
Hands on: Gears of War 2 multiplayer

Limited edition red and green Xbox controllers coming Sept. 30 [update]
[Thanks, Scott]
Update: The Xbox press site also has images from a green version of the controller (shown below the jump along with a higher-res version of the red one). No information about this version, which is not even mentioned in the accompanying press release. [Thanks, jdkay20]
Continue reading Limited edition red and green Xbox controllers coming Sept. 30 [update]
Gears of War 2 to be released November 7, 2008

Gears of War 2's 'Day-One' map, multiplayer bots revealed
Other big reveals during the episode include the revivification of a map from the original Gears' "Hidden Fronts" DLC pack titled "Subway", the addition of player-controlled tanks, and a limited edition red, Gears of War 2-themed Xbox 360 to be released around the title's launch. With the veritable cornucopia of information already unleashed about Microsoft's holiday blockbuster, we're beginning to wonder if they've got any frags up their sleeves for next week's showcase.
Microsoft E3 2008 press conference: Let's play bingo!
In anticipation of next week's E3 Media and Business Summit, we've prepared bingo cards for each of the big press conferences, filled with some likely (and some not-so-likely) predictions for what each of the big three console makers intends to announce at arguably the biggest trade shows of the year.
Today's card is for Microsoft (special thanks to X3F). We're going out on a limb and giving Avatars away as the free space. Click on each of the slides above for more information about our predictions. Microsoft's E3 press conference is scheduled for next Monday at 10:30 am PT (that's 1:30 pm Joystiq Time / ET). As always, we'll be liveblogging the event, so you can play along in real-time with us.
Stay tuned for more press conference bingo cards in the days leading up to the conference. (Also: check out our bingo card for Sony's press conference.)
Download a copy (PNG file) and play along!
Update: Only hours after we post this ... N2, you hit my battleship!
Gears of War 2 splash page strongly hints at Nov 9 release date

[Via Epic Forums]
Get your daily dose of murder with this Gears of War 2 Multiplayer preview
While most of the "new" gameplay elements and maps discussed in the above preview for Gears of War 2 aren't really "new" to the video game news consuming populous, it's still nice to see some of the game's fresh features in action. The preview is fairly comprehensive -- there's looks at some of the soon-to-be-covered-in-gore locales, the new gametypes (we absolutely cannot wait for meatflag), chainsaw duels, new weapons and executions, and brand new, colorful ways of describing acts of grisly violence from the game's all-growed-up iconic lead designer, Cliff Bleszinski. We can't think of a better way to spend eight and a half minutes of a Sunday afternoon than to watch beefy combatants get halved.
Check out this Gears of War 2 leaked beta footage
Update: Now with more footage, including executions and "death crawls," after the break.
[Via X3F]
Continue reading Check out this Gears of War 2 leaked beta footage
New Gears of War 2 screens and art emerge
1Up talks Gears of War 2 multiplayer with Bleszinski
[Via X3F]
Update: Just to clarify, this video was shot in April before Hsu announced his resignation from Ziff.
Continue reading 1Up talks Gears of War 2 multiplayer with Bleszinski
Gears of War getting price drop, special edition emerges June 24
If you haven't jumped into the Gears of War emulsion pool yet, it might be worth waiting a couple more weeks until June 24, when the special two-disc version of Gears is released for $40. The special edition contains the multiplayer map packs, along with several other extras (listed after the break). This new Xbox 360 version will not have the PC-exclusive Brumak battle, but we can wait until this holiday for GoW2, when the longing for a Brumak showdown on our Xbox will become but a distant memory.
Continue reading Gears of War getting price drop, special edition emerges June 24
Rumor: Voice of 'Cole Train' suggests November 16 release for Gears of War 2
DS and Wii Fanboy's David Hinkle was at the panel to witness the football player-turned-actor's Q+A session, and hopes to further press Mr. Rasta to discover the accuracy of his claims. Given that it falls in the game's suggested November release window, we wouldn't be surprised if Speight's date was legit.
Gears of War 2 info explosion in new EGM
The latest EGM magazine features one final cover story by outgoing editor Dan Hsu, but boy does he go out with style. The main act is a rather detailed preview of Gears of War 2 with quite a bit of new details about the game. You will now be able to take pictures during the game and upload them to a website for sharing and voting. Also noticed during their playtime was an Epic dev "watching a video," which is perhaps a hint at saved films. Other hinted features include 4-player co-op and AI bots for multiplayer. Our friends at X3F have some more details, including new weapons and what to do if you find yourself knocked down or stumble upon a downed enemy. The latest EGM, with GoW2 on the cover, should be on newsstands already.
Gears of War 2 details emerge from X360 magazine
Imagine our excitement when we caught wind of the intimidating flood of details for the sequel's multiplayer component in the upcoming issue of UK's X360 magazine. There's a full list of said details on our Microsoft-related sister site, but to inspire you to continue reading, here's a few tantalizing buzzwords you'll find behind that link: Meatflag, Poison gas grenade, Flamethrower, Ten person multiplayer, Chainsaw duels, and last but certainly not least, Verandas. If that didn't sell you, we don't know what will.
[Via X3F]
Microsoft Game Studios' 2008 in Gaming: A Yearbook
The 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook chronicles the graduates, like the soon-to-be released Ninja Gaiden II, and the titles that didn't make it to grad, like Alan Wake. Yep, he had to be held back for a semester or two. Or maybe three, we just don't know yet.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios graduating class ...


















































