If you want to get into semantics, doesn't a map pack "expand" the multiplayer portion of the game? Nonetheless, Unreal tournament is a different game with a different publisher. The biggest blockbuster that Microsoft has, Halo 2, had a map pack that wasn't free. I expected that the Gears map pack wouldn't be free.
Honestly, MS should've worked this shit out with Epic a long time ago when they signed the deal knowing their history. Epic seems like they have this arbitrary outlook on expanding the game for free simply because they did it on PC. As we all have seen, it's a different market. If they want to do the consumers a good deal, flesh out the storyline a bit better in an extra episode. I'd gladly pay $10 extra for something more immersive than "find the resonator." If you really think Epic is on our side, wow.... I think it's a bit more complicated than the Epic is trying to help us out story. It sounds like a pretty complicated deal, with Epic trying to stand up against MS in some kinda bullshit, indie pride sorta way while Microsoft apparently has an agenda that doesn't include giving away a potential couple million dollars.
Free content is possible and has happened plenty of times. The day I popped in crackdown....4 new downloadable characters for free. If MS wanted to nickel and dime us, they could've thrown that in a pack and charged for it. Sometimes you pay, sometimes you don't. I don't see the big deal. I just don't see the bitching every five minutes when something has a price tag attached to it. In the specific case of Gears, ok...I do agree it should be free because of the harm it could do to the multiplayer aspect. Other than this specific case, some people just need to chill with the sweeping, overgeneralizing comments on marketplace content as a whole. Paying for stuff on the interwebs is here and here to stay....buy it or ignore it, and get on with life.