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Rein reckons PS3 "in a better place" for launch than 360
In an interview with Eurogamer, Epic's Mark Rein makes an interesting observation in stark contrast to the doom and gloom murmurings (and memes) that have recently surrounded the impending PS3 launch. Rein notes that developers were just receiving final developments kits when E3 rolled around, whereas the Xbox 360 units were not yet available during the expo a year before. "So Sony's actually maybe in a better place vis-a-vis Microsoft in relation to launch."Coupled with news of 10,000 development kits being shipped off to eager programmers, it would appear that the PS3 is indeed in a good place for developers. Of course, that only amplifies the importance of having companies like Epic use the tools and the time given them to craft excellent experiences. After all, the best place for the PS3 to be in would be someone's living room, and the only way it's going to get there initially is with the aid of some killer launch titles. Where are they?In Mark Rein's house, apparently. "I know we're getting some great results with it back at our house, so I would expect other developers will be as well." Once Sony announces the PS3's full launch lineup, we'll be in a better position to see how pronounced the development kit advantage really is.
Mark Rein of Epic says PS3 is in a better place... for launch
Master of Epic and one of the bigwigs behind Gears of War, Mark Rein, recently sat down with Eurogamer to say a few words about Microsoft's rival. Since he's behind a large development studio, he commended Sony's attempts to give out the final dev-kits long before launch (around E3): "Developers did not have finished Xbox 360 hardware last year at E3. So Sony's actually maybe in a better place vis-a-vis Microsoft in relation to launch." Straight from the mouth of a big Microsoft developer! Well, not exclusively, but at least all the attention Gears of War is getting isn't making him as close-minded about other consoles as many people have.Yes, yes, all well and good, but what about the dev-kit itself? Sure, getting it out there is swell and all, but if it's a clunky interface with difficult who-what's-its and doo-dads, that kind of makes it useless. Rein responds thus: "I know we're getting some great results with it back at our house, so I would expect other developers will be as well." Great news! Perhaps other developers are having success with it and those 10,000 kits are making about 200 fantastic games. MS and Sony fans must agree, these words are reassuring to the latter and hard to bash by the former -- or do you not care about Gears of War? You wouldn't want to hurt its feelings, would you?
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?]
Big Gears announcement next week?
A post in the Epic Games Gears of War forum says there's a "BIG" GoW announcement coming next week. Hmm...could this be the release date? Multiplayer details? Demo news? Maybe CliffyB got a new haircut.[Thanks Vill4no]
Gears of War is all about the metal
Are you ready to rock ... hard? The Megadeth-leading GIGANTOUR tour will be sponsored this year by none other than the next-gen Savior of Microsoft, Gears of War. In fact, Craig Davison, director of global games marketing for Xbox, is quick to count his chickens as he already proclaims GoW to be the "forthcoming Xbox 360 blockbuster." Woah, slow down there Craig. By all indications, GoW should be a hit, but to call it a blockbuster already? Pfft. Now, we're not sure exactly what role GoW will have at the testosterone-filled GIGANTOUR, but could it be possible there will be playable demo booths for all the anger-driven kids? Check out the full press release and schedule after the break. [Thanks, Probot]
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"
GoW headed to the silver screen
Grab your over-priced popcorn. A big screen trailer for Gears of War will roll before 5 upcoming theatrical releases including Miami Vice, Pulse, A Scanner Darkly, Clerks 2, and Little Miss Sunshine. Not content to share time with ads for Raisinettes, CliffyB is hinting at a fullscale GoW movie -- with Uwe Boll in the director's chair. Just kidding. It's not a horror flick.[Thanks Luis]
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.
360 games top the rental charts
Gamasutra has posted the 10 most requested games from Gamefly this week, and the list leans heavily toward our favorite curvy, white box. A full five of the top spots are occupied by 360 exclusives (six if you count the 360 version of BFMEII). Xboxic has gone to the trouble of making a numbered list, which I will politely steal utilize: Chromehounds (360 exclusive) Prey (360/PC) Over G Fighters (360 exclusive) LotR: Battle for Middle Earth 2 (360 version) Dead Rising (360 exclusive) NCAA Football 2007 (multi) Hitman: Blood Money (multi) Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (PS2) Gears of War (360 exclusive) Call of Duty 3 (PC/next-gen) Look at that list for a second. Notice anything? That's right, four 360 exclusives that haven't even been released -- Chromehounds, Prey, Dead Rising, and Gears of War -- are in the top 10. That means these games are more requested than games people could actually be playing right now. Crazy, no?
Get a GOW faceplate without selling a kidney
Hey, would you like one of the limited edition Gears of War faceplates? Would you rather not sell your own organs to buy one on eBay? Well, now is your chance. Fansite Gears of War Realm is having a contest and the prize is your very own GOW faceplate. The rules are simple:
