Xbox Addict

Gears of War 3 Launch

The action-packed finale to the Xbox 360 trilogy makes its way to store shelves on Tuesday. Fans queued across the world on Monday night to get their hands on a copy of Gears of War 3 at special midnight events. "There’s a guy who’s been in line for nearly a week in New York City," said Chris Wynn, lead producer for "Gears of War" at Microsoft Studios.

The same excitement was mirrored in other major cities across the globe. Fans in Singapore lined up in advance for the midnight launch and a GAME store on Oxford Street in London was packed out with around 400 fans for the midnight launch. One fan, Jon Aston, camped out from 2:30PM on Sunday afternoon to be first in line at the London event. Carlos Ferro, the voice of Dom Santiago in Gears of War 3, took to GAME’s counter to announce that Aston had won a 40" widescreen TV for his epic wait. Other midnight openings included free giveaways and party like atmospheres.

"We, too, couldn’t be more excited about this launch. The story is epic, and the game is stunning. The visuals are better than any game you’re going to find on Xbox or any other console," said Chris Wynn, lead producer for "Gears of War" at Microsoft Studios. Gears of War 3 is the follow-up to the immensely popular Gears of War 1 and 2 titles and is set around 18 months after the previous events of Gears of War 2. The shooter was originally scheduled to launch in April but was pushed back to September. Gears of War 3 focuses on a more cinematic and human element according to Microsoft. "In the first two games, the story was about battles and wars; it was emotional, but that wasn’t the focus," Wynn said. "This has more drama. You’re trying to survive with a small group of your friends, trying to see if you can find a future. That’s what it’s all about."

The conclusion of the Gears of War trilogy marks the end of a popular franchise that originally launched in 2006. "It was the first high-definition console to come to market, and all of a sudden here was this game, sensory overloaded with incredible graphics," said Guy Welch, a Microsoft senior product manager. "It was the first game to define that next-generation console." Microsoft is making the following special editions of Gears of War 3 available alongside a limited edition xbox 360 console:

• Limited Edition ($79.99 US / £59.99 GBP)-A must-have for fans who want to celebrate the culmination of the trilogy, this edition includes:
  • Octus Award Display Box and Octus Service Medal-Replicas of the honors bestowed on Adam Fenix, Marcus’s father, for his work on the Hammer of Dawn.
  • Unlockable Adam Fenix Multiplayer Character-Each Octus Service Medal replica is engraved with a unique Xbox LIVE code that unlocks Adam Fenix in multiplayer.
  • Fabric COG Flag-Proud colors that once flew above the House of Sovereigns.
  • Personal Effects of Adam Fenix-Includes his "Last Will and Testament," the initial Hammer of Dawn schematic, and other Fenix family mementos.
• Epic Edition ($149.99 US / £99.99 GBP)-The ultimate collection for hardcore fans who can’t get enough Gears of War 3, this edition includes:
  • Collectible Marcus Fenix Statue-The collaborative work of Chris Perna and the artisans at Triforce, this fine PVC collectible makes an evocative living room conversation piece for any true Gears fan.
  • The Art and Design of Gears of War by Tom Bissell-Through unprecedented access to the Epic Games team, acclaimed author Tom Bissell (Extra Lives) gives readers an incisive behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the most celebrated sagas in video game history with 96 pages of interviews, photos, concept artwork, and more.
  • The Gears of War 3 Limited Edition-Nuf said!