14 DAY TRIAL // The developer Epic Games and publisher Microsoft have announced that they are launching a Season Pass for the first four downloadable content packs that will be launched for Gears of War 3, set to cost 2400 Microsoft Points, the equivalent of about 30 dollars.
The companies are saying that those who get the Season Pass will get a 33 percent discount over those who will pick up each DLC package individually.
The Season Pass will only be available at retail when Gears of War 3 itself is launched on the Xbox 360, on September 20, and will also grant buyers access to a new and exclusive Liquid Metal Weapon Set, which will presumably add a new texture to the already available weapon set.
The actual DLC for Gears of War 3 will begin appearing during the month of November and Epic Games has not yet said exactly what they plan to include in it.
The Season Pass concept seems to be growing in popularity with game publishers in recent months and it is becoming part of a long-term strategy when it comes to downloadable content.
Offering a Season Pass for a discount over retail price means that gamers are able to get more content without paying as much while the publisher gets the money upfront and is able to gain a captive audience.
Recently, Rockstar offered a similar DLC linked pass for L.A. Noire while Warner Bros. did the same for Mortal Kombat.
The same concept is applied by Electronic Arts for its entire slate of sports simulations.
Gears of War 3 is the last game in the current trilogy and was delayed in order to be launched during the fall season and bolster sales of the Xbox 360 when compared to the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii.
The series has so far made more than 11 million in sales.