Gears sells 1 million in two weeks [update 1]
Excuse us while we wipe the mock surprise from our faces, but Microsoft announced yesterday that Gears of War has officially broken the 1 million copies sold mark. Sure, it's no surprise that GOW would sell a million, but it is very impressive that it has managed to do so in only two weeks. In fact, Gears of War has now become the fastest selling Xbox game evar.
What is more, the game's popularity has driven more subscribers to Xbox Live Gold. According to Microsoft, paying subscriptions have jumped by %50. Of course, this achievement isn't quite as grand when you factor in the number of trial subscriptions that were boxed with Gears of War. Still, just like drugs, the first taste is free, and many trial subscribers will probably convert after two blissful months days of Gears.
MS is also quick to point out that Gears has quickly become one of the highest rated games of all time (according to GameRankings.com), earning an average review score of 95% -- right now it's sandwiched between Wind Waker and San Andreas. Love it or hate it, if the 360 has a killer app, Gears of War is it. Did any of you pick up a 360 just for Gears?
Update: Trial subscriptions are 2 days not two months.
Gears of War Hits 1 Million Units Sold and Shoots to #1 on Xbox Live
More than 85 Percent of Players Connect to Xbox Live, Driving New Gold Memberships by 50 Percent As "Gears of War" continues to emerge throughout the world ahead of the holiday sales rush, the Xbox 360 juggernaut has sold an impressive 1 million copies world-wide in just its first two weeks of release-elevating the game to the fastest-selling title of 2006 and fastest-selling original Xbox game of all time. Propelling its rise to popularity, Gears of War has been crowned the best next generation game of the year by over 45 publications, earning a 95 percent average review score as tracked by www.gamerankings.com. Critics everywhere overwhelmingly agree and have united to make "Gears of War" one of the best-reviewed games of all time. "From the very beginning, we knew 'Gears of War' would be an industry-defining hit," said Shane\nKim, corporate vice president at Microsoft Game Studios. "As we watched both the game and its hype grow, it became obvious that 'Gears of War' was the rare title that could live up to such incredible anticipation, and judging from the\nreaction of critics and fans, it's done just that." About Epic Games Epic Games Inc., based in ",1] ); //--> The battle continues to rage on Xbox Live as well, as more than 850,000 unique gamers have engaged in 10 million gameplay sessions while unlocking an impressive 7 million Achievements. On top of being the #1 title on Xbox Live, "Gears of War" has also driven new members to the network, as paid registrations per day have skyrocketed more than 50 percent since the game's launch. Propelling its rise to popularity, Gears of War has been crowned the best next generation game of the year by over 45 publications, earning a 95 percent average review score as tracked by www.gamerankings.com. Critics everywhere overwhelmingly agree and have united to make "Gears of War" one of the best-reviewed games of all time. "From the very beginning, we knew 'Gears of War' would be an industry-defining hit," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president at Microsoft Game Studios. "As we watched both the game and its hype grow, it became obvious that 'Gears of War' was the rare title that could live up to such incredible anticipation, and judging from the reaction of critics and fans, it's done just that."
