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GOW Photoshop contest
Richard -- still love that name -- over at Aeropause is hosting a Gears of War contest. The winner, naturally, will get a copy of Gears of War and plenty of swag to boot. Second place gets a GOW faceplate and swag, and third place just gets plain old swag. All you have to do is send in a GOW image that has been cleverly Photoshopped in some way. All winners will get their entry featured on Aeropause as well. Head over to Aeropause for all the details. We're not hosting the contest, but we'd love to see what you come up with anyway. Link your entry in the comments and maybe we'll feature it here. Now if we could just convince some companies to send 360 Fanboy some swag, maybe we could give stuff away. Any takers? Capcom, Epic, Microsoft? Anybody? [Thanks, Dan]
Teaser site reveals new GOW tidbits
The revamped Gears of War site has officially launched, brothers and sisters. The site is one of those interactive doohickeys akin to the Alone in the Dark and Condemned websites. You "play" as Marcus still trapped in his cell. When the lights black out, you're left with 4 matches to light up your surroundings. Highlight a message scrawled onto the wall and you can watch flashbacks that reveal the game's story and more about Emergence Day and the Locust horde. Anyone looking forward to Gears of War should check it out.[Via Gamerscore Blog]
Gears of War to ship with 10 multiplayer maps
Up from a proposed eight, ten multiplayer maps will ship with Gears of War, confirmed CliffyB. Coupled with two-player co-op over Xbox Live, does this number hit your sweet spot?In other Gears news, time is winding down on the 48-hour window Epic is using to grant visitors access to this promo site (pictured). What will happen when time expires? Our money's on another timed dose of viral marketing -- not an Xbox Live demo. But you can still dream ...
Gears of War's ranked matches smell rank
Despite being considered a tactical, team-centric game, Gears of War will not allow you choose who you play with in ranked matches. Epic Games programmer Joe Graf confirmed as much on the official forums recently, citing Microsoft certification as the reason. Graf, through a long series of discussion, explains that Microsoft would not allow the game to be shipped unless ranked match-ups were randomized (based on skill level, of course), though non-ranked games will still allow you to play with friends, privatize games, and send/accept invites.From Graf's tone, we get the feeling Epic would prefer a more clan-friendly online system, and we're inclined to agree. Microsoft's theory, according to Graf, is that randomized ranked matches "prevent collaborative cheating (I kill you ten times, now you me, etc.)." However, this move will breed loner behavior -- why should I help a fellow teammate out when I now have less competition against my kill count? A potential solution would be to reward players who heal their down-but-not-out brethren, thus promoting brotherly love. But might one also abuse this reward if friendly fire is enabled?Halo 2 is cited by several forum members as having a matchmaking system that promotes teamwork, allowing you to play with a party of people. Halo 2 is an original Xbox title, however, and is therefore not bounded by MS's new policy. Will Halo 3 follow the same suit as Gears of War?[Thanks, Sanchinos]
Gears of War still buggy, complain 'Chainsaw' event attendees
Microsoft and New Line Cinema teamed up last night to show off their upcoming projects, which both feature chainsaws forced upon the human (or humanoid) figure. A "Match Made in Hell" provided the first opportunity for the public to get hands-on time with Gears of War multiplayer, but attendees had to sit through a screening of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning first.Two reports of the event (2old2play & Siliconera) have cited control issues, which affect the flow of gameplay. When asked if he thought Gears of War would be a hit, one attendee answered, "No not in this state. Not in its present form." With 'Emergence Day' just over a month away, should Microsoft be concerned? Our guess is that the event generated more than enough good PR to negate any complaints. The hype wave is gathering momentum. You gonna get swept up?
CliffyB's got your jump button right here
F*** jump.That's what he said and, in a recent interview with CVG, CliffyB elaborates on his original theory that Gears of War is more Bionic Commando than Mario. You are jumping ... just with a grappling hook ... and on a different plane. He explains, "In GoW you're essentially jumping but you're jumping on the X and Y axis. So you're leaping into the environment. If you were to look at a GoW battlefield from an overhead view, it would almost look like a Sonic or Mario level because that's how all the cover plays out."That's a pretty novel way of looking at the game's construction. Though Cliffy does his best to appear otherwise, he often reveals a thoughtful side. Our favorite part of the interview: when he eschews the sentiment that a Hollywood adaptation means your game has made it. "I love movies but I believe I'm working in the most exciting sector of the entertainment industry." Oh snap! Take that movies! But he still offered up his candidate for the role of Marcus: Clive Owen. Really? He seems like he would need to put on about 150 ell-bees of muscle. And what's all this about Scarlett Johansson?
Gears of War previewed
Eurogamer has big hopes for Epic's Gears of War, posting a glowing preview of Microsoft's darling. You'd be hard pressed to comb out new details from the write-up, but Eurogamer does confirm what others have reported: intuitive gameplay and purdy visuals. The only issues that could hold this one back are the beefy-guy art style and predictable dialogue. Looks like Gears has already been stamped with Eurogamer's seal of approval.See also: X06: Gears of War impressions Xbox 360 impressions: Gears of War multiplayer
Gears of War ain't easy, defends Epic
In response to concerns that Gears of War, with frequent checkpoints and regenerating health, is too easy, Epic's Mark Rein has chimed in over on Epic's forums. Rein has clarified that the Gears demo is set to "casual" (easy mode) and implies that first-time players will encounter plenty of challenge on harder difficulties.Games like Halo 2 and Call of Duty 2 have proved that regenerating health does not impede on our sense of accomplishment when we pwn Legendary or Veteran mode. Here's to hoping Gears follows in their footsteps -- and not down Prey's path.[Thanks, michael]
X06: Gears of War gameplay is bloody good
We snagged this X06 video of Gears of War gameplay for your enjoyment. Filled with lots of gunfire, blood, and apparently ineffective grenades, it's sure to delight both young and old. Emergence Day is getting closer and closer, folks. See the video after the break. (Fanboy Trivia:CliffyB is behind the controls of this demo.)
Gears of War gets Penny Arcadified
Gabe over at Penny Arcade whipped up this very nice sketch of Marcus from Gears of War yesterday. I guess we missed it somehow. Was something going on yesterday? Perhaps some of you might like to make it your new wallpaper (though I have opted for Halo Wars). I'd use it as my wallpaper, but white backgrounds hurt my sensitive little eyes. See a larger version after the break.
TGS: Cranking the Gears of War
Though it wasn't playable on the Tokyo Game Show floor -- not even in the booth with other mature-rated games like Riot Act (Crackdown) and Dead Rising -- Microsoft was giving press a tease of Gears of War, their fall lineup's killer app. Alan Willard, a technical designer at Epic Games and a giant scruff of a man with a penchant for terse answers, walked us through a demo level gleefully pointing out areas of interest. For example, the gratuitous splattering of blood and gore that spits onto the screen after the equally gratuitous chainsaw-bayoneting was his handiwork. "I did that," he said proudly. And, if you're curious, it's a particle effect.
Gears of War should look great on your crap TV
Gamers will be pleased to learn that all missions in the upcoming Gears of War should be easily accomplished without the need for excessive squinting or unanswered pining for a better television set. According to an entry on the official Epic Games forums, the upcoming, Unreal-powered and unbelievably macho tale of man versus monster has been tested on "small, non-HD TVs, to make sure you can read the writing." Presumably, the legible on-screen text in Gears of War will not be conveyed by a lonely security guard who calls at the worst possible times. Though this news will allay the fears of those still confined to the realms of standard definition, developers shouldn't expect a pat on the head whenever they cater to a huge part of their audience. This just in: Gears of War will totally work on your Xbox 360. Thanks for going the extra mile, Epic![Via 1UP]See also: Dead Rising: patch chance lost! Mea culpa for 360's Kong In defense of Sony's HDMI.O.U.
Weird GOW trailer thing on XBLM
Okay, so I grabbed the "new" Gears of War IGN video thingy off of Marketplace last night. Decidedly not HD, this content is ... interesting, to say the least. First of all, this video was made during E3. Why put such an old video on XBLM? I mean, the guy doing the interview is asking, "What's Emergence Day?" I seem to recall a BIG announcement that already cleared that up. Now, to be fair, there is legitimate gameplay in there, which is nice, but the video quality makes it less than optimal.Finally, what's with the radio jingle music? Maybe it's just me, but that's weird, especially in a podcast about videogames. Just seems out of place, you know? Anyway, this video assuages any misgivings I had about never becoming an IGN Insider. You know, back when I read IGN. Sorry this isn't news folks, but that's what happens when you give nerds like me a public venue.
G.O.W. on sale before Emergence Day
CliffyB had some interesting remarks for his brother, who just so happens to be a blogger for Gearheads of War. What did he say? I'm glad you asked. It breaks down like this. Emergence Day, as we all know, is November 12th. Sure, that's a pretty BIG deal, but there's more. The game will begin shipping on November 7th, and:"They'll be able to sell it the minute they get it so some of those stores will have the game well before the 12th."So there you have it, Emergence Day is not so BIG after all. If any of you manage to get it on November 7th, let us know and we'll write it up. Surely Bungie has something to do with this. (117, get it? No? Too nerdy?)[Via Joystiq. Thanks, Mike]
Epic drops not-so-subtle Gears of War clue [update 1]
Over on the Gears of War Forums, Epic's Mark Rein recently posted an announcement announcing an announcement -- and not just any announcement, but a 'BIG' announcement that's coming next week. The release date Emergence Day, right? Maybe not ... further down the thread, Mark teases, "...maybe the announcement that is going to be made isn't what you think it is." So be it -- just as long as it's not a rehash of the GIGANTOUR tour partnership or theatre-bound trailer. You did get those memos, didn't you, Mark?Here's to hoping the news lives up to the frickin' font size. Stay tuned.[Thanks, Adam; via PGNx Media][Update: It was what we thought it was. Emergency Day is November 12th. Who'da thunk?]
SOE cops Unreal Engine 3 license
Sony Online Entertainment is poised to begin developing content with Unreal Engine 3 after announcing a new licensing agreement with Epic Games. SOE will use the technology for both PlayStation 3 and PC titles, including an upcoming MMO based on the DC (comics) universe. According to DigitalBattle.com, there are more than 50 projects in development that utilize Epic's coveted Unreal technology.[Thanks, Soren]
Gears of War still TBD, Too Human could slip to 2007
Two of Microsoft's most important titles planned for 2006 are still without public release dates. Last Friday, Xbox.com temporarily posted an October 2 release date for Gears of War -- the same date used by several online retailers. This date was later revoked, replaced with "TBD." Similarly, Too Human's release date had been listed as "TBD 2006," but has since been revised to just "TBD."While 'Emergence Day' -- that's slang for 'Gears of War release date' -- will most certainly hit in 2006, chances are, Too Human will slip into 2007. Too Human's E3 build was incredibly rough, and there's no sense in rushing a final version before the year's out, especially since you run the risk of releasing in Gears' shadow -- not to mention the other guys' console launches.As for Gears of War, October sounds about right. Judging from the E3 build, the game is certainly on track for that date. Plus, it would be wise to release Gears in advance of PlayStation 3 -- and Wii too. No game is going to stand up to the wave of hype that will flood our senses when those consoles drop. But, release Gears a month before the PS3 launch, get us hooked -- get us a bit distracted -- and you might capture some brand loyalty -- a lil' mindshare -- and generate enough word of mouth to convince holiday shoppers that Xbox 360 is, not just the only console readily available, but the console with a killer-app to boot.Read - "Xbox.com: Gears of War's New Release Date is...TBD"Read - "Too Human Release Date MIA"
Gears of War hits the big screen
Fear not, Uwe Boll and Paul W. Anderson are not teaming up to deliver a Gears of War 'epic.' Instead, Gears of Wars (the video game) will be appearing in theatres nationwide in the form of a trailer, aired before select R-rated flicks, including Clerks 2, Little Miss Sunshine, Miami Vice, Pulse, and A Scanner Darkly.Epic president Mike Capps did warn that, for most gamers, the footage would be nothing new, but the promotion is a chance to "see it on a massive theater screen and hear it in badass 5.1." In other words, fanboys, we recommend you don't splurge on a movie ticket just to see this trailer.
Gears of War: the box
We're still not sure when this so-called 'Emergence Day' is ... but at least, now, we know what the Gears of War box is gonna look like: My Marcus, what a big gun you have! You wouldn't be compensating for any shortcomings, would you?Check out: Hands-on with Gears of War multiplayer.
Gears of War special on MTV2 2nite
As promised during Microsoft's keynote, the inside look at the production of Gears of War is airing on MTV's more music oriented (but, but, but) sister site MTV2 tonight. Sure, we all remember the disappointment of the Xbox 360's MTV debut, but Gears of War: The Race to E3 has the right idea. According to the media alert, production is being handled by LivePlanet (the Project Greenlight guys) and Geoff Keighley (who actually knows a thing or two about games), so you can start setting your expectations unreasonably high now. The show airs tonight at 10PM Eastern/Pacific on MTV2. Don't worry about missing it, it'll air again and again and again. Check out an additional clip from the show of CliffyB meeting world's richest gamer, Bill Gates (embedded after the break.) Apparently Bill likes the chainsaw/gun combo. [Via Gamerscore]
