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Tsunoda crowned king of Gears of War [Update]
Update: Speaking with Eurogamer, Mark Rein says that former EA Chicago man Kudo Tsunoda's role will be that of a General Manager replacing the GM from the original Gears title. "Kudo will be the GM in charge of the studio that oversees MGS/Epic publishing relationship. Our previous GM is moving over to the studio that oversees the Halo franchise where there's more action going on," said Rein. In yet another ninja-move, everyone talks around Gears of War 2 without ever confirming it exists.Late last month reports were circling that former EA Chicago studio head, Kudo Tsunoda, had shifted to a role within Microsoft Game Studios. Rumors had pinned Tsunoda as the man Microsoft would place in charge of the Gears of War license and according to Eurogamer, these rumors have been confirmed.In one of his many interviews during the 2008 D.I.C.E. Summit, Shane Kim confirmed that Tsunoda was indeed crowned as king of GoW Village. Gears of War 2 confirmed, right? Not exactly, while Tsunoda is now in charge of the Gears license, Kim refused to acknowledge the existence of a sequel for the 2006 game of the year. So our guess is Tsunoda's going to sit in a dark room wearing a crown and holding a jewel encrusted scepter humming Mad World to himself all day.
The Club one-ups GoW's Seriously achievement
The humorous and ever so witty dev team over at Bizarre Creations got a little creative with their achievements for upcoming title The Club. So creative, they somehow managed to one-up Gears of War's "Seriously" achievement.Looking over The Club's achievements one will quickly notice an achievement by the name of "No, Seriously" which can only be earned if a player gets 10,001 kills in ranked multiplayer. This, of course, is a direct reference to GoW's famous (and nearly impossible to obtain) "Seriously" achievement where gamers must rack up some 10,000 ranked kills. As you see, The Club's "No, Seriously" requires an extra kill. Nicely played Bizarre, nicely played.Though, we're sorry to say that Gears' "Seriously" will forever be held high atop our list of most respected achievements and can never be replaced or duplicated, even if it only requires 10,000 kills to unlock. Heck, "No, Seriously" will only net you 40 Gamerscore, ten less Gamerscore than the the original "Seriously". It must not be as l33t of an achievement as it's made out to be ... just saying Bizarre, just saying.[Thanks, Scott (HHHawk)]
Rumor: Gears of War 2 and Alan Wake at GDC
The video game industry's favorite insider darling Surfer Girl is back to her predicting ways, this time targeting Alan Wake and the highly anticipated Gears of War 2.According to her long list of answers that she posted in response to readers' numerous questions, Surfer Girl confirms that Gears of War 2 will be making an appearance at GDC later this month and so will the somewhat forgotten Alan Wake. Surfer Girl goes on to claim other rumors including Mass Effect DLC as well as Halo 4's existence, but in the short term, GoW2 and Alan Wake making a GDC appearance is the hotness right now. Even if Mark Rein says otherwise.Looking back, Surfer Girl has been able to keep a pretty solid track record for being spot about insider news, but know that her insider tips are not always perfect. So, take all her tips for what they're worth, analyze your GDC floorplan and pick up a copy of GamePro, because GoW2 announcement buzz is taking over the intertubes. Be prepared.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
GamePro's GoW2 article isn't an announcement
Over the weekend, we told you about GamePro's mysterious Gears of War 2 mention on its upcoming March cover and how mysterious the whole thing is. You'll also recall that we were a bit skeptical to how newsy GamePro's GoW2 mention really is, seeing that any huge announcement like GoW2 becoming official would, at the very least, garner a huge cover spread. And now we find out that we were right to be pessimistic.Epic's Mark Rein hopped on the Gears of War forums to tell everyone that Epic has "not announced a sequel to Gears of War to Gamepro or anyone else for that matter" and that the whole thing "is complete nonsense". So, we're guessing that the GoW2 mention on GamePro's cover is nothing more than a speculative article, maybe what they want or expect GoW2 to include "if" it were made. Back to waiting for our official GoW2 confirmation ... GDC anyone?[Thanks, Hooligunn]
Gears of War 2 graces GamePro's cover
Oh, Gears of War 2, how we yearn for news about thee. Your presence has been long awaited, we've reserved a seat for you at the dinner table every night, but you still refuse to make your existence known. So, when we heard news that GamePro magazine was proudly showcasing your GoW2 name across its cover, we couldn't help but get tickled from within'. We thought, would GamePro be your tool for revealing yourself? Was this magazine our vessel for learning everything about you? Would you, GoW2, finally accept our dinner invite after your GamePro debut? Then, suddenly, we realized that GamePro's GoW2 teasing is probably nothing more than that ... speculative teasing.An announcement as large as yours is guaranteed to be a cover story (sorry RSV2), not a little mention on the side margin. Oh well. We'll see what GamePro says about you, our friend GoW2, when it hits newsstands February 12th. But we have a feeling your secret will still not be known and you still won't be at the dinner table. We'll set a plate for you anyway.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Gears lancer made with NERF and toy chainsaw
Can you say delectable? Because that's the adjective we use to describe the custom created Gears of War Lancer you see above. Not only is it an amazingly detailed replica of Mr. Fenix's Lancer that lights up and carries that "bad-ass mystique", but would you believe it was created by fashioning together a NERF gun and a toy chainsaw? Well, you should believe, because that's exactly how it was made. Words cannot express our admiration with the toy in question ... it was love at first sight. Now only if they sold these kind of toys at our local Toys R Us, then we'd truly be satisfied in life. Stupid government though. We say down with the government's strict toy rules and up with realistic Gears Lancer toy replicas at Toys R Us! Woohoo! Who's with us?[Via Joystiq]
Epic: No more Gears of War DLC. Us: Duh?
Talking with IGN, Epic Games and Microsoft Game Studios confirmed the news and made it official: there will be no more Gears of War downloadable content. (Insert fake surprised face here.) A representative told IGN that "we don't have anything planned for [Gears of War] right now in terms of DLC", but also mentioned that the door is always open for new DLC to be made. Just none is planned now. And we'll be the first in line to kick that door of possibility shut.As much as we love our Gears, we feel that after six additional maps, a new gametype and additional 250 gamerscore, it's time for Epic to move on. Move onto something a little more important, say a sequel? We'll happily take no more Gears DLC for Epic to release Gears of War 2 as soon as possible. Hell, we'll even give up the Annex content if it would have moved Gears 2's development along. Just give us our sequel this year.
Gears of War action figures now fully revealed
Action figure manufacturer NECA has been teasing us with artistic Gears of War product shots lately (they just released a preview of the Locust figure yesterday), but they're teasing has gone on long enough. Long enough, because we've come across teaser free full body shots of the new figures ... take that NECA!The folks over at BigBadToyStore posted complete product shots of the new GoW figures including Mr. Fenix, Cole and a Locust, all of which are seven inches tall and retail for around $17 US. We also thought we should mention that BigBadToyStore has a listing for an unannounced Gears "Series 1 Sniper Variant" figure (no picture of course) and our edjamacated guess would be that it's another Locust variant. But, in the meantime, you can salivate over the complete GoW action figure product shot that we've lovingly placed in the gallery below. Yum!%Gallery-14215%
Gears of War figures chainsaw to retail in Spring [update]
Update: We've placed two Marcus Fenix figure shots as well as a new Cole figure shot in the gallery below. Enjoy!We now officially have a new set of toys to compliment (or rival) our Halo 3 McFarlane figures with manufacturing guru NECA confirming that Gears of War figures will be releasing to retail later this Spring.NECA announced that three "highly detailed" Gears figures will be available at retailers later this Spring, including our man Marcus Fenix, Augustus Cole, and a Locust Drone. NECA did not confirm any dimensions or pricing information in their press release, but did say that the Gears figures will have "extensive articulation, and game-accurate accessories". Chainsaw much? They also found it fitting to tease us with a dramatic Marcus Fenix figure pic you see above and did not include any full product shots. Yes, the pic is artsy and gritty, but darned if we don't want to see 'em already. What little teases.%Gallery-14215%[Via Joystiq]
Tyler B hints at Gears sequel releasing this year [update]
Update: We just got in touch with Tyler Bleszinski and he clarified his remarks. He says that he has absolutely no information regarding GoW2's release date and was basing this year's release off of rumors from Quartermann of EGM. So, Tyler B doesn't have any juicy GoW2 details and we don't have any release date confirmation. And we were getting excited too. Humf.Okay, we'll be upfront and say this news is a bit of a stretch, but slow news days warrant speculation stories. That's just how it works. So, when we spotted a credible source mentioning Gears of War 2 releasing this year, we had to pounce.Our friend and fellow gaming enthusiast over at Gearheads of War, Tyler Bleszinski (who is the older bro of Cliffy B) posted about his latest Gears gaming experience and how it compared to Call of Duty 4. In summary, Tyler (like many of us) doesn't care for Gears' hit and miss and ever so random shotgun and Boom Shotting. Now this is where the juicy speculation kicks in. He goes on to say that "I had a blast even with the Gears hiccup. I'm thinking I'm just going to need to wait for the sequel later this year. In the meantime, I've got COD 4 to keep me company." Wha? Did you catch that? Tyler specifically references to playing a Gears sequel later this year. Holy double w00t, w00t confirmation!Truthfully though, Tyler has always been open about the fact that he doesn't get into details surrounding Cliffy B's work, doesn't get any insider information and experiences the games and news as reported on the net. So, his comment about playing a Gears sequel in 2008 could simply be his own speculation with no concrete facts backing it up. Kind of like how we speculate about Gears of War 2 here at X3F. But, for the sake of juicy rumor fun, it's somewhat possible Cliffy B's brother knows something we don't and accidentally revealed Gears 2's 2008 release. We say, spill your guts Tyler Bleszinski. Tell us all the Gears of War 2 knowledge you do or don't have.
The most played Xbox Live games of 2007
Mr. Xbox himself, Larry Hryb posted the Top Xbox Live games of 2007 over on MajorNelson.com and we don't think anyone will be surprised that Halo lead the pack. Among the post played retail games Halo 3 tops the list at number one with Gears of War at two, Call of Duty 4 at the third spot, Rainbow Six Vegas at four and rounding out the top five is Call of Duty 3. But onto news that may actually surprise you. Larry also posted the top ten most purchased XBLA games of 2007 and color us purple, TMNT came in at number one. TMNT! Who would have thunk that? Worms ranked at the number two spot, Castlevania: SOTN at three and everyone's favorite Vision camera enabled game UNO comes in at number four.Check out the rest of the top ten lists and see which original Xbox games saw the most Xbox Live play time (hint: a different Halo game tops that list) after the jump. Gaming in 2007 ... oh the memories we have.
GDC floorplan speculation with Epic, MS and Gears
TeamXbox put on their speculation hat today with their analysis of this year's GDC floorplan and how it relates to a possible Gears of War 2 announcement. Strap on your tin foil hats and chew on some for extra measure, because we're going in. Let's break down TeamXbox's speculative theory. This year at GDC Microsoft has outdone themselves and has paid for the largest floorspace of any company attending. And guess who has the second largest floorspace? No, not Sony or Nintendo, it's our friends over at Epic Games. And guess where their floorspace is situated. Correct, both Microsoft and Epic Games' GDC gigantic floorspaces are right next to eachother. Gasp! Taking everything one step further, both Microsoft and Epic have absolutely no partnership or connection other than their Gears of War roots. So, this all must mean that the massive amount of floorspace and close proximity means that we'll see a Gears of War 2 announcement at GDC! W00t! Or Epic just needs lots of room to showcase their Unreal Engine 3 and Microsoft wants to make a splash, because they're Microsoft and have money coming out of their ears. Meh, we prefer the Gears 2 speculation. It's more exciting and gives us something hope for.
Gears gets novelized with The Pendulum Wars
Gears of War is taking the next big step in becoming a legitimate franchise this year with the release of a novel. Amazon.ca just posted a pre-order listing for Gears of War: The Pendulum Wars The Battle of Aspho Fields, a 353 page novel written by Steven L. Kent that aims to tell the tale before Gears (the game) takes place. In other words, it's a novel prequel. So far the pre-order page lists the book for a release later this year on August 26th which we speculate to either coincide with a Gears of War 2 game sequel (we have our dreams too) or blockbuster movie (really grand dreams). And even if the book releases without any other media accompaniment we'll still enjoy reading and expanding upon our Gears of War lore. Bring on the reading![Via Joystiq]
Joystiq's Top 10 of 2007: God of War II
QTE. Quick Time Events. It stands proud as one of the most annoying video game design clichés in use today. You might remember them from games like Resident Evil 4 and the original God of War, described by game developers as a device that makes you feel like you're playing a cutscene, as opposed to watching it. It was so cool when we first saw it -- but when every single game ever decided to add QTE, it became less ... welcome.So, how did God of War II trick us into having so much fun with its QTE-riddled cinematics? Probably because the game remembered exactly what made these sequences fun. There was the all-important feeling of empowerment from these moment, where every button pressed felt like it had consequence. When we cracked Theseus' head open by slamming it into a door over and over again, we felt the same blood thirst that Kratos must have undeniably felt. We weren't pressing buttons simply because the game told us to. Rather, we pressed buttons because it intrinsically made so much sense. We were one with Kratos. RARGH! Some may argue that God of War II doesn't innovate enough to warrant any GOTY accolades. Hey, it's not like the first one really broke new ground either. (And that didn't stop the original from winning GOTY.) Instead, God of War II so finely executes what has already been done before. Giant boss battles are nothing new to video games, but those found here are exceptionally well placed (and paced!) throughout the game. Even the first level's backdrop is a giant animated statue that you ultimately go sword-to-face with. Each battle is filled with a ferocity, a viciousness that reminds you that these are very powerful gods and demons you're fighting.God of War II shows that the PS2 is still capable of producing wonderful gaming experiences. It highlights the true value of excellent design over pure technology, and offers so much of that all-important commodity we seek from games: fun. %Gallery-1588% Extreme fever! ->
Gears of War action figures now up for pre-order
For those of you who didn't believe Cliffy B and his proclamation that Gears of War figures would be made, then all we have to say to you is "ha!" We laugh in your face because Gears of War figures are a reality, are releasing March 2008 and Cliffy B doesn't lie. Or not all the time. Available right now for pre-order at your favorite online retailer of choice is the first series. Series one will include 7" figures of Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago and a Locust Horde Drone all with twelve points of articulation and weapons galore. Currently, the manufacturer hasn't released pictures of the figures just yet, so you'll have to put down your pre-order cash blindly. Next Spring we're geeking and blowing our savings on Gears and Halo 3 figures![Thanks, Muffin Lad]
Gears of War 2 pre-orders were on Amazon
We didn't want to post this, because we really didn't feel it to be newsworthy seeing that A) Gears of War 2 is nearly a guaranteed and B) retailers don't know anything more than we do when it comes to release dates. So, when news that Amazon.com was offering Gears of War 2 pre-orders with an expected release date of November 15th, 2008 our response was something along the lines of "so what?". Like we said, Cliffy already pretty much confirmed GoW2's existence in numerous interviews and Amazon.com simply wants to make a quick buck with pre-orders for a game that they have no release date for. But others thought it was newsworthy (tipsters included), so the GoW2 pre-order "news" has been making the internet rounds and now Amazon.com has pulled the listing. So, there you have it.You know, now that we've actually taken the time to put our fingers to the keyboard this is totally sounding like news. Funny, we guess we were wrong about this story all along. Oops.[Thanks, to (literally) all three thousand tipsters]
Jaffe gives brief update on God of War movie
Despite most video game movies being of pretty low quality, we actually think the God of War movie has the potential to be incredibly awesome. And thankfully, series' creator David Jaffe has just given us an update on his blog after he recently had lunch with the movie's producer."Some big news could be coming on that front soon but nothing set in stone yet," he wrote. "But yeah, the project is still alive! And looking strong!"While that's not much to go on, it's just great to know that work is still ongoing, and we can't wait to hear what kind of big news is on its way.[Via 1up]
Win an I Am Legend themed Xbox 360
With Smith's zombie survival movie I Am Legend will be releasing to a theater near you (if you live in the States) next Friday and to help celebrate, the Xbox Live team is holding a little Play & Win contest. A Play & Win contest where you can win an I Am Legend themed Xbox 360. Sweet huh? All you have to win this lil' beauty is register here and play Gears of War online from now through December 14th. Then, one lucky randomly drawn winner will receive the special 360 ... will it be you? You legend you.
Cliffy B shares his toys, cuz he gotz toyz son
After hearing that Gears of War's signature chainsaw toting Lancer made it into ToyFare magazine's "50 Greatest Fictional Weapons of All Time" list, Cliffy B just had to show off his personal toy collection. Over at Wizard Entertainment's website, they've posted a mini-interview with Cliffy B where he talks about his love of collectibles, Transformers, Gears of War action figures and also shares pictures of his toys collection that he decorates his office with. It's a good read, especially if you like action figures or the Cliffster. Also, mad props to Cliffy for dancing around the final "when can we expect to see Gears of War 2?" question. Nice dancing indeed.
Video: GSB deals with an uptight COG crew
We always enjoy it when the Gamerscore Blog puts their heads together to produce creative video masterpieces (Portal anyone?) And this week they let us in on the headaches and stresses they've incurred the past few weeks having to house the COG crew until Gears of War PC launched. Because we all know how upfront and in your face Fenix can be when not killing Locusts. But thankfully, Gears released yesterday, so GSB is free and clear of the Coalition's mood swings. Though, we still wonder how many copies of Viva Pinata: Party Animals they have on hand. Three, four ... maybe they're just out?
