Gears of War 2 getting free day-one DLC, gold Hammerburst

Gears of War 2 developer Epic Games is planning several rewards for gamers who pick up a new copy of Gears of War 2.

Gears of War 2 getting free day-one DLC 'Flashback' maps, Golden Hammerburst

Buy Gears of War 2 at midnight and score this golden Hammerburst rifle, in addition to five classic multiplayer maps.

Gamers who buy a new copy of Gears of War 2 will find a special treat -- a redeemable voucher for a free "Flashback" downloadable map pack. Cashing in the voucher over Xbox Live will grant you a free download of five classic (and visually enhanced) multiplayer maps from the original Gears of War: Canals, Gridlock, Mansion, Subway, and Train Tyro Station. This brings the total multiplayer map count to 15. The "Flashback Map Pack" voucher is only included with new copies of Gears of War 2; used versions will obviously be missing the voucher. The download is planned to go live on November 7th, Gears of War 2's launch date.

Furthermore, in addition to the gold-plated Lancer being offered with the Limited Edition Gears of War 2, Epic recently revealed to GamePro that a gold-plated Hammerburst assault rifle will also be available. In order to unlock the gold-plated Hammerburst, fans will need to participated in "Midnight Madness" launch events taking place around the country on the night of November 6th. Players will be able to earn both the golden Lancer and the golden Hammerburst by meeting both requirements.

The golden guns are purely aesthetic tweaks and have no impact on the damage or effectiveness of either weapon&but they sure do look snazzy! Design director Cliff Bleszinski reckons they'll also help foster teamwork online, because the gleaming guns "help player visibility so you can spot friends more quickly."

What's more, Microsoft and Epic won't be offering the free downloadable content as paid DLC, telling GamePro that "there are no plans at this time to make them available as paid downloads through LIVE Marketplace." Epic referred to the Flashback Map Pack and golden guns as "special gifts [for] our loyal fans."

Further details about the Flashback Map Pack and the gold-plated guns are available in the November 2008 issue of GamePro, trickling to subscribers now and newsstands in the following days.

UPDATE: Epic Games contacted GamePro to clarify one point: The Flashback map pack will be tied to your profile, but not your Xbox 360 hardware. This additional detail means that the owner of the Flashback DLC can download the maps onto any additional console, but the owners account would be the only one that could play it on that console. This is pertinent information for Xbox 360 owners looking to upgrade their hard drive, or their console, in the future without losing the Flashback map pack.

Comments [57]

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Wickerman2

That is a brilliant marketing strategy! It discourages people from buying the game used. Really, really smart.

PaganFest

Wickerman2 wrote:

That is a brilliant marketing strategy! It discourages people from buying the game used. Really, really smart.

yeap, I agree

Wickerman2

severon wrote:

I think it's a retarded strategy. Think about it, so unless you get it that way, you can't play those maps online? Not only does that cause a scenario where you can't play with everyone, but it also means less people playing on those levels, which sucks for everyone. Dumbest. Idea. Ever.

If you could buy the map pack online, that would be just fine by me and I say great idea to drive sales. As it is, broken ass garbage.

If you don't buy it new then you don't deserve to be playing it anyway. If that means someone like you getting the shaft then GOOD.

Your_Worst_Nightmare

I will buy Gears of War 2 second hand. Online is so meh when you have slow broadband

Wickerman2

Your_Worst_Nightmare wrote:

I will buy Gears of War 2 second hand. Online is so meh when you have slow broadband

And save what? $5? Yeah, that's smart.

Wickerman2

vongaurd wrote:

Clever, but that won't stop people from buying it second hand.

It will probably stop at least a few of them.

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