GoW "Hidden Fronts" Map Pack hitting Thursday
by David Dreger 
{ May 1st 2007 at 9:30AM }
On Thursday May 3rd at 4:00 AM EDT, four new Gears of War maps will be hitting Xbox Live Marketplace as part of the "Hidden Fronts" Multiplayer Map Pack. Running you 800 Microsoft Points, you'll be able to do battle on Process, Garden, Subway, and Bullet Marsh. For those of you concerned about the price, fret not, as you'll be able to download the pack for free four months later, on September 3rd, 2007. We've got the map descriptions from the press release after the break, but the question we've got for you is this: Are you going to get the maps now, or wait a bit first to see if it's worth your hard earned points and hold off till they're free in the fall?
"Bullet Marsh: In this Kryll-infested swamp, an old generator still powers the area lights. A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving combatants to fend for themselves against the Kryll.
Garden: This overgrown and crumbling conservatory still has a working fertilization and pesticide system. This system can pose a serious hazard to anyone who ventures into the greenhouse without first venting the air.
Process: Teams must fight for control of this subterranean Imulsion processing plant, still active despite the cessation of the Pendulum wars.
Subway: Timgad's Central Subway station used to serve as a central hub for commuters. Now the tunnels are crawling with Locust."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jordan @ May 1st 2007 9:37AM
Should be awesome!
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http://xbox360s.freepay.com/?r=37889120
Toph @ May 1st 2007 9:41AM
Hell, I'll just do it now, considering this week has crappy XBLA games.
Tony @ May 1st 2007 9:50AM
See, I want the XBLA games :). Can't please everyone lol.
Anyway, I can personally wait for September.
:( @ May 1st 2007 10:00AM
Holding off 'til September to protest the charge; remember, Epic offered to provide free content- we have to pay for it now 'cos of Microsoft's insistence.
Toph @ May 1st 2007 10:02AM
Considering the XBLA titles..Centi-Millipede was never a 'classic' for me, and I don't know what Catan is other than it's a turn based strategy based game which sounds dull to me.
There hasn't been anything interesting XBLA wise since CastleVania, and unless Castle Crashers hits soon, I won't be purchasing anything on the Arcade for the near future. My girlfriend enjoyed the Pinball game but it's too expensive for what content there is.
So yeah..I haven't played GOW for a month or so, but I'd download these maps all the same. Maybe it'll get me re-interested in the game!
(I still say a 'Slayer'-esque, you-versus-everyone game mode would be fun and is well past due. I'm tired of teams.)
DjDATZ @ May 1st 2007 10:11AM
I'll get them now...cuz i'll have school in september and i wont be able to play anyways...so $10 for me :(
John @ May 1st 2007 10:14AM
well these next 2 weeks are exam weeks for me... than after that its only a couple days till halo 3 beta... I may buy them after the halo 3 beta ends...
Viridium @ May 1st 2007 10:17AM
800 points? No frigging way! I'll grab Catan instead.
DjDATZ @ May 1st 2007 10:18AM
In fact, now that I converted it and saw that i'd be paying close to $13 Canadian...there's no way in hell i'll be getting this...i'll just play mass effect or forza 2...
J8675309 @ May 1st 2007 10:19AM
With beta and Forza coming up, I don't have the itch right now for new stuff.
Plus, Gears online play sucks.
cwolf267 @ May 1st 2007 10:26AM
So I pay $50 dollars a year for live, and I'm rewarded with being charged for a map pack Epic wanted to release for free? Thanks MS, you're a pal!
Joe @ May 1st 2007 10:32AM
"A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving combatants to fend for themselves against the Kryll."
Act 2 with the Kryll is one of my favorite levels from any fps's so that sounds pretty awesome to me.
Matt @ May 1st 2007 10:33AM
A small price to pay for a GoW die-hard like myself. Unfortunate timing though, as I'm leaving Thursday for a business trip all through the weekend! Damn! Well, at least I'm in town for the entire Halo 3 beta.
Keef @ May 1st 2007 10:33AM
im 100% going to get these maps, gears rules online, but i do see y some people are pissed off because of the anoying little 5 year old yank kids, but oh well, just boot the gimps....
and who cares about the price.... this is a company still working on a released game, so would you rather them just not release any maps... and just forget about their released games and just work on the next....
mamardilla69 @ May 1st 2007 10:34AM
CAN SOMEONE REPEAT WHICH ONE WAS THE EXPENSIVE CONSOLE?
Thomas @ May 20th 2007 10:58AM
THE MOST EXPENSIVE CONSOLE IS STILL THE PS3, YOU DONT HAVE TO BUY THIS.
joan @ May 1st 2007 11:55AM
I'm not sure what your all complaining about. New Gears content is new gears content. And if you can't afford or are unwilling to pay 10 dollars for new maps on the best game 360 has to offer, then you shouldnt have invested in a 360. And you can't complain about paying 50 bucks a year for XBL... Your getting so much content and substance. Some people act like their pay 50 bucks for Sony's online service(do they even have online games worth playing?). Or nintendos! haha
Personally, I'm gonna need new maps to get me through this summer. Only thing that interests me is Halo 3 beta and maybe Forza. Other than that, I'm just waiting for August to come ASAP
cwolf267 @ May 1st 2007 10:55AM
$10 for every stupid add-on, map pack, etc. adds up. They wanted to release this for free on day one, and instead were forced to charge for it. MS better re-evaluate their online strategy, I really don't feel like paying $50 for a global friends list, as nice as that is.
XxURDONExX @ May 1st 2007 10:58AM
You know I'm gettin em. I'm too good not to.
Grant @ May 1st 2007 10:58AM
did everyone miss that it's free in September?
Free, as in no-costy?
It's the best of both worlds, and unlike the whole halo 2 map fiasco, you can play these maps ASAP.
Whine all you want and scream "BUT I WANT THEM NOWWW," but it's not going to change anything, if you want them for free, pay now, or shut up.
and the $50 you pay for XBL goes to a full service staff, new features, and server upgrades. It has nothing to do with new developer released content.
hoos30 @ May 1st 2007 11:04AM
MS: With friends like Epic, who needs enemies?
One stupid interview has caused MS endless PR grief. These maps sound awesome and we should be celebrating. Instead, gamers feel "cheated" out of "free" maps and MS earns nothing but derision and scorn.
polkbkk @ May 1st 2007 11:54AM
Will they include fixes for the numerous amount of glitches in the game? I sure like the grab@ss glitch where I can't select a weapon, the wall glue, getting stuck on top of cars/ledges/etc, bullets going through people, 15 foot pistol melees, and a host of other things. Halo might have modders, but at least the gameplay is well done.
Toph @ May 1st 2007 11:55AM
..Xbox360Fanboyers (David Dreger), post some more headshot .gif files! I liked that!
If you can, post one of a closer-zoomed pop..(Might use em on my cell, you see.)
Kid Pyrrhic @ May 1st 2007 12:26PM
I've got a wicked idea about how we can get the maps for free. Instead of the $60 we paid for gears, why not pay $120 to ensure Microsoft gets all the money they put into Gears of War.
Rein shot his mouth off to protect his "gamer friendly" attitude. The content price was never his to determine. His company already got their cut of the Gears of War pie. Its just Microsoft left to foot the bill for adverts, etc. So Microsoft wants to make sure that the biggest seller on the 360 to date doesn't actually end up costing them money.
But be grateful. Microsoft could have easily just as said "You don't want to pay? Don't buy them. Piss off"
Terot @ May 1st 2007 1:10PM
Catan and then maybe in 4 months. Hell I did not pay for the new Halo 2 maps, and it is a better game!
joynt @ May 1st 2007 1:38PM
Major Nelson posted some screens for this pack.
They look nice.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/majornelson/sets/72157600164530232/
3cubedminus3squared @ May 1st 2007 1:38PM
i can wait until September ;P
We have a lake by where I live and i can spend most of my summer there when I'm not at school.
JrezIN @ May 1st 2007 1:57PM
Epic NEVER EVER released paid content for their games. It pure Microsoft pressure for making all this content paid and so expensive!
You made me angry Microsoft.
I buyed Gears of War with the promise of a lot of future download able content as Epic has ALWAYS done, for free! (or "already paid in the product price).
Too bad MS, I won't forgive this one!
King724 @ May 1st 2007 2:16PM
still not going back to GoW until they fix the sticky walls crap.
Peter Moore @ May 1st 2007 2:18PM
Mass Effect and Forza 2, I can wait.
Donnie @ May 1st 2007 2:19PM
So...where the hell are the new game modes? Are they included in this pack?
TORO 02 @ May 1st 2007 3:17PM
$10 for 4 maps is a great deal, are you people broke or something, ask your parents!
vid33nyc1 @ May 1st 2007 3:48PM
Could have used an extra map for 800 points but no big deal and they will be free in a few months.No reason to complain we did get 2 FREE maps to start us off.I will be buying though.My points are ready.
Snap @ May 1st 2007 4:04PM
"and the $50 you pay for XBL goes to a full service staff, new features, and server upgrades. It has nothing to do with new developer released content."
You're kidding right? RIGHT?! Server upgrades? For what... dedicated servers... Oops nope sorry. Server upgrades for TV shows.
New features? Like party chat and party video chat? Nope sorry. Things like adding the name of the game in your disc drive. Which all users get free.
Full service staff? Right, we need to make sure the "matchmaking server" in Gears is running. Don't make me laugh.
Snap @ May 1st 2007 4:16PM
@joan "And you can't complain about paying 50 bucks a year for XBL... Your getting so much content and substance."
Content and substance? That's the funniest thing I've ever heard regarding paying $50/year for a glorified friend's list (Free on Silver), voice chat in game, and multi-player on Live (with 5 year olds).
Wow. Look at all that content and substance I get for $50/year.
El Oh El.
buurin @ May 1st 2007 5:13PM
Keep in mind the hardware is sold at a loss so if it is true that MS insisted people pay for maps it is because they need to make up for that initial loss in the sale of the box, not because of greed.
I dont see how people can complain about $10 for 4 new levels running on some hardware that MS basically gave you, as well as free maps and a new game type.
If anyone is greedy its us, the customers :)
JrezIN @ May 1st 2007 5:38PM
"36. Keep in mind the hardware is sold at a loss so if it is true that MS insisted people pay for maps it is because they need to make up for that initial loss in the sale of the box, not because of greed."
WAS sold with loss... at Launch day!
They're getting profit for each Xbox360 sold for some time now...
Warren Buckley @ May 1st 2007 6:36PM
What a bunch of whiners. It's $10! Think of how many people it took to design, program and test it before releasing it. Do you think that Epic Games is a charity?
JrezIN @ May 1st 2007 9:22PM
If it's nothing to you, it ok. But it's too much for me and for about everyone outside US. Think about it.
...Also, it's not about HOW much it is... it's about the fact the MS is FORCING Epic to charge for it. Also, the fact that MS didn't fight for it anymore... They have told us about completing the game in the future as they do for their games and that's not what we're getting!
Killer @ May 1st 2007 9:24PM
@polkbkk
"Halo might have modders, but at least the gameplay is well done."
Yes, that's why you have sword glitchers. Good choice of game to say it has no glitches. Are you smoking something?
@snap
I have a $38 for 13 months. Try to look for sales before you start bickering about paying 50 bucks. I do get alot of crap for $38. I got Texas hold'em, frogger, joust, robotron2084, south park episode in Hd FREE. I'm happy with it. Plus May 7th chat with anyone using MSN messager. You only look at the obvivious stuff of xbox live. Try to look at the large scope. It's microsoft's own servers, You know how much that is to keep upgrading those servers with the video marketplace and the 6 million (add someone each day) server not to mention the cross with the pc. It's not cheap. Keep in mind microsoft reported a loss still in the gaming sector of the company. So don't play the "they are just money whores" card. If that was true they would be in the black. Plus don't you know how companies work? When you pay for a program or service you aren't paying to keep the thing the same it is. If that was true you wouldn't have to pay more then 10 bucks. It's future upgrades. Upgrades are good.
Chris the Marketer @ May 2nd 2007 6:44AM
I'm okay with people charging us for new content. . .but I'm not paying 15 bucks for four maps. . Especially since GOW multiplayer is more broken then Bush's prescidency. The chance of getting a balanced game is zero. . .
If they would include a new 4 player edition with "Bungie Certified multiplayer" then I would fork out money.
The biggest problem is that you tear up your multiplayer base - so not everyone has the map, you get less players to play.
Jon D0e @ May 2nd 2007 11:46PM
Well, we are getting cheated because who wants to sit on their other games and wait while all their friends are already playing the new levels outta style. So, in conclusion, by the time they're free we won't be playing them anymore.
I CAN'T HATE MS FOR TRYING TO SUCK IN THE CASH!
They know as long as they dish it out we will keep comin for more.
Thx MS.