It sounds like EPIC Games are pretty confident that Gears of War 3 is on a lot of people’s radars, and quite rightly so, with various deals involving specific stores and People Can Fly’s Bulletstorm. Players will be able to start tearing each other to pieces later this April and tell EPIC what’s good and what’s bad in the upgraded multiplayer– hopefully lots of good.
EPIC’s Cliff Bleszinski mentioned before that he would love to bring the Gears franchise to other platforms including the PS3, but for now Xbox 360 owners hold the exclusive bragging rights. Rod Fergusson (executive producer) explained how they are not trying to set records in terms of largest beta, but “our expectation is around the one million range” and that they’re “just trying to get enough data to help make a better game”.
All sounds very lively and exciting then right? I mentioned the whole craze around pre-orders, second sales, and beta’s in an article last month, and once again a discussion can arise around the true value and uses of such a huge ‘tryout’ session. Whether such big stunts are actually used for frontline feedback or some are simply the product of a very blunt marketing plan. Who knows, right?
Conspiracy hat back on the shelf, it’s been revealed that the beta will include three game modes and a generous four maps to play on. As this is one of the few Xbox 360 exclusives to be announced this year, Microsoft are putting a lot of emphasis on this release. Recent data showed that Sony’s console has overtaken the 360 with sales in Europe and Asia now, and analysts expect the gap to widen. Can Gears of War 3 be what Microsoft needs to get back in the running?
