Update: As stated in the title the update was supposedly fixed and for some it was, others are still experiencing issues with the download.
You've sent in the tips, we've reported the issue and everyone involved has waited patiently for the gold-plated weapons download problem in Gears of War 2 to be fixed. According to the Gears 2 community manager the issue can be fixed by going through a relatively painless procedure. Here's what you have to do to get your golden guns downloaded:
Launch the Xbox Dashboard
Sign into your Profile
Go to the Marketplace blade
Select "Account Management"
Select "Download History"
Under the "Games" section, select "Gears of War 2 Gold-Plated Lancer Assault Rifle"
When the blade appears, select "Download Again"
Wait until the "download complete" confirmation toast appears
The process should also work for the gold Hammerburst weapon given to gamers during midnight launch events.
Jump in to find out to fix the issue if you have the NXE.
In case you weren't aware, today is November 7th and that means Gears of War 2 made its way into the video game marketplace. Oh how long we have waited. And to celebrate the launch, there's a handful of free Gears 2 downloads on the XBLM. Some that are only going to be available until Monday. We took the initiative to list the new Gears 2 launch day downloads below, so feel free to browse and get your download on. Remember too that all weekend long there will be a Gears of War 2 Assault Weekend festivities. Now go and kill some Locusts in the name of X3F!
Welcome to Gears of War 2 - Trailer (77MB)
Gears of War 2 Last Day Theme (12MB)
Gears of War 2: The First Delta Squad Video (72MB)
In this special feature we dive into the past of Gears of War to give players a recap of the events leading into Gears of War 2. Make no mistake, this feature is filled with spoilers of the first game and acts as a story primer for those eager to jump into the fight against the Locust Horde.
Want to refresh your memory or simply kill time until you get your hands on Gears 2? This is the feature for you ... but if you've never finished the original Gears this will ruin the entire campaign. You've been warned!
We just received word from Gears of War 2 community manager SixOkay that Microsoft is aware of the problems some are having with downloading the Gears 2 Limited Edition exclusive golden Lancer and they're looking into a fix.
"I just wanted to send around a quick note to you all that we have indeed heard some reports from folks who are having troubles downloading the Golden Lancer. We are aware of the issue and looking into what might be causing the problem. Once I have more specific information I'll let you know what's happening."
We've been hearing reports from the X3F community that, when entered via Xbox Live, the the Gears 2 LE exclusive golden Lancer redemption code fails to download any content and instead displays an error message. We'll keep you updated when we hear more.
This is it kids, the mother of all Gears of War 2 giveaways. In the image above, you can see the following:
Gears of War 2
Gears of War novel Aspho Fields
Gears of War art book
Gears of War comic book
Gears of War hoodie
Gears of War messenger bag
One limited edition red wireless Xbox 360 controller
As sweet as this pile of swag it, get this: We have two sets to giveaway. The first prize winner gets the swag stash with the limited edition of Gears of War 2, and our second prize gets the same swag stash with the standard edition of Gears of War 2. Let us assure you, the messenger bag and hoodie are nice. The messenger back even has a laptop pocket. Anyway, enough about the swag. Here's how you win:
Gears of War is famous for having a gun with a chainsaw bayonet. Leave a comment on this post describing another object you'd like to see attached to a (virtual) gun.
You may leave one comment. Posters of multiple comments will be disqualified. We'll accept entries until 5:00PM eastern today, Friday, November 7th. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. This giveaway is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec).
On Friday, we'll pick two winners via a random drawing.
One grand prize winner will receive one Gears of War 2 Limited Edition, one Gears of War novel, one Gears of War art book, one Gears of War comic book, one Gears of War hoodie, one Gears of War messenger bag, one red wireless Xbox 360 controller worth approximately $200 total. One second prize winner will receive one Gears of War 2 Standard Edition, one Gears of War novel, one Gears of War art book, one Gears of War comic book, one Gears of War hoodie, one Gears of War messenger bag, one red wireless Xbox 360 controller worth approximately $190 total.
In our second and final part of our Gears of War 2 multiplayer map preview we take a look at the five remaining maps included on the retail disc. Why do we make this distinction? Well, those of your who purchase a new copy of Gears of War 2 -- sorry rental fans and used game buyers -- will nab five bonus maps. In this view we run through Pavilion, River, Ruins, Security and Stasis and explore weapon placement as well as the environmental effects found in the maps.
Check out our Flashback Map Preview video to check out how those bonus maps stack up against the original versions found in Gears of War and the first part of our Gears of War 2 Multiplayer Map Preview. We're so close to release, we can almost hear the chainsaws.
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If you have nothing better to do than surf the internets, then we recommend tuning into AOL Radio's Video Scores Channel. Not only will you have the soothing musicial beats of your favorite video games pumping through your speakers while navigating the world wide web, but you'll also be one of the first to hear tracks from the Gears of War 2 soundtrack.
All day, every hour, on the hour, the Video Scores Channel over at AOL Radio will be debuting the melodic beats from the Gears 2 soundtrack. Go ahead, gearhead, tune in.
We've already shown you the bonus maps -- only available to people who purchase a new copy of Gears of War 2 -- now we're continuing with the rest of the maps. In this first of two videos we examine the multiplayer maps included on the retail disc for Gears of War 2. Watch as we run through the maps Avalanche, Blood Drive, Day One, Hail and Jacinto showcasing some of the weapons found throughout the map as well as the various environmental effects you'll encounter when the game launches tomorrow.
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[MP4] Download the MP4 directly.
You have less than two hours to enter for a chance to win a copy of Gears of War 2 Limited Edition and the coolneatnifty epic Last Day metal COG tag. It's a promotional item, dont'cha know.
To enter our Gears of War 2 fanswag giveaway, simply make your way over to the official blog and post comment by 5:00PM eastern. Note too that even if you entered yesterday you can enter a second time today. So, get to it!
Also, we wanted to tease everyone in regards to what we have planned for tomorrow's Gears of War 2 launch day giveaway. Let's just say there will be a HUGE Gears 2 fanswag surprise this Friday. Feeling teased yet?
Tomorrow, one of the most anticipated titles of the year ships with a sizable bonus regardless of which version you pick up. On top of the ten included multiplayer maps in Gears of War 2, Epic Games has included a download code within each new copy of the game to download five additional maps. Taken from the original Gears of War, the Flashback Map Pack not only adds a dose of nostalgia to the Gears of War 2 multiplayer experience but it keeps the action fresh with new designs for each of the maps in the pack.
The waters of Canals have been frozen, Gridlock has been taken over by lush vegetation, Tyro Station seems to have had an upgrade in tech, Mansion appears more abandoned than ever before and Subway had dried up and now rains pieces of ash from the ongoing war.
Want to see the changes for yourself, in action? Check out our video that includes footage from the in-game Battle Camera.
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[MP4] Download the MP4 directly.
We've been receiving many reports that 7-11 convenience stores are selling Gears of War 2 before its November 7 release (hey, that's tomorrow!). Even Penny Arcade's Tycho managed to grab a copy early. We're not sure how wide spread it is, but if anyone out there is eager to get their Gears fix right now, head to your local 7-11 and see if you can't snag a copy. We'd suggest being coy about it, maybe just ask to see what games they have. Once you lay your eyes on Gears of War 2, you might say something along the lines of "hey, that game looks pretty neat. I'll take it, good sir (or madame)." Then casually produce your payment, grab the game, and run like mad.
In the fight for ultimate survival, the people of Sera must rely on the Coalition Forces. These COG soldiers are the only hope survivors have of ending this ongoing war that has raged on for the last 15 years.
Who are these heroes? Who will humanity look to in its darkest hour? X3F examines the Heroes of Sera in this special feature in preparation of the release of Gears of War 2 on November 7, 2008.
Update: This giveaway is now closed and a big congratulations goes to PsEG and scooter shooter for winning these EPIC goodies.
So begins our Gears of War 2 launch week fanswag giveaways (nope, we didn't forget) and today we're giving away two copies of Gears of War 2 Limited Edition and will be parting with our super rare, super collectible and super metallic Gears COG tag. Yes, the same metal COG tag that was part of the Last Day campaign. Yes, it's hard for us to part with it.
We'll be selecting two winners on Thursday (one will win the game, the other will win the game and COG tag) and all you have to do is enter by commenting on this post. You'll have two chances to enter (once today, once tomorrow), so get entering and win. A metal COG tag awaits ...
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite Gears execution is. Do you prefer the curb-stomp? More of a chainsawdomizer? Or maybe you like Torque Bowing your foes?
You may leave one comment per calendar day eastern time. Posters of multiple comments per day will be disqualified. We'll accept entries until Thursday, November 6th at 5:00PMeastern. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. This giveaway is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec).
On Thursday, we'll pick two winners via a random drawing.
One grand prize winner will receive (1) metal Gears of War 2 COG tag and (1) Gears of War 2 Limited Edition worth $70. One second prize winner will receive (1) Gears of War 2 Limited Edition worth $70.
As if you weren't already excited about the third person over the shoulder sequel featuring one Marcus Fenix (we're talking about Gears of War 2), Epic Games decided to release the game's opening cinematic in all its cinematical glory. Embedded above is said cinematic which is a two minute introduction to the Gears 2 storyline and details where things are headed this time around. Is it just us or does the Locust Queen sound even more bitchy this time around?
Gears of War 2 is headed to retailers in a few days and we know every "loyal" Gears fanboy will be attending a midnight release late Thursday evening. You know, to score that sweet golden Hammerburst. Even cooler is that some fanboys will be lucky enough to be located near one of the many Microsoft sponsored BIG Gears 2 launch events across the globe.
If you're a fanboy living in or around Los Angeles, New York, Seattle or London, then you should be super excited, because these are the BIG Gears 2 launch event cities. At each location, various Epic folks (Cliff Bleszinski, Josh Ortega, Rod Fergusson, etc.) will be chatting it up, handing out swag and giving out high fives. Check the break for BIG launch event locations and details.
Also, Gears 2 community manager SixOkay wanted us to pass along word about his "Get-Out-The-Gears" campaign whose goal is to spread Gears 2 awareness across the internets. Simply switch your Xbox Live gamer picture to any Gears of War pic (crimson omen, your seriously achievement one, etc.) and, in doing so, you'll be spreading Gears 2 awareness. Feel those warm fuzzies ...
If you have nothing better to do than surf the internets, then we recommend tuning into AOL Radio's Video Scores Channel. Not only will you have the soothing musicial beats of your favorite video games pumping through your speakers while navigating the world wide web, but you'll also be one of the first to hear tracks from the 
