Epic Games plans to offer a public beta for Gears of War 3, making it the first Gears of War title to do so in the franchise's short history. The beta will take place at some point in "early 2011," Epic has said.
As with most betas, the feedback and data gathered from the open test will be used to correct or tweak the game's online competitive modes before the game is eventually released in Fall 2011. According to Shacknews, this test is a direct result of Gears 3's well-publicized five-month delay. Epic simply wouldn't have had the time to implement changes based on beta feedback if the game were to hit this April as it was originally planned, nor would it have offered one in the first place.
Details are thin at the moment about what modes or features will be present in the just-announced beta. And while that's a bummer, here's something to look forward to: The final game will also use dedicated servers, ensuring that the host's shotgun will no longer be the best shotgun in the match. Previously, the dreaded "host advantage" gave the player acting as the game server a distinct leg up in multiplayer matches.
Gears of War's competitive components are generally not well received by fans that like to, you know, play a game straight. Bugs and glitches that grant cheaters special game-breaking abilities plagued the first two titles, and that's in addition to shaky netcode. With this beta, it's quite possible we'll get the cleanest Gears of War release yet, and delay or not, that's definitely something to get excited about.
Epic Games plans to offer a public beta for Gears of War 3, making it the first Gears of War title to do so in the franchise's short history. The beta will take place at some point in "early 2011," Epic has said.
As with most betas, the feedback and data gathered from the open test will be used to correct or tweak the game's online competitive modes before the game is eventually released in Fall 2011. According to Shacknews, this test is a direct result of Gears 3's well-publicized five-month delay. Epic simply wouldn't have had the time to implement changes based on beta feedback if the game were to hit this April as it was originally planned, nor would it have offered one in the first place.
Details are thin at the moment about what modes or features will be present in the just-announced beta. And while that's a bummer, here's something to look forward to: The final game will also use dedicated servers, ensuring that the host's shotgun will no longer be the best shotgun in the match. Previously, the dreaded "host advantage" gave the player acting as the game server a distinct leg up in multiplayer matches.
Gears of War's competitive components are generally not well received by fans that like to, you know, play a game straight. Bugs and glitches that grant cheaters special game-breaking abilities plagued the first two titles, and that's in addition to shaky netcode. With this beta, it's quite possible we'll get the cleanest Gears of War release yet, and delay or not, that's definitely something to get excited about.
I never even played the original two Gears competitive multiplayer, so it'll feel all the more new to me, aswell as more frustrating to get into against the many veteran players I imagine too.
The idea of a beta for the multiplayer seems to be much needed for the series. It hasn't always been the most fun to go through 6 title updates with Gears 2, and the competitive multiplayer has always been very glitchy. That being said, Horde and the Campaign have always been amazing, so this seems like a great idea to refine the whole experience.
" I hope the multiplayer is more like Gears 1, which I fuckin' loved as opposed to Gears 2 which I thought was balls. "
They felt the same to me. "
That's because they are the same. Anybody who tells you different simply did not play one or the other, or they are the crybabies who found out they actually had to use something beside the shotgun.
Good, dedicated servers. I hated Gears 2 because of the glitches and mostly the lag that made the multiplayer unplayable. Which was a shame because the gameplay seemed very fun.
Wasn't looking forward to this game at all but if they get it right this time it might be a day one purchase. (I didn't play Gears1 and Gears2 mp was laggy as hell so I never played it. The multiplayer will be a enough of a "fresh" experience to warrant a day one purchase.)
" I hope the multiplayer is more like Gears 1, which I fuckin' loved as opposed to Gears 2 which I thought was balls. "
They felt the same to me. "
That's because they are the same. Anybody who tells you different simply did not play one or the other, or they are the crybabies who found out they actually had to use something beside the shotgun. "
There are quite a few factors that caused Gears 2 to feel signifigantly different to Gears 1. Such things as the new weapons, the ability to "plant" grenades as mines, and general changes what were regarded as standard Gears mechanics. Anyone who can't understand those differences, simply has not played both (hey look, anyone can pull that card to buff their argument).
@sofacitysweetheart: Agreed Gears 2 was ruined for me by the planted mines, and the addition of 'stun' to the smoke grenades. Smoke grenades had strategic uses, but in 2 you were just constantly being knocked down in a cloud of smoke, it was stupid.
That and they had to go and destroy Annex by making it execution rules.
" @sofacitysweetheart: Except, my argument is actually "buffed" by the last part of that sentence, actually, because it's a stated fact. Learn2readPlz. "
Heh. Fact? You consider your desperate attempt at a joke to be "fact"? Indeed, the only fact you have to your credit, is the inanity you're capable of sharing :)
As someone who played Gears 2 (and Gears 1) competitively I can't wait to see what this has in store. While both games had their errors neither of them got in the way of true competitive play, none of this ranked mode bollocks filled with all the cheaters. It's why I never played ranked mode, I'd get a much fairer challenge playing with my clan against other clans than I ever would have done in ranked mode.
It's the same as with 99% of the game, playing with complete strangers = shit experience.
This truly made my day. I played a load of gears multiplayer from 1 and 2 and well the sound of dedicated servers is music to my ears also a multiplayer beta is perfect to tweak the settings so it isn't jacked like how gears 2 was when it came out.
@Napalm: By saying they are crybabies who found out they have to use something other than shotgun, aren't you also saying that Gears 2 is in fact different? If it wasn't, they wouldn't be crying about having to use something else than the shotgun, right?
Gears 2 is a bit different. I played a lot of Gears 1, and a good amount of Gears 2. I'm not going to make any claim that one is better than the other, but it certainly does play a little differently.
" @sofacitysweetheart: Except, my argument is actually "buffed" by the last part of that sentence, actually, because it's a stated fact. Learn2readPlz. "
Heh. Fact? You consider your desperate attempt at a joke to be "fact"? Indeed, the only fact you have to your credit, is the inanity you're capable of sharing :) "
What? Dude, this is what I was talking about:
" That's because they are the same. Anybody who tells you different simply did not play one or the other, or they are the crybabies who found out they actually had to use something beside the shogun. "
So, they essentially still did what they did, use the shotgun and whine the entire time.
@DeathByWaffle said:
" @Napalm: By saying they are crybabies who found out they have to use something other than shotgun, aren't you also saying that Gears 2 is in fact different? "
Yeah, my argument is kind of useless because of this, unfortunately. I dropped out after a couple of months or so (I can't remember exact times), but I just remember people still sticking to the same tactics and whining about it for the most part. Horde mode though, dude, that shit was awesome.
Gears 1 multiplayer was fucking genius. Gears 2 multiplayer felt slow and heavy in comparison, really disappointing. I hope they do it right...whatever right is.
Wow, did someone get a REALLY big memo saying that no multiplayer game is never to have no mulitplayer beta after MW2. Unless of course the developer is broke. LOl! :)
@Napalm: "that's because they're the same" "had to use something besides the shotgun"
If they were the same, where would the necessity for anything besides the shotgun come into play? Sounds like a crybaby who couldn't use a Gears 1 shotgun to me :P
I'm glad they are doing a multiplayer beta because with both gears 1 and 2 it feels like they released the multiplayer in beta form. Not to down on epic too much though I could be mistaken i just remember them saying that gears 2 was going to fix a lot of the problems with multiplayer. We will see what happens though.
52 Comments