On April 4, Microsoft and Epic Games prematurely released information about a new game mode that they are set to release for Gears of War.  The new game mode is called Annex and was originally set to be released on April 9 but now no one is too sure when the release will be made.  I consider myself a newly found "Gearhead" and play Gears of War whenever I get a chance so updates like this are very exciting for me.  If you're not sure what Gears of War is then I suggest you check out their website - http://www.gearsofwar.com.  Here's a quick little description of the game though:

A third-person tactical shooter from Epic, running on the Unreal Engine 3. Gears of War thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind’s epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet.

Unlike other shooters, Gears of War is all about teamwork in a big way. All game modes, levels and scenarios are designed specifically to encourage co-operative play, whether it be with A.I. partners or human players (with A.I. teammates designed with specific strengths, weaknesses and personalities.) On top of that, voice recognition will be available for players, and obviously voice chat to discuss strategy with your friends. In addition to voice chat, gamers will be able to experience individualized matchmaking, view player statistics, earn player achievements, customize their games, and build and personalize their gamer profiles over Xbox Live.

Gears of WarAnyway,  for those of you who have played many other  FPS games; this new game mode should seem fairly familiar to you.  In most other FPS games, it is called King of the Hill - the objective is to occupy a certain area for a period of time all while gaining points.  Of course, all during this time you will be fighting off the other team which forces both teams into either a defensive strategy or offensive strategy.  Not to mention, you have unlimited lives!

Personally, I love the idea of making this game mode available because it adds some more variety to the game.  I know some gamers are going to argue that this game mode just doesn't suit the mulit-player strategy of Gears but to that I simply have to say, don't play the game mode then.  Get back to your always fun - yet repetitive - game of warzone.  Really, the only downside I can see to adding this game mode is that the maps in Gears are fairly small and a game mode like this is usually more fun on larger maps.  If you're familiar with the Battefield series for PC then you know what I'm talking about.

Heres a video sneak peak at the new game mode:
http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/10590

Just as a side note: I love the new gen consoles because of their internet connections.  In the past I would rather play PC games when compared to console for a variety of reasons but I because the consoles are basically turning into PCs those reasons are starting to fade away.  One large reason I preferred PC to console is because with a PC game, there were always patches and updates being released to make the game more fun by either fixing bugs or adding new features or both.  The other big reason for my preference was that most PC games were internet capable and you could always be facing a new HUMAN opponent.  Well, console games have covered both those reasons now and its great.  The perks of playing a console have always been that it seemed easier to get into a game when all you had to do is turn on your console and TV (bigger screen in most cases) and you were set to play.   Anyway, soon you won't be able to compare a console to PC because they'll be the same thing.

Are there any "Gearheads" out there and if so, what do you think about this new addition to this very addictive game?