Not many downloaded free Gears 2 DLC

By Tom Bramwell Published 21 December, 2010

Less than 30 per cent redeemed code.

Epic Games' Jim Brown has revealed that not many people bothered to access the free downloadable content given away with Gears of War 2 at release.

The Flashback Map Pack came with the game and all you had to do to get the contents was input one of those redeemable codes. Brown was perplexed by the lack of take-up.

"We gave away five or six maps completely free when you bought the game and I think it was less than 30 per cent of people downloaded it," Brown told Official Xbox Magazine.

"It was free, in the box, they just never bothered to do it. So again, why? Is it a matter of accessibility? Is it people don't like typing in a 16-digit code? What's the reason? It's a weird numbers game."

Brown did acknowledge though that DLC "does well", which is probably comforting for him given he's the lead multiplayer level designer on Gears of War 3.

Gears of War 2 was released in November 2008 and won 9/10's worth of our hearts with its gripping, spectacular campaign and improved multiplayer.

Gears 3, of course, is due out in autumn 2011 and will be preceded by a multiplayer beta early next year.

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JonFE #1 1 year ago

    Well, I *would* have downloaded the DLC, if it was available to my location, alas, like all GoW2 DLC, it was not...

  • bushwod #2 1 year ago

    Take that project Ten dollar!

  • Eraser #3 1 year ago

    Maybe they should get some figures on the number of people that bought Gears 2 who also play multiplayer regularly. I think that people who don't play online a lot won't bother downloading additional maps for it, will they?

  • dancingrob #4 1 year ago

    isn't there also the stat that something like 50% of Xboxes aren't online anyway?

  • nuanimal #5 1 year ago

    What Eraser said.

    I really loved Gears 2 when it came out, but more so for the Horde mode than any competitive game.

  • xavboy4 #6 1 year ago

    Might be something to do with it affecting the sell-on value? It's more difficult to re-sell a played game if the DLC has been used.

  • Eraser #7 1 year ago

    "Might be something to do with it affecting the sell-on value? It's more difficult to re-sell a played game if the DLC has been used."

    I really doubt most consumers think ahead like that.

  • samk #8 1 year ago

    "It was free, in the box, they just never bothered to do it. So again, why? Is it a matter of accessibility? Is it people don't like typing in a 16-digit code? What's the reason? It's a weird numbers game."

    It's easy, Jim. Try: lots of us couldn't care less about online multiplayer, so won't bother with multiplayer DLC even if it's free.

    Now, can we have some single player & coop DLC for Gears 3 please?

  • rudderless #9 1 year ago

    Perhaps the problem was that people were typing in 16-digit codes when Xbox 360 codes are actually 25 digits. Silly Jim.

  • wizlon #10 1 year ago

    Maybe it's because the Gears Multiplayer is a complete waste of time.

  • moriss #11 1 year ago

    Well what percentage of people who buy Gears then play it on multi? is it more or less than 30%? He seems to be assuming that all the people who buy Gears a) have an internet connection on their 360 and b) will definitely be playing multi. I know that I didn't bother with multi *at all* in Gears 2, i was only interested in the main game and then i sold it again.

  • CaoSlayer #12 1 year ago

    Not everyone who owns a 360 has either internet, live or interest on online.

    There was here recently an article about how only about 28% of 360 owners play at internet, so it matches.

  • Cronan #13 1 year ago

    People don't play gears multiplayer because it's shit, except for Horde mode, which gets boring after a while.
    Someone had to say it.

  • chasejamie #14 1 year ago

    How about just having it on the disc in the first place?

  • BobsUncle #15 1 year ago

    Well I certainly didn't use mine, because Gears Multiplayer is shit.

    I knew I wouldn't play it so I kept the key in case I sold the game later.

  • swissorc #16 1 year ago

    My internet connection has recently become so poor I can't even download demos effectivetly so playing online is useless. can't even stream my weekly hit of naruto. Sad times.

  • JamieR #17 1 year ago

    The only reason it wasn't on the disk already was to prevent pre-owned sales.

  • Seehuusen #18 1 year ago

    If the multiplayer actually worked i might have done it as well...for some reason it's the only game i've ever played that can't go trough my firewall/router.....

  • Tinrib72 #19 1 year ago

    Was only interested in Horde mode for online and that was a lagfest and also took forever to get a match going, so I kept the code and sold on once I completed the game. Simples.

  • Machetazo #20 1 year ago

    *Is it people don't like typing in a 16-digit code?*

    Warning! \o/ Nobody panic, don't be alarmed. The message may yet be received, and understood. :o They may at last get it... We can only hope.
    Edited by Machetazo at 21/12/10 @ 12:10

  • jonsaan #21 1 year ago

    If you saw other people online playing maps you had a code for then I'm betting you'd download it. Maybe nobody played the content? Was it any good?

  • spekkeh #22 1 year ago

    Reading these comments, 30% is actually a stellar achievement.

    It's a pretty useless statistic without anything to compare it to. I can understand that the people who made it feel like their work was unappreciated, but what percentage would have actually bought it?

    First you need to be online, you need to want to play multiplayer, and you should not be fed up by the game after completing the campaign and the regular maps. What percentage actually complete a campaign? I don't think 30% is that strange. For somebody who never plays online on the xbox, I hope more devs read this, come to their senses and create more compelling singleplayer games.

  • moriss #23 1 year ago

    indeed spekkeh.

    i thnk its far more likely that the truth is "Of the people that bought Gears 2 that actually have an online connection AND have an interest in playing Gears online, around 90% of them downloaded the maps. This figure represents only 30% of the total number of people who bought Gears 2."

  • CaptainQuint #24 1 year ago

    Gears 2 online was a monumental mess anyway, so 70% missed out on sod all.

  • miiiguel #25 1 year ago

    I lost the code and I had to buy when I wanted it. That's one reason, mr. Epic.

  • peacefuloutrage #26 1 year ago

    Should have been on disc. Gears 2 horde mode was a lot more fun at launch, but updates have nerfed it.Epic needs to look at the multitude of options Bungie offered for Reach.

  • samk #27 1 year ago

    spekkeh: "For somebody who never plays online on the xbox, I hope more devs read this, come to their senses and create more compelling singleplayer games."

    Amen to that.

    Speaking generally, I don't know why a lot of devs bother adding a multiplayer component at all. Chances are, unless it's Halo or CoD, the MP component will be totally useless to anyone who buys/rents the game a few months+ after its original release. If the devs have ideas for a genuinely compelling multiplayer, then great, but just tacking on the obligatory deathmatch seems a total waste of resources that would surely be better spent improving the singleplayer.

  • neoman #28 1 year ago

    @eraser @nuanimal
    the thing is that those maps are playable locally on every mode, horde, warzone, etc, with bots

  • MARKIV #29 1 year ago

    I personally don't like Gear's multiplayer, it's full of too many diehard players in my opinion. I remember trading in GOW 2 quite soon after completing the campaign hoping I'd get extra cash for the DLC code intact.. Alas I did not.. :(

  • tachometer #30 1 year ago

    would be interesting what the takeup would be if it was a new outfit/gun for singleplayer use

  • KDR_11k #31 1 year ago

    1. The online connection ratio of any console, even the 360, isn't anywhere close to 100%. AFAIK it's something like 50-60% for the 360, that's already half the codes accounted for. I guess a big chunk of the rest was "couldn't be arsed", especially if these are MP-only maps, the rate of Gold members is also pretty far away from 100% (another 50% IIRC).

  • super_monty #32 1 year ago

    gears 2 was shit on line, that's why. bring back the shot gun fun.

  • Eraytos #33 1 year ago

    Why would anyone download the maps when they cant even have a game without serious lagg, the multiplayer has been broken since day one. Hopefully the beta for gears 3 will help them sort it out.

  • metalangel #34 1 year ago

    See! SEE! Pay close attention, games industry.

    The very fucking moment you have anything that doesn't work right away, by default, on the disc, you cut the audience for that content down to a FRACTION of the total people who've played that game. Pre-order bonuses, free codes, paid-for maps, with your stupidity and/or greed you're dividing your audience up in ways you don't even comprehend.

    Stop it.

  • Alex_976 #35 1 year ago

    I used the code but never played multiplayer

  • Quixz #36 1 year ago

    I hate those codes i just used mine not so long ago. Come to think of it i don't like gears as much as i would like, but i will still buy Gears 3.

    I bought dlc for mass effect 1 which i bought used..