Tech: Raw deal

No, today's post isn't about that forgettable 1986 Arnold Scwarzenegger movie, but about the recent release of a map pack for "Gears of War 2." The "Combustible" map pack, which contains 3 maps, is selling on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 points ($10).

I don't tend to comment about downloadable content for video games, since much of it is just plain silly (paying a few bucks for new costumes or paint jobs). But $10 for three maps is hitting a new low, especially for a game that still has many technical flaws (there are eyebrow-raising delays when trying to join an Xbox Live match, for instance). It's also only been a month since the game's been released, making it abundantly clear that these maps probably could have been included in the final product without too much trouble. Instead, gamers get charged for it - bad show, Epic.