Following the Halo movie, it seems another Microsoft property Gears of War might not be getting made into a movie anytime soon. New Line Cinema, the studio which acquired the film rights to the adaptation, is backing away from the film due to an ever-rising budget. The financial problems stem from having a triple-A cast as well as the usage of green screens, because the film simply cannot be done without it. The risk of betting so much money on such a franchise is also another factor.

Xbox 360-holdouts will want to mark their calendars, because Gears of War will hit stores for the PC on November 6. As detailed before, the game will feature five new single-player chapters, a new “King of the Hill” multiplayer game mode, three new multiplayer maps, game editor and more. It also includes all the DLCs available via Xbox Live.

Not coming as a big surprise to anyone, Halo 3 has topped the list of most-played game on Xbox Live, according to this Major Nelson blog post. At number 2 is Gears of War, which was the undoubted winner till now. Guitar Hero 2, BioShock and Call of Duty 4 (beta) also make appearances on the list.

The numero uno piece of premium downloadable content on Xbox Live is going free. Microsoft has announced that the Hidden Fronts Map Pack for Gears of War has been released for free this Monday, joining the Annex gametype and Multiplayer Map Pack 1 as another piece of free downloadable content for the blockbuster game.

The map pack contains four levels. Here’s the deal:

Bullet Marsh
In this Kryll-infested swamp, an old generator still powers the area lights. A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving combatants to fend for themselves against the Kryll.

Garden
This overgrown and crumbling conservatory still has a working fertilization and pesticide system. This system can pose a serious hazard to anyone who ventures into the greenhouse without first venting the air.

Process
Fight for control of this subterranean Imulsion processing plant, still active despite the cessation of the Pendulum wars.

Subway
Timgad ’s Central Subway station used to serve as a central hub for commuters. Now the tunnels are crawling with Locust.

Gears of War is also being released for PC. It will feature all-new exclusive content, including three new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer game type, Game Editor, five new campaign chapters and DirectX 10 support.

Epic Games has announced that it has acquired a majority interest in People Can Fly, the developer behind Painkiller. They also revealed that the studio is working with Epic on the PC version of Gears of War. Additionally, these companies are also collaborating on a new IP which Epic will be previewing to publishers at the Leipzig Games Convention this week.

The relationship began last year when People Can Fly was evaluating Unreal Engine 3 to use for a new multi-platform game project. “PCF showed us their early prototypes within only a few weeks and we were totally blown away,” said Mark Rein, Vice President of Epic Games. “The quality of their work was extremely high, and knew we had to find a way to work more closely with them in the future.” Epic hired PCF to work on the PC version of Gears of War, and collaborated with them on design of a new IP.

“We are very excited to be working with Epic Games” said Adrian Chmielarz, Creative Director and Co-Owner of People Can Fly. “To be able to work with the best technology company in the business and collaborate on making amazing fantastic games is an offer you just can’t refuse. Making games is hard work but it is also great fun. Working with Epic reduces the stress of being an independent developer and lets us focus even more on fun side of the business.”

NECA has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Epic Games, one which will see the former producing a full line of collectible action figures, busts, statues and other stuff based on Gears of War.

The company plans on having the lineup go on sale sometime next year. Expectedly, it will feature major characters from the game. “We are thankful that we are able to work with the folks at Epic to bring these characters out of the box and into fans hands,” said Joel Weinshanker, President and COO of NECA.

Further details are expected soon.

Want to the listen to the soundtrack of Gears of War? You don’t have to search the Internet for it now - it will be released on July 31 to retail stores via Sumthing Else; it will also be available on the label’s website as a digital download.

The soundtrack features over an hour of orchestral music from the game written by Kevin Riepl, orchestrated and conducted by Corey Status, and performed by the Northwest Sinfonia orchestra.

With the Windows version announced at E3, it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that Epic is planning on releasing a Mac version of Gears of War, too. This announcement comes from Inside Mac Games, who quotes Mark Rein as saying in a Gametrailers video: “And don’t forget, we’re also doing Macintosh. Yes, Gears is coming to the Mac and so is UT.”

Hopefully it will feature the same level of content as the Windows version, which will receive three new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer game type, game editor and five new campaign chapters.

New information on an upcoming Gears of War update was disclosed through the official forums by Epic Games’ VP Mark Rein. He revealed that the update will include new achievements for the Annex and the Hidden Fronts DLC and will improve roadie run as well as squash exploits and do some “general housekeeping”.

There was no doubt Gears of War would be big, but sometimes ‘big’ is often an understatement: Microsoft has announced that Epic Games‘ shooter has sold 2 million copies worldwide (half of it in the US) since its launch on November 7. This success was testified by the fact that the game toppled Halo 2 as the most played multiplayer game on Xbox Live, with 1 million unique users having logged on.

Free content is in the pipeline for the game as well, so Gears of War gamers can look forward to more action sometime soon.

No doubt one of the older PC game developers around, Epic has disclosed that it plans on offering free content to Gears of War gamers, as they have done on the PC for so many years. During a backstage interview during the SpikeTV VGAs, the Epic guys stated their pledge for free content through Xbox Live and that they have been working on it long before the game was launched. No details could be extracted.

Although Microsoft doesn’t publicly reveal its Xbox Live traffic data, Sandvine has identified a surge in the broadband network following the release of Gears of War last month. The company observed an 80% increase in the number of Xbox Live users across a sampling of North American broadband ISPs during the first week following the release of the highly anticipated title. Sandvine notes that this comes after the launch of Halo 2 back in 2004, which saw Xbox Live become a household name among gamers.

This Holiday season has seen the introduction of three new Xbox 360 bundles across UK, thanks to Microsoft and its battle for winning the console war. Already available, the new bundles include a copy of Gears of War, Call of Duty 3 or WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007, a premium Xbox 360 console and a 30 day trial of Xbox Live Gold.

All bundles will retail for £300.

Hoping to attract movie-goers as well as gamers, Microsoft and New Line have partnered together to offer advance screenings of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning followed by the chance to play Gears of War. This chance is being offered in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, with all events taking place on October 4 in unspecified AMC Theatres.

To sign up for a ticket, head on over to the Match Made in Hell promotional site. However, the announcements were quick to point out that the receipt of a ticket does not guarantee admission; tickets will be entertained on a first-come, first-serve basis. The other condition is that guests will have to be at least 17 years of age.

And finally, five new shots from Gears of War: