hasn't been specified, but 800 Microsoft Points sounds about right.

But here's where it gets even better: a third title updated is planned for March 24, and it's bringing a slew of new features like an experience system for multiplayer, more Achievements, and auto-balancing for when players quit out of a match (bots will then take their place).

As a strong supporter of integrating RPG-esque elements into first- and third-person shooters, the all new XP system is sounding mighty intriguing to me. Players can rank all the way up to level 100, and Achievements are being used as incentive to do so.

If any of this is sounding pretty good to you, do yourself a favor and check out the full interview for expanded explanations of the upcoming Gears 2 content and changes. I can't speak for the rest of you, but some of these additions might be enough to get me playing again. Might.

This past weekend at NY Comic-Con, Gears of War writer, Joshua Ortega, told IGN in an interview that Epic plans to ride out the sweet wave of its success with the franchise for a long time. How long? According to Ortega, "It's a ten-year plan."

Gears of War is a great franchise, no argument there, but stop and think about the implications of that statement. Ten years of "emotional subplots." Ten years of "The Cole Train." And ten years of Cliff Bleszinski waving around a toy Lancer like an idiot as in the above image.

Even more staggering is the statement Ortega almost immediately follows this up with: "The Lancer is the new Lightsaber." I don't even know where to begin with how presumptuous and arrogant that is, and I take a very dim view of Star Wars.

If they continue to follow the release schedule precedented by the first two games, expect Gears of War 6 to be releasing sometime in 2016. I hear that there's a very touching reunion between Dom and "the-girl-he-dated-once-or-twice-in-high-school-but-wasn't-really-all-that-into" planned.

[Via GamesIndustry]

Remember when we told you about Gears of War's digital signature accidentally expiring, rendering the game unusable for PC players? Well, it's been fixed!

The required update can be found here for those who still actively play the PC port, in which case I'm not going to comment on your gaming habits; I've got a few weird ones of my own, but that's for another time.

I will say that there's probably going to be more people playing Gears on PC now thanks to all of this attention it's getting. I suppose, in the end, everything worked out alright then.

[Via Kotaku]

When I heard that Epic had an idea for a "big change" to Gears of War 2's multiplayer, I was hoping for confirmation that it would be worth me putting the disc in again. After the "update" to Gears 2, I've been barely able to play multiplayer thanks to awful matchmaking and the trolls that exploit it. Still, Epic's non-fix idea is still somewhat dramatic, if only on a cosmetic level.

The suggested alteration revolves around showing your trueskill rank. According to Epic's Rod Fergusson, showing one's trueskill ranking is a source of frustration for some, and could do with changing. When I think Gears 2 multiplayer, I can think of several far more frustrating things, but whatever.

"What if, instead of skill rank, we instead showed your experience level. You would gain experience through your individual performance in Public multiplayer matches - the higher your score at the end, the more experience you acquire," Fergusson proposes. "Of course the experience gained across the different match types would be balanced so you couldn’t just grind on the respawning game types to try and level faster. The experience requirements for each level would grow with each level gained (like a typical RPG) and we’d have 99 levels of experience for you to show off your leetness."

This "experience system" would have no real bearing on the game, and would exist simply as a surrogate penis, showing off to others how long you've played the game. You'd keep gaining "experience" for as long as you play the game, and would lose some for quitting matches. Outside of that, there's no actual alteration. 

That's not going to encourage me to sit through twenty minutes of matchmaking.

In what's surely one of the top "WTF moments" of the day, Gears of War PC players were shocked to discover that the game's digital certificate expired yesterday, meaning no one can currently play the game without adjusting their computer's clock.

Sounds like a pretty big mistake on Epic's part, doesn't it? But before you go questioning the company's motives or what have you, Shacknews has quoted Epic programmer Joe Graf as saying, "This was a surprise to us too."

As you might have guessed, the problem is being taken care of. "We have been notified of the issue and are working with Microsoft to get it resolved. Sorry for any problems related to this," says Graf.

You have to admit, this situation is kind of funny. I suppose if the same problem were to plague Left 4 Dead or something more recent, it wouldn't be so comical, but come on -- it's the original Gears of War ... on PC.

[Via The Reticule]

In an effort to promote the upcoming Friday the 13th reboot, Xbox and Warner Bros. are giving gamers the chance to win a pile of awesome crap by playing Gears of War 2's multiplayer online.

Like all of these Play & Win sweepstakes, it really is as simple as that. First off, you'll need to register either on Xbox LIVE or through this convenient link.

Sign up by January 31, and you will be eligible to win prizes from February 1 - 13 by playing a specific multiplayer game type each day. Assuming y'all aren't petrified of hopping online for a few minutes of Gears 2, this promotion shouldn't prove to be too difficult.

Hit the jump to see what the prize packages entail and which game modes you are required to play on which days in order to possibly win.

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It goes without saying that videogame-to-movie adaptations rarely ever deliver what gamers want. But considering Epic's Gears of War already plays out like an interactive, wild f**king action movie, I'm cautiously optimistic about seeing the game on screen. 

Horror Web site Bloody Disgusting caught up with the film's director, Len Wiseman, at the red carpet premiere of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. The director was more than happy to talk about the in-development Gears of War film. 

"It's going to be much more [on the] science fiction side of it than the creature side," he explains. "I've always been much more of a sci-fi action fan than a horror fan."

This is good news, seeing as how Gears of War isn't, you know, a horror game. Wiseman says he's writing the film's script with Wanted scribe Chris Morgan, with the plans calling for a trilogy. 

"Basically a harder edged Lord of the Rings," he adds.

Considering Peter Jackson's films picked up Oscars left and right, and most people have to get high to sit through an entire vidoegame film, I'd say Wiseman has a tough job ahead of him. 

Gears of War 2’s multiplayer is a drag. The particularly vocal Internet crowd said they have abandoned Epic’s glitch-ridden frag fest entirely. (These are the same folks who said they would never buy another EA published game or purchase a magazine because it gave their favorite game a low score). A few weeks ago, Epic’s Marc Rein promised a fix for the exploits that has deterred many legitimate players. That title update is now available for download.

And it fixes an amazing amount of stuff. Check it out:

• Exploit Fixes: Crabwalking, invisibility, weapon-slide, melee through walls, unlimited ammo.
• General Fixes: Shotgun and Boomshot updates, meatshield chainsawing updates, team communication, Insane gamer pic award.
• Balancing: Planted proximity grenade updates, increased quitting penalties, spawn protection, flamethrower stopping power.
• Improvements: Annex uses execution rules, achievement progression in the War Journal, added 7 DLC-based achievements worth 175 gamerscore.

Anyone else excited about the prospect of a clean multiplayer match now that this is out?

Uh oh, looks like those zany editors on Xbox.com jumped the chainsaw gun. Seven new Gears of War 2 Achievements have appeared on the Web site. As X3F points out, the Achievements have more than likely been added in preparation for that update Mark Rein detailed a few weeks ago.

The new Achievements are worth a grand total of 175 points and are unlocked by doing multiplayer things on the not-quite-exclusive Flashback map pack and Combustible downloadable content:

• Skeletons in your Closet (20G) - Complete waves 1 through 10 on all Flashback Map Pack maps in Horde (any difficulty)
• More Mystery, Less History (15G) - Win a multiplayer match on each of the 5 Flashback Map Pack maps (any mode except Wingman)
• Bound by a Shared Past (15G) - Win a Wingman match on each of the 5 Flashback Map Pack maps
• Trial by, and on, Fire (20G) - Survive first 10 Horde waves on Combustible Map Pack maps as a team
• The Roof! The Roof! The Roof... (15G) - Win a multiplayer match on each of the 3 Combustible Map Pack maps (any mode except Wingman)
• Forged in the Fire (15G) - Win a Wingman match on each of the 3 Combustible Map Pack maps
• Annex: Now With Execution Rules (75G) - Win an Annex match on each Flashback and Combustible Map Pack map (public matches only)

According to my thorough research (re: these Achievement details) Epic is not rewarding players for finding new glitches after Rein’s patch is released. It might be time to settle down and just play the game how it was intended, jerks. I don’t want another shelved and battered game because you broke it and uploaded YouTube videos again.

It seems as though Epic was kidding when they said the Flashback multiplayer map pack would only be available for those who bought Gears of War 2 new. The set has just become available on Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft Points. That’s 80 points a map.

It’s a low price for five maps. It is especially a good deal for those who may have bought the title used from a place like GameStop. Not only did they get the game on the cheap, they also get access to cheap DLC. Our unscientific figures indicate that buying a used copy and this map pack saves a person a total of five dollars

The description on the download makes it plain that future owners of new copies will still get the content for free. We haven’t received word if the golden Hammerburst or Lancer are to follow this as paid content, but chances are Epic isn’t going to run away from cash getting thrown at them. Even if they did kind of promise this stuff was exclusive.

[via X3F]

Epic’s Mark Rein recently alerted fans on the Gears of War 2 forums that Gears 2 should be receiving a patch this January. Rein said that the patch would address “bugs and exploits” and add “new achievements related to downloadable content.” Rein went on to give specifics but failed to explain how long it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

The stuff the patch is said to address should save the sanity of the two rational people still playing Gears 2 online. According to Rein, glitches such as “[the] ability to wield an invisible shield, melee through some walls, gain infinite Lancer ammo and equip a shield and a two-handed weapon simultaneously” are getting axed. The boomshot is losing its ability to be fired from the hip directly into the ground. And the shotgun is receiving better “client side hit detection,” earning it the title Lag Slayer once again.

This epic patch is also set to give quitters bigger penalties, players the ability to Sat/Com spot a Submission flag carrier, and provide better “spawn protection” against jerkoffs who plant frag grenades in the holy respawn zone. As if all of that wasn’t enough, DLC-related Achievements will be added and the frequency of the in-game Achievement progress pop-up will be escalated to ensure that little babies are aware of how close they are to getting their token rewards.

[Thanks, DJ!]

As was announced last night, the Gears of War 2 Combustible Map Pack is now available on Xbox Live for 800 MS Points. To celebrate, here are some screens and a video (after the jump) for you to look at with your eyes.

Looks hot, but I'm not sure if I'll be downloading this until I know for a fact that Gears 2's matchmaking problems are going to be fixed properly. Post-title update, my experiences in the game lobby have only gotten worse -- a fact made even more annoying now that griefers have started hosting matches simply to quit them as soon as they've started -- exploiting both the lack of host migration and the knowledge that it can take over fifteen minutes to get a game started.

Until I can play Gears of War 2 without bullsh*t like that happening, I think I'll keep my 800 Points to myself.

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The Spike VGAs may not have quite found the g-spot of gamers' desires with this year's show, but there's no denying that many were excited to finally hear some conclusive news about the Gears of War 2 "Combustible" Map Pack, which will be released tonight at midnight PST for your blasting pleasure.

A price was not confirmed, although rumors are flying that the cost will be 800 MS points. I heard some complaints about the idea that the map pack wouldn't be free, but either way, I have a feeling a lot of people may be up late tonight. Are you planning on downloading it as soon as it's available?

While last month's Gears of War 2 patch did remedy many of the issues players have been experiencing with the game's online multiplayer, there's still much work to be done in the lag department as well as a few other areas.

The main Epic Games man himself Mark Rein made a reassuring forum post on the matter not too long ago saying, "Just relax folks. We are going to make improvements to the multiple aspects of the multiplayer portion of the game over time. I'm confident that many of the things that concern you will be addressed."

With the pure might and muscular goodness Epic has at its disposal, I'm not very worried about this whole situation for the time being. It didn't take terribly long for the first Gears 2 patch to come out, so it's safe to assume the next one won't keep us waiting for too long either.

[Via VideoGamer]

Some have assumed that a new Gears of War game won't be revealed until the next generation of consoles are on their way, but a fresh rumor reports that we could be seeing Gears 3 by Christmas 2010.

EGM is spreading the gossip, where it is also claimed that the title will have an all-new "five player co-op experience." The hint here is that five people can play through the campaign mode, which seems a little more like fan fantasy than anything else. 

It may be true, it may not. As inevitable as Gears 3 is, talk of a follow up game wasn't expected for quite some time. Perhaps the success of the last title was just too tempting to merely sit on.

Gears of War 2 is an excellent game, but it is also little more than testosterone-soaked gun porn. It should come as little surprise then, that the ultimate firearm fetishists have taken to producing a real life version of Gears of War's sexiest weapon -- the Lancer.

Just in case you didn't know, the Lancer is an assault rifle with a chainsaw bayonet attached. It is at once the most awesome and most ridiculous concept on Earth, and now there is a real-life version of the bloody thing. 

The weapon's creators seem to not be taking Gears 2 as the inspiration -- instead claiming this to be a "Firearm Mounted Anti Zombie Device." The resemblance, however, is certainly uncanny and worth a look. Just take a peek at the above video to see this thing in action.

If I were a zombie, I'd certainly be sh*tting myself.

If you're planning a little Gears of War 2 this Thanksgiving, then you might be pleased to learn that Epic Games has supposedly fixed the rather irritating waiting times experienced when attempting to make a multiplayer match. A patch has been released today which should, hopefully, make for a much quicker process.

"The matchmaking issues we've seen up till now are a thing of the past," confidently claims Epic's Rod Fergusson.

Epic says that the new patch also fixes stat tracking for gearsofwar.com, as well as addressing an issue some people had which saw them unable to access the single player campaign when Xbox Live was not up and running.

I would try out the patch myself for an official verdict, but unfortunately my copy of Gears 2 was left back in England after I moved. I'm having it shipped over, but in the meantime, feel free to share your own thoughts on the update.

Are you looking for some insane Christmas gifts for Gears of War 2 fans? Yeah, I'm not either, but just in case there's a few totally dedicated fans of their game of choice out there, we'll share these two new Sam's Club auctions with you.

This Locust Drone bust is ugly, and I mean that in the best way. A full 19" in height, this bust was painted by Jordu Schell and sculpted by Chris Perna. The current bid is only at a low $16, but as we've seen before, anything can happen in 7 days.

Also up on their auction block is a signed copy of Gears of War 2, with the names of Epic Games VP Mark Rein and game designer extrodinare Cliff Bleszinski scrawled across the front. Even though this auction just went up, it's already at $43, with 7 days left to go. 

When it comes to God of War III, it doesn't take much to get us excited. With Sony barely revealing the game at E3 with a CG teaser trailer, we're already drooling all over ourselves not having seen a single frame of the game in action. 

But David Jaffe, the designer of the original PlayStation 2 title, has and certainly he liked what he saw. A lot. 

"I saw God of War III when I was in Santa Monica last week," he writes on his blog, "I [can't] and will not give away details, but I think it's OK for me to say two things -- HOLY HOLY HOLY F**KING HELL!!!!"

He then goes on to say that while he thought that Epic's Xbox 360 exclusive Gears of War 2 was as good as any next-gen game could look, God of War III has proven him wrong. (He also refers to Gears of War 2 as "the s**t," which is a more eloquent way of summarizing our own review.)

"This motherf**king game looks like nothing you've ever played," he continues, "and you can hold me to that when this thing hits, when they start showing gameplay footage. It looks like a painting come to life, it's that good looking."

What's that we hear in the distance? It's the hype-train pulling into town, and the conductor is collecting tickets -- who's hopping on?

Ever wondered what exactly those little symbols next to peoples' names are in Gears of War 2 lobbies? Well, you have probably worked out that they are rank icons, but the fact that you've played loads of matches and it hasn't changed is probably bothering you. It seems to have bothered a few people, which is why Epic has had to explain it.

The little symbol by your name is based upon your TrueSkill rating. TrueSkill assesses your wins and your losses and then decided how adept a player you are. What it also does is use statistical history to predict who should win and who should lose a match. 

"TrueSkill is like the chess ELO system, which tries to predict who should win the match based on the skill of the players," explains Epic rep SixOkay. "If you were predicted to lose and your team wins, then your TrueSkill goes up more than if you won and you were predicted to win. This holds true for the inverse scenario: If you were predicted to win and you lose, then your ranking drops more than if you were predicted to lose."

That's pretty cool. I'd quite like to see one's personal stats indicate how many matches were won against the odds and how many were lost that shouldn't have been. SixOkay points out that the ranking system is not like an RPG and won't keep increasing with experience. It will change or remain the same depending on performance, your rank can move up or down and it could take many tens of matches before a suitable skill ranking is decided. 

... I hate only being rank one.

At the same time as Epic was apologizing for Gears of War 2's multiplayer screw ups, some statistics were shared about how multiplayer is shaping up. If you're interested in meaningless numbers and percentages like I am, then you might want to know these.

It's interesting to note that, despite complaints about the shotgun being considerably weakened, it is still the most statistically lethal weapon in the game. With the amount of complaints you hear about the Lancer being too strong, it's quite fun to see that it's still not the most popular cause of death.

Here are the stats, in any case:

• Almost 3 million multiplayer matches (excluding Private) have been played.
• Almost 1 million screenshot photos have been uploaded to gearsofwar.com
• The most popular multiplayer mode is Horde.
• The most popular multiplayer map across all modes is River.
• The most lethal weapon is the Gnasher shotgun with almost 29% of all kills.

The popularity of Horde doesn't surprise me, and it explains why it takes ten minutes for me to get a match started in that mode. The amount of matches being played on River also makes sense, since I tend to see that map more than most. I think it's because everyone knows where the Boomshot is on that one. 

Also, that's a lot of multiplayer matches being played.

Since Gears of War 2 launched, it has earned massive complaints over problems with the multiplayer lobby, specifically with the length of time it takes to get a match started. While the launch weekend was generally okay, it has been pretty bad since then, and matchmaking can take a very long time indeed.

Epic has addressed this issue and apologized, calling the situation "unacceptable." Senior producer Rod Fergusson has stated that no one problem can be singled out as the cause, implicating "a number of factors" for the multiplayer frustrations.

Fergusson has promised that a permanent fix is underway, hopefully to be launched soon. In the meantime, the Epic man has provided some helpful hints to try and ease your online pain. Such tips include trying different playlists, starting matchmaking in parties of two, three or five, and hanging on to a party once you've played with it. 

The full list of suggestions is included after the jump, so hit that if you want to make your Gears 2 playtime more bearable until the patch comes. I wonder ... will the patch be released before Castle Crashers'? The answer, as we all know, is yes.

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Eight screenshots have been popping up around the the Internet which claim to be images of upcoming downloadable content for Epic Games' Gears of Wars 2.

The screens don't reveal very much, but they appear to point towards at least one new map, a burnt out city with pools of Immulsion glowing all around. It has been pointed out that, for whatever reason, Immulsion was barely featured in the launch maps -- which is strange, considering it's one of the few bright colors in the game.

Real or fake? That is, of course, something that will be decided in due course. In the meantime, with Xbox Live continuing to go up and down like a yo-yo, I'd like to be able to get used to the launch maps first.

Hey guys, I heard Gears of War 2 was popular. Can we get a confirmation on this?

Yes we can, as the new Gears sequel has sold over 2 million copies worldwide during its launch weekend. In addition, 1.5 million Xbox Live members are recorded as having played the game, logging in a record 15 million gameplay hours between them. Gears 2 players may also be interested to know they helped contribute to over 19 million achievements being unlocked since the game was released.  

Part of the reason for this huge success naturally has to do with the game's worldwide release, meaning all territories could buy the game at once. This is something lead designer Cliff Bleszinski is especially proud of.

"We were so excited to launch Gears of War 2 on the same day all around the world, something virtually unheard of in the games business," explains Cliff.  "We wanted our fans, no matter where they live, to have a shared experience on day one, and that’s exactly what’s happened."

It's a shame other game makers don't think that way. After all, look at the huge launches they get to miss out on. Morons.