Gears of War will get another set of downloadable content this week on May 2nd. The new DLC however outs Microsoft in a small fib as well.
First off the new content will be a map pack for 800 marketplace points (we’ll talk about that later), which will get you the four brand new maps listed below.
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.
While four new maps does sound great, 800 points for just maps seems a little too greedy to us. Maybe it's because we are old and fickle, but if it added some new weapons or new versus modes, then 800 points might seem fair. Then again, if you want to wait until September you can get them free. Um woot?
There is more to this story then just 800 mp points though. Major has consistently led us to believe that someone other than Microsoft sets the price of marketplace content. We hear this every time over priced downloadable content is released and the community goes into an uproar (Guitar Hero 2 Tracks anyone?).
Well in the case of Gears of War we know that Epic wanted the content to be FREE. Epic’s Tim Sweeney went on record several weeks ago on the 1Up podcast stating that Epic and MS were not agreeing on whether the DLC would be free or not.
So how is it if Epic wants this stuff free yet they hit the Marketplace at 800 points? Sure, one could argue they will be free in four months. Problem is in video game age, four months means dead and buried for 99% of games out there. There are a few jewels that buck that timeline like Halo2 and maybe Gears of War, but four months is a ridiculous amount of time to make fans wait to get content that SHOULD HAVE been free. Your thoughts?
The Maps
Bullet MarshM: 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.
While four new maps does sound great, 800 points for just maps seems a little too greedy to us. Maybe it's because we are old and fickle, but if it added some new weapons or new versus modes, then 800 points might seem fair. Then again, if you want to wait until September you can get them free. Um woot?
There is more to this story then just 800 mp points though. Major has consistently led us to believe that someone other than Microsoft sets the price of marketplace content. We hear this every time over priced downloadable content is released and the community goes into an uproar (Guitar Hero 2 Tracks anyone?).
Well in the case of Gears of War we know that Epic wanted the content to be FREE. Epic’s Tim Sweeney went on record several weeks ago on the 1Up podcast stating that Epic and MS were not agreeing on whether the DLC would be free or not.
So how is it if Epic wants this stuff free yet they hit the Marketplace at 800 points? Sure, one could argue they will be free in four months. Problem is in video game age, four months means dead and buried for 99% of games out there. There are a few jewels that buck that timeline like Halo2 and maybe Gears of War, but four months is a ridiculous amount of time to make fans wait to get content that SHOULD HAVE been free. Your thoughts?
