Gears of War maps touch down

Gears of War gamers itching for more of the third-person shooter's promised downloadable content don't have to itch any longer. Publisher Microsoft today announced that the Hidden Fronts multiplayer map pack for the game is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace.

Hidden Fronts consists of four new multiplayer maps for the game. The photophobic Kryll have overrun the Bullet Marsh map, but a few lights hooked up to a generator provide some safe haven for players--until someone starts shooting up the generator, that is. Likewise, The Garden features an environmental hazard in the form of a conservatory's pesticide system that makes venting air a prerequisite to safe passage through the level. The remaining maps, Process and Subway, take place in an Imulsion plant and a commuter hub, respectively.

As revealed last month, Microsoft and Gears of War developer Epic Games had a difference in viewpoints when it came to how much they should charge users for the forthcoming map pack. According to Epic Games vice president Mark Rein, the developer wanted to provide the four-map pack for free, while Microsoft wanted to sell it instead. The two sides eventually compromised, and the map pack will sell for 800 Microsoft points ($10) until September 3, at which point it will be made free to download.