Gears of War 2 gets an update

As predicted for some time, Gears of War 2 will get what is being called an imminent update that will add more than just the standard bug fixes to the game. The biggest news is that the game will add seven new achievements, or 175 points, that will be for both the Flashback and Combustible Map packs. The official announcement, including the projected delivery date, will be announced soon.Despite what many sources have been saying, Sega UK has confirmed that the upcoming Outrun Online Arcade will be exclusive to the Xbox 360 on Xbox Live Arcade in North America and will not be released for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network.The new multiplayer racing title that supports up to six players builds upon the Outrun series offering the Outrun, Heart Attack, and Time Attack modes of game play. In addition, Outrun Online Arcade will, of course, feature a variety of achievements to earn as well as full voice support. The exact date of release is yet to be announced, but we should expect to see it before summer, according to our sources.As for Xbox 360 Live Arcade titles that have been given a release date, Llamasoft is now revealing that the Xbox Live Arcade version of Gridrunner++ will arrive in April. While the exact day is not yet known, the new title is from acclaimed programmer, Jeff Minter, who also authored the Space Giraffe. Gridrunner++ is expected to be an excellent addition to the Xbox 360 once it is released, if you like fast-paced, twitch style games.

New Gears of War 2 Achievements

The new achievements will bring in 175 total points and can be earned my playing the Flashback map pack and Combustible downloadable content. It is said that the new achievements have been added in preparation for the soon-to-be-released update.

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)

Gears of War 2 to Get Major Title Update This Month

Mark Rein, Vice President of Epic Games, announced today that the studio is working hard on a major title update for Gears of War 2...

As I mentioned before the break we’ve been working on a major title update for Gears of War 2. This update will address bugs and exploits as well as add some new achievements related to downloadable content. We don’t have an exact date for it but all indicators are it will go live within January. If that changes we’ll let you know. We’re fixing a whole bunch of online exploits. For example we’ve fixed 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 plus many more. We’re also making several small changes to improve the overall online gameplay experience. A few of the ones that might interest you are; increased penalties for quitting matches early, adding additional spawn protection against planted grenades and chainsaw attacks, and adding the ability to see the Submission flag carrier destination by using Tac/Com. We know you folks love achievements so on the achievement side we’re adding achievement progress numbers to the War Journal, increasing the frequency of in-game Achievement progression notifications and adding some new Achievements for DLC. This is just a very small list of some of the things that will be in the next title update but one more item which has been talked about a lot in our forums deserves a special call out... About that shotgun... We fixed the client side hit detection on the shotgun so that in a high-latency (i.e. “laggy”) match, the shotgun will be more reliable. We’ve also fixed another bug whereby shotgun and boomshot rounds could strike the ground when firing from the hip. So there’s a brief status report on the next title update. At some point I expect we’ll post a more detailed list but I assure you we’re working hard to get this out the door and once it’s done we’ll start working on the next update. We’ll try to do a better job keeping you informed of our progress on future updates and we’ll try to be a little more active in the forums once this update is released.

Free XBLA game ... if you follow the rules

Itching for a gratis Xbox Live Arcade game? Microsoft is offering one of five titles for free, but you have to follow these three steps:
Sign up for 12 months of Xbox Live Gold between now and January 5. It must be done directly through Xbox Live, meaning you can't use that prepaid card your mom or significant other bought you as a gift.
Decide what game you want free: Zuma, Marble Blast, Sonic the Hedgehog, Assault Heroes or 3D Ultra Minigolf. Do this step in your head.
Download a gamer pic or theme related to the game. Only the first one counts, so make sure you didn't skip Step 2 before downloading a picture of a putter when you're hoping to nab Sonic.See, folks? Even with digital distribution, TINSTAAFL applies: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Of course, if you were needing to upgrade or renew your subscription anyways, you might as well get something extra out of it.

'Gears of War 2' Fuel Station Map Direct-Feed

Thanks to Epic Games and the Combustible Map Pack DLC released last night, you too can experience a freak gasoline fight! Check soem direct-feed video of the Fuel Station map bundled in the recent DLC.
"Fuel Station delivers a dangerous battle around an abandoned fossil-fuel facility. The team that secures and controls the station is likely to win the match. An especially strategic location on this map is the rooftop, as there are only two points of entry—the main elevator and a staircase on the back side of the building."
Gears of War 2 and the Combustible Map Pack are both available now for the Xbox 360.

Gears of War 2 Direct-Feed Combustible Map Pack DLC - Fuel Station Map

Gears of War 2 Combustible Map Pack

The Saga Continues: "Gears of War 2" Combustible Map Pack Launches Today
 
LONDON, 15th December 2008 – More than 1.5 million people were drawn to “Gears of War 2” on Xbox LIVE during its first weekend, logging over 15 million gameplay hours and driving a new record for concurrent users. Now, the online experience has become even more explosive with the release of the Combustible Map Pack, a collection of three new maps for “Gears of War 2” available now on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 MS Points. 

Debuted during the SPIKE TV Video Game Awards on Dec. 14, where “Gears of War 2” took home the Best Shooter and Best Xbox 360 Game awards, Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games unveiled exclusive footage from the Combustible Map Pack with Marisa Miller (Sports Illustrated’s 2008 Swimsuit Issue cover model) and “Gears of War 2’s” Augustus “Cole Train” Cole (played by Lester Speight) presenting the first look at the new maps.

The Combustible Map Pack unleashes three new multiplayer maps: Flood, Gold Rush and Fuel Station.
Flood is a very tight map that's made extra snug when the environmental hazard of Imulsion begins creeping up around the edges. As the playing field closes in, the firefight will intensify as combat is forced to the center of the map. Teams skilled at flanking their opponents will have a powerful edge.

Gold Rush takes place in an old Imulsion refinery that now serves as a hotly contested battleground. Players must survive heavy crossfire as they infiltrate the factory and navigate multiple tiers. Breakable glass allows for a clean shot at those who make a dash for the Longshot rifle while bolder players make their run for the heavy weapon. In the right hands, the Mortar can be devastating on this map, so keep those smoke grenades armed as the concussive effect comes in very handy.

Fuel Station is situated in a desolate area marked by an abandoned fossil fuel station. The team that secures and controls the station is likely to be the side that wins the match. An especially strategic location on this map is the rooftop, as there are only two points of entry – the main elevator and a staircase on the back side of the building. Heavy weaponry is situated right in front, which presents a high risk to reward ratio in this level. Lugging the Mulcher around, deploying it and revving it up can keep an entire team at bay, and unleashing hell from the rooftops is always an excellent tactic. 

All of the multiplayer maps in the Combustible Map Pack are playable in the highly popular, five player co-op Horde mode.

Gears of War 2 sales hit 3 million

More than 3 million copies of Xbox 360 exclusive Gears of War 2 have now been sold.
That's according to Mark Rein, the vice president of Epic Games. He told Eurogamer, "Microsoft confirmed to me this afternoon that Gears of War 2 sell-through surpassed 3 million units as of last week."
The original Gears, released in November 2006, was also a huge hit - but it was 10 weeks before sales reached the 3 million mark.
Gears of War 2 was released on 7th November, so it's taken just a month for the sequel to hit the same target. The news isn't altogether surprising when you consider that 2 million copies of the game were sold during the opening weekend alone.