PSA: 'Gun-like' Avatar items disappearing from XBLM on Jan. 1

by Alexander Sliwinski on Dec 23rd 2011 11:00AM

An official post on the Epic Games forums states that the Lancer and Hammerbust items for Xbox Avatars will not be available starting January 1, 2012. Those who have purchased the items prior to the new year are in the clear and can keep them.

The post notes that the removal of the Lancer and Hammerburst are part of a new policy going into effect for "gun-like avatar items" on the Marketplace. It would appear that this is just the latest addition to the list of things Avatars can't have or do.

We've contacted Microsoft to receive a comprehensive list of "gun-like" items being removed.

[Thanks, Steven]

Source: Epic

Tags: avatars, Epic-Games, Gears-of-War-3, microsoft, xbox, xbox-avatars

Reader Comments (143)

Ok, this is stupid.

Supercalafragalistic-expeialla-stupid!!

@ShadowXIII

Agreed. They should get rid of Avatars completely.

@ShadowXIII I'm pretty upset about this. Although I got my Lancer and glad I can KEEP it, I still want a Torso Gun Holder complete with GUN...AND i want to have BARE FEET!!! WHY CAN'T MICROSOFT DO THIS!!! GRRRR!!!!!

@SoLiDuSSnake This still falls in the category of Parents not doing their jobs as a parent so the mass mature majority gets shafted.

@SoLiDuSSnake

I can understand your frustration, however, transforming the 360 to a Wii...isn't that taking hyperbole a little far? The Wii is nothing like the 360 or PS3.

(and yes I do own a Wii as well, it just doesn't get much use)

@SoLiDuSSnake It's not a big deal to you, but you wrote paragraphs on it. Paragraphs. Plural.

@ShadowXIII

Seriously lame. Lets not forget to swaddle our children head to toe in fluffly kevlar, shove cotton in their ears and put blindfolds on them before they leave the house or they will be exposed to all the evil the world has to offer.

@ShadowXIII
Playing games on Xbox that simulate shooting people - Fine
Avatars with guns that don't fire - Not ok.

Sometimes I just have to slap my forehead at stupid news like this....

@ShadowXIII

Avatars are the most boring virtual creatures EVER.... they can´t talk, can´t smoke, can´t drink, can´t have sex, can´t even kiss......I wonder if anybody thinks that those stupid useless and boring things are really necessary for the xbox???? yeah i know.......only microsoft thinks that.

Very stupid.

@Wolfpoc

I wonder how much money activision and epic are losing over this?

Very Very Stupid.

WTF?

Very, very, very stupid.

I wish the portal gun were available through XBL.

@latin trident
its an Unlockable from Portal 2?

@iceytoa1

I wish a real Portal gun were available from Amazon.

@latin trident - There is a Portal gun as an avatar award in Portal 2... I want to say you get it for finishing the game.

Heh, had free points from bing rewards, bought one, should be kind of cool/mildly unique if they really let us keep them past Jan. 1.

I still don't get how they released them for the Avatars in the first place, the rules said Avatars can't have weapons since the NXE was released.

@iceytoa1

Exactly what I was thinking. I remember when lightsabers came out and they were specifically identified as Lightsaber toy or somesuch to get around this. Guess you can't do the same with a machine gun with a chainsaw bayonet. And I thought this was a free country!

@iceytoa1
I was pretty sure guns weren't allowed for avatars, but it's Gears of War, so naturally important games are given special treatment.

@ColorblindMonk

Money talks.

@iceytoa1
My thoughts exactly. There was most definitely a comprehensive list of things avatars can't have or do when avatars made their first appearance on our dashboards. And weapons were definitely on that list.

I actually thought MS had had a change of heart when the Lancer and Hammerburst made an appearance. I guess it must've been an oversight.

@iceytoa1 I came here to post this. I remembered the whole no weapons allowed policy for Avatars, and thought they must have changed that rule when I started seeing these guns.

@Ozzpot
Yeah I thought that too, when they came out I was like "Sweet, maybe we'll get Halo ones :D" but no :/

@iceytoa1 That's the first thing I thought when I read this on Epic forums. I remember hearing that shortly after the avatars were introduced.

Also, Joystiq used one of my tips! And it caused an uproar! I believe that means that I win the internets today.

If they take away my Trench (which has prominent guns on it) I'm gonna be pissed.

@Perfidious Sinn Well if you already have it, you keep it. It would be removed from the marketplace on the 1st.

I love all the amazing games you can use your avatar in, the freedom to make what you want so you end up with crazy characters like Hitler or Zoidberg.

Im kidding of course, but you can dress your usless doll like one of the jersey shore dudes. Guess there is a market for that.

So this is the same company who will constantly point out that Call of Duty (the biggest shooter in the world) has map packs on XBL first... and offers us two of the biggest exclusive shooters in Halo and Gears of War... but my AVATAR can't hold a virtual gun???

You know, between the limits on patches, the lack of MMO's, and the DLC that is free on PC but not on Xbox (Left 4 Dead, anyone?), I'm starting to wonder exactly what we pay for. Oh, that's right... the new TMZ app.

@Corso I been saying that for years :\. Xbox Live, as a gaming service does ONE thing the others do not...and that's party voice chat. (which I hear psn+ members get now but I wouldn't know). The money doesnt go the devs that actually host the servers that's for sure. I play ps3 for the great multiplat console-only games like Dark Souls, the great exclusives (i dont like gears of war/halo so I went with Ps3), online service just as good as it was on my 360 except it doesnt disconnect as often which made me laugh...PC for all my serious MP gaming like BF3, SC2, Diablo 3 when it comes out...hundreds of free games too

@Corso
They're hypocrites. Xbox Live is the same kind of controlled diseased platform as iTunes is. Only sheep support and defend these platforms. They in turn thank the sheep by pushing for SOPA

@(Unverified)

And only sad children refer to people as "sheep" on the internet.

@baby sea tuna I always liked "sheeple", myself. XD

@Corso That's the lovely thing about my PS3, everything is as free as it is on my PC and my 360 sits there unused collecting dust.

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga

Wow. That's stupid. Why did you buy it if you weren't going to use it? Idiot.

Avatars don't kill people, people kill people.

@Bamajam

I don't know... The avatar on my xbox has a souless emptiness in his eyes, like he has killed and is willing to kill again if I don't buy him some new shoes

@oOWallaceOo
Just buy him some new eyes.

It's a good thing they're taking guns away from avatars on a system positively loaded with gloriously violent video games. So dumb.

Few more item or rules & they moghhty as well start calling us Beijing Jr.

@kmcroc

+10 sciencce cooperation points for political joke :D

Wow...talk about talking out of both sides of your mouth. It strikes me as absolutely ridiculous that a company who makes an awful lot of money from the FPS market won't let you have a gun for your avatar. Welcome to the further pu$$ification of America.

@Trendkill

Jeez it's just a dumb prop, like many have pointed out. You people are going crazy like this is going against your rights, pretty hilarious.

@Trendkill Are you an HF.com fan? I've heard that term before but only from that podcast.

Either way, the reason why people are getting upset is because their policy, which I remember always excluding the addition of guns to avatars from the beginning, is pointless. What possible safety or security would this ensure for anyone of any age? It's completely asinine and does absolutely nothing. Just one look at the fall season of 2011 shows what most people were into and guess what... it was all about shooters! GUNS!

My hope is that one day, the idea of Avatars either goes away completely or is revamped so that it isn't gimped by idiotic decisions and pointless limitations. I suspect Christmas wont come early however....

@Teeree

It's more of the reason as to why they're taking it away that people are upset about, rather than the fact that it is being taken away.

@Teeree THANK YOU. I was just about to say that. XD

YOU CAN PRY MY GUN FROM MY XBOX LIVE AVATAR'S COLD DEAD HADNS!

Also: Obama's coming for our avatar guns!

Also: 'Merica!

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Gears of War 3

PSA: 'Gun-like' Avatar items disappearing from XBLM on Jan. 1

Reader Comments (143)

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:01AM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:22AM Negatron said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:24AM eat it said

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Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 12:42PM KinseySS said

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Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:15AM iceytoa1 said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:38AM kilroy214 said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 12:45PM Mcmax3000 said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:11AM mykalson said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:14AM iceytoa1 said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:39AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:41AM ColorblindMonk said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:56AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 12:31PM Ozzpot said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 1:36PM BizarroPete said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 1:39PM iceytoa1 said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 2:54PM Schlecht said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:15AM Perfidious Sinn said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 4:05PM Schlecht said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:17AM TwEE said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:17AM Corso said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:26AM Kougeru said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:34AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:45AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 12:05PM TrogdorForHire said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 12:53PM The angry pro consumer gaming ga said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 2:48PM MEGATOOL said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 11:17AM Bamajam said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 12:36PM oOWallaceOo said

Posted: Dec 23rd 2011 12:43PM haikuhaiku said

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