Gears of War 2 'Title Update 6' Released

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The Gears of War 2 update revealed last week by developer Epic has now been released, bringing a host of changes to the Xbox 360-exclusive shooter.

Alongside the update itself, which players will be prompted to download upon booting the game while connected to Xbox Live, Epic and Microsoft have discounted the game's "All Fronts Collection" downloadable content to 800 Microsoft Points / $10, as well as reduced the prices of the four individual add-ons it's comprised of.

In celebration of the update and the enhanced functionality it brings, those playing Gears of War 2 on Xbox Live will receive triple experience from May 27 though June 1. Meanwhile, Epic is plugging way on Gears of War 3 for its April 2011 release.

For a breakdown of the various changes the update brings, look below for the notes:

Improvements

Title Update 6 makes these new improvements:

  • Adds a new public multiplayer match option called Social Xbox LIVE (aka player matches), open to anyone who owns all downloadable maps (that is, All Fronts Collection).
    • You can join Social Matches in progress and can quit any time without penalty, although players who quit early don’t receive earned experience (XP).
    • Social matchmaking lets your party join a match in progress. If a match is not found, your party hosts a new match, filling any empty player slots with bots.
    • Social Matches automatically cycle to the next map without further matchmaking.
    • Teams are rebalanced between matches based on XP level without splitting parties.
    • If you quit, your spot is taken by a bot until a new player joins the match. That new player can join while the match is in progress.
    • If you join a match in progress, you are assigned a team based on XP level and party size.
    • If you join a match in progress, you replace a bot at the earliest opportunity: at the first bot’s death for respawning game types (for example, Annex) and at round completion for Warzone, Execution, and Wingman.
    • Social leaderboards become part of the War Journal.
  • Renames Public Matches to Ranked Xbox LIVE Matches to differentiate these from Social Xbox LIVE Matches, and adds some improvements to these matches.
    • Improved host selection using bandwidth testing and previous hosting data has been added.
    • Before the match begins, teams are balanced based on XP without splitting parties.
  • Renames Private Matches to Custom Xbox LIVE Matches and makes these matches invite-only.
  • Adds the ability to join Horde sessions that are in progress.
    • In Social Horde, you can join a session in progress through matchmaking.
    • In Ranked Horde, you can join a session in progress only through invites.
    • If you join a session in progress, at the end of the session you receive the score you achieved during the time you spent in the session.
  • Improves the precision of weapon selection using the D-pad.
  • Improves client-side hit detection for ballistic weapons.

Exploit Fixes

Title Update 6 fixes these possible exploits, where under certain circumstances:

  • Execution rules could be ignored when using certain weapon types.
  • On the Subway map, you could get outside of the playable environment by sliding into cover and rolling between a train car and the side of tracks.
  • On the Blood Drive map, you could get outside of the playable environment in various locations.
  • Players could grief other players on Submission, Annex, King of the Hill, and Guardian games by preventing the objective from being completed while racking up points. Title Update 6 adds match time limits to each of these game types to prevent this practice.

General Fixes

Title Update 6 fixes these other issues as well:

  • An issue that could cause your profile to be overwritten, erasing XP, level, and achievement progress.
  • An issue that could cause a campaign save slot to be overwritten if you previously chose to continue without saving and then signed in.

Balancing

Title Update 6 makes these balancing changes:

  • Changes the Gnasher Shotgun pellet pattern to increase hit consistency.
  • Changes the Guardian game type to select the leader based upon XP level (highest to lowest).

Oh, also... firing delays after roadie run and evades are reduced.

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    May 26, 2010 11:13 AM

    I was hoping for Gear of War 2 PC version, I know epics stand on PC gaming now (traitors) but one can still hope right...right?

    • reply
      May 26, 2010 11:27 AM

      If the owner of my favorite store has a problem with the neighborhood thugs who keep throwing bricks through his windows and robbing him, I don't think it's fair to consider him a traitor if he decides to move to a neighborhood with less crime. Even if it means I can't buy his goods any more, it's a somewhat understandable position.

      • reply
        May 26, 2010 11:32 AM

        these thugs as you refer to them are not the majority it has been proven that the piracy numbers being thrown around are far beyond over exaggerated

      • reply
        May 26, 2010 11:33 AM

        I really dont have an issue with them not making PC games. Really not missing out on much. but why dont they just bow out of the PC gaming alliance farse and make their transition official. why are they on there if they dont make PC games?

      • reply
        May 26, 2010 11:35 AM

        yeah there is more money on consoles but there is also money on the PC if developers can get greed out of there minds and make PC games right. I for one loved gow 1 for PC never had a problem with it.

      • reply
        May 26, 2010 11:59 AM

        Your analogy presumes that copyright infringement doesn't exist on the 360.

        This is why your analogy fails.

      • reply
        May 26, 2010 8:22 PM

        ^^Deveus look at the intelligent conversation you've started^^ : |

    • reply
      May 26, 2010 12:08 PM

      My understanding is, regardless of any other factors, Gears PC sold a dismal amount of copies and there won't be a second port.

      • reply
        May 26, 2010 12:40 PM

        Maybe because the port was complete shit and you got no support. Some people can't run it even today because of some shitty error that never got fixed.

        • reply
          May 26, 2010 12:55 PM

          Uh no the PC version was the superior version, ran great, more content, better graphics but no-one bought it, PC gamers tend to turn their nose up at big name console titles Halo, Gears, Final Fantasy, Devil May Cry, etc. so I can see why Epic wouldn't do a PC version, it makes sense their player base is entirely on the Xbox 360.

          The error you mention was fixed ages ago.

          • reply
            May 26, 2010 1:22 PM

            Still sucks for people like me though, I enjoyed the first one for PC thoroughly, beat it about 5 times, I can also understand and relate to people having issues with bugs on PC games, I've had my fair share for sure. For me and many others its just terrible that we wont get to continue the game series as in my case I refuse to by a shitbox for one series of games.

            And yes I did turn my back on halo for PC because the game is fucking terrible and playing FPSs on PC my whole life Halo just doesn't even hold a candle to the many other high quality fps out there for PC

          • reply
            May 26, 2010 4:24 PM

            Pc gamers don't always not buy big name console titles. The first Halo, the Mass Effect series and MW2 come to mind.

            I'd buy GOW2 for the pc if the port was good and the multiplayer done right.

          • reply
            May 26, 2010 9:46 PM

            Yah, I enjoyed GoW for PC immensely. i was about ready to buy my friend's Xbox just for GoW but then I felt like I'd be betraying some twisted ethics. hah.

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