http://www.shacknews.com/article/699...s-dated-priced

4 DLC packs for $30 isn't that bad, especially if they're the amount of maps that Epic usually does.


Yet people are bitching up a storm on Epic's forums.

I have no problem with the concept of a season pass. But they need to not be just for "the first four installments of DLC". It should cover the whole thing. I guess they get away with it with the "season" moniker.

If people want to bitch, they should be bitching about the cost of DLC pieces. Complaining they want more up-front with nothing announced for a discount is re-fucking-tarded. Either you know you'll want the content or you don't. At least you have the option to only get what you want when you want it. If you end up getting it all but not the pass, you only have yourself to blame.

This isn't double-dipping.

We've gotten to the point where a game that isn't even out for another month already has at least 4 DLCs planned and priced, and the discounted version of those expansions is $30 on top of the $60 game itself. I'm not blaming Epic in particular or bitching on their forums, but something about this whole practice strikes me as inherently wrong. Pricing issues aside, it's just weird to pay for future content that I know nothing about, content-wise or quality-wise.

Eh...it'll sell like hotcakes anyway. I might even end up getting it myself if I enjoy the game enough. Or I might move on to the multitude of other great games coming out this fall, then wait a couple years and pick up all the DLC for a total of 400 points, like I just did with GoW2.

Exactly. You don't get to complain about unknown content or quality of DLC for a franchise like Gears or War or Call or Duty or whatever. Sure you can be trepidatious about L.A. Noire or Mortal Kombat because there's no precedent. But worrying about it for this is pointless.

On the flip-side you have the advantage of knowing the content will be discounted piecemeal in the future as well as rebundled and sold dirt cheap via a GotY edition.

Either you know you want the DLC Day 1 or you don't. It doesn't affect anyone negatively at all.

exactly....with LA Noire...we knew they were all single player dlc packs...and we figured each would be like a level from the game....we sort of knew what we were getting...

The idea of giving them my money for something I have no idea what will be....no way in hell...


and you have to wait maybe a year to get it? Hell the first couple of dlc packs might even be on sale by that time....

What are you talking about? The first DLC releases in November?


And what will the DLC be? Multiplayer maps and maybe some Campaign stuff. Like every other game ever.

I am talking about how the 4 dlc packs will take a year or more before the last one comes out....so you are paying for something that you might not get for a year or more after you pay for it....

And I'm sure many of those MP maps will be re-imagined versions from Gears 1 & 2.

Not entirely true. What if a different company/studio develops some of the DLC packs? Didn't 434 Studios done one of the map packs for Halo Reach? If you bought a season pass you would well be within your right to be upset if you were expecting 3 or 4 Bungie developed DLC modules, only to found out a 3rd party was coming in after you paid.

The difference is Epic owns the Gears of War IP. Microsoft paid for XBOX exclusivity.

Whereas Microsoft has owned the HALO IP since the first game was released, not Bungie.

Then don't buy the pass up-front. Borderlands had a 3rd party dev too on one.

You're playing a "what if" game here. Let's talk about Epic and Gears. Has there been any precedent here before? Does that mean it'll always be the same?

33% is 33%. It's not a requirement - it's an option. Either you want them all and you're willing to pay for the right to get the day 1 while having a discount or you wait and decide as they come out. God forbid a little choice was brought into the after-market digital space.

Holy shit that's a lot of Bing searches

Gears of War 3's Multiplayer Maps Unveiled

Here's a list of all the maps included:

Checkout – Checkout's combat takes place in the carcass of an abandoned superstore. The shop owners tried to move their inventory with a closeout sale in the weeks leading up to the HOD evacuations, but ultimately had to walk away and leave everything to time and history. The intense close-quarters combat of the store aisles makes every decision important. Weapon selection is key, cover is essential to survival and every move has an impact. When facing your enemy, remember what the sign says: "Everything must go."

Drydock – Much has been written about the beauty of Seran culture, but people often forget the backbone of industry upon which it all relies. This shipyard stands full of undelivered goods and the necessary tools of a society's infrastructure. Its most prominent landmark is the rotting husk of a cargo ship that will forever stand in Drydock.

Gridlock – This ashen street was once a bustling tourist destination known for its quaint inns and waterfront cafés. Even the water is gone now, replaced by the burnt shell of a crater that stands as a testament to the loss of Seran humanity.

Hotel – Small island resorts such as this one catered to the opulent tastes of vacationing Serans. But as the Lambent infection spreads across the globe, tides are shifting to flood once popular beaches, and fierce winds batter and push at the walls of humanity's creations.

Mercy – This area was once a bustling town square filled with people, but it never recovered from the UIR mortar shellings of the Pendulum Wars. Emergence soon followed, and the already heartbroken residents were shown no mercy by Locust forces, leading to an almost immediate evacuation. This large and open central square is surrounded on all sides by sheltered passageways and buildings. A raised dais yields powerful weaponry and a view of virtually everything within range, but the power located there must be hard-earned and well-protected to provide any lasting advantage.

Old Town – Several remote areas of Sera managed to stave off the impact of Emergence for quite some time. Island towns such as this one were able to sustain themselves with small farms and a steady bounty from the ocean. But all good things must come to an end, and eventually they could hide no more. This is an excellent map for team-based play, with multiple areas that are well-suited to both attack and defense scenarios. A well-executed plan will often reap great rewards, and an enemy caught unaware can be flushed into a trap like a chicken free of its coop.

Overpass – As the Lambent infection spreads across Sera, the planet is quite literally falling apart. And as the substrata beneath this forgotten overpass begin to disintegrate, the entire city block is collapsing along with it, sliding into a vast underground cavern. Head for the high ground or you just might slide along with it. Battles in this highly dynamic map often focus around the elevated Overpass, where teams can hole up and take advantage of the protected position and emplaced weaponry located there. But gaining the high ground can also be a trap, as the team left below will most assuredly use mortars and orbital lasers to regain their lost footing.

Sandbar – This observation post once had a commanding view of the distant horizon. Never threatened, it was thought to be impenetrable due to its unpredictable coastline and the constant shifting of sandbars along the shallow water of the coastline. And it never did fall; it was simply abandoned when humanity fled from a threat that nobody could ever see coming.

Thrashball – This stadium was once home to a different sort of national hero, one who fought for honor and glory, instead of scrambling for survival. The invigorating roar of the crowd has been replaced by the melancholy moaning of wind in the empty stadium seats. Stadium matches are no longer restricted to the playing field, and the team that controls the concession stands earns a great advantage. The scoreboard still keeps track of every point earned, but its frayed support cables also make it a precarious trap for anyone foolish enough to run underneath it.

Trenches – The Locust have begun to carve mines and tunnels into the rocks of the Seran Deadlands, eking out any existence that resembles the underground passages of the Hollow they once called home. But this harsh environment is as relentless and unforgiving as any enemy they've ever had to face. The Locust Trenches are small and tight, with clean lines of sight across virtually the entire battlefield. The central hill leads to a fortified bunker with a strategically important vantage point. Once taken, it is rarely surrendered, unless opposing forces can manage to sneak up under the cover of a passing sandstorm that leaves everyone blind for a short while.

All maps are playable in Versus, Beast & Horde multiplayer modes.


http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/119/1190910p1.html

This could be either a good or bad deal depending on just how much one anticipates to play. It's obviously aimed at the MP crowd with "horde" thrown in. It would be no different than with the COD game.

But it bothers me for the fact it's being "offered"...hence a choice to take or not, that have some upset at that. Of course these are the same ones who complain about all the new DLC and no price breaks for avid and supporting fans.

Pre-ordered my XBOX GOW3 360 System today and already have the EPIC EDITION ordered for my nephew. 18 more days!!!!

For all those trying to get different weapon skins, here's a handy guide that lists the requirements for each skin.

http://www.ign.com/wikis/gears-of-war-3/Weapons

The completionist in me is really bothered by the fact there are a bunch of skins that aren't available to anyone who wasn't in the beta.

Thanks for the handy list, even if it is all a bit...much.

For anyone wondering, they've confirmed that GOW3 will check once daily for any unlocked achievements in the previous games, so you don't have to finish all of those requirements before Sept. 20 to get the skins.

I'm betting that they'll eventually be available, for a small fee of course.

That's actually just a fraction of the complete list.

There are many more skins for the starting weapons such as pink, green, and different omen variants that haven't been revealed yet, I think each weapon has at least 15 different skins.

^ This

Yeah, but those are available to everyone in-game, right? I love that they're adding more customization. I was speaking more about the heavy-duty list of qualifications for the "special" skins.

Gotcha.

Presumably, although the green skin was only afforded to Microsoft employees in the beta. Some of the others might have additional requirements than tasks in the game.