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Seen@GDC Europe: Epic Games president Mike Capps' adorable laptop wallpaper
Hello Gears of War! As seen above, Epic Games prez Mike Capps has a taste for the ironic in his desktop wallpapers. So, what do we call this adorable little symbol ... COGKitty? Perhaps Hello Kitty of War? She'll chainsaw right through you with a lollipop!
Gears of War 3 adds 3D support, we await Gears of War 3-D re-titling
Gears of War 3 is the latest game to leverage its numerical modifier by adding 3D support (first pioneered by classic films like Jaws 3-D and SpyKids 3-D), and joins other participants like Killzone 3, Uncharted 3, and Resistance 3. "It felt like something we wanted to have. It was a feature we didn't want to be deficient in," Gears producer Rod Fergusson told Eurogamer. "When you look at Gears 1, it was what people used to demo HD at the time." Ironically enough, the tradeoff for 3D support in Gears 3 will be sub-HD resolutions. "Instead of 720p you're at five something," Fergusson said. "It's a little bit jaggier in certain areas." If it sounds weird to hear an Epic employee suggesting that an Epic game is anything less than a technology high-water mark, there's a reason for it: 3D support "was something that came in really late in our process," Fergusson explained. Instead of building in 3D support from the ground up, Epic instead opted for a post-processing effect that "generally works," he said. The technology is most likely TriOviz, which was accepted into Unreal Engine's Integrated Partners Program last year. Fergusson says while 3D is still "a niche feature" we'll begin to see better support for it on the Xbox. "As you look forward, in the next [Xbox Development Kit] coming out of the Xbox, it'll have more support for 3D or more higher quality for native support for 3D," Fergusson said. "Moving forward, the Xbox will be able to take it further." And we're sure Epic and its ubiquitous Unreal Engine will be right alongside. Update: Epic just confirmed that Gears 3 uses TriOviz. Here's the statement: "Gears of War 3" uses Darkworks' TriOviz technology, which is integrated with Unreal Engine 3, for stereoscopic 3D support. All "Gears of War 3" gameplay and cinematics have S3D support, and this extends to split-screen play as well.
Gears of War 3 campaign preview: 'End of the world, baby'
It's been two years since Jacinto fell at the end of Gears of War 2. What little is left of the COG army in Gears of War 3 clings to a massive tanker, the Sovereign, which sails the coast, dispatching search parties to look for supplies. For the humans on Sera, it is their darkest hour. The Lambent Locusts, infected by the imulsion -- the natural-flowing energy substance that once powered mankind's machines on this planet -- are the latest threat, a much more savage (and explodey) enemy. Both human and the vanilla Locust are on the run. But with such a cliffhanger ending in Gears of War 2, why not just pick it up from there? "We wanted time to pass," executive producer Rod Fergusson told me. "We wanted things to settle in and the novels fill that gap between the second and third game. We wanted time for the weight of the war to settle in on people, for the civilization to collapse and for Dom's beard to grow in. If we [picked up from where Gears 2 left off] then we wouldn't have that weight of it being about survival and then we'd have a game where you're just cleaning up after that big battle. We wanted to make it a more personal story." %Gallery-130531%
Epic hiring for 'new unannounced IP'
If you're an experienced gameplay programmer with strong C++ skills and a history with Unreal Engine, Epic wants you to work on Gears of War 3. They also want to tease the entire human population of the universe by mentioning a "new unannounced IP" in the same want-ad, which could be literally anything. The possibilities are endless; that's why a secret new IP is always such an exciting thing. Without an existing universe restricting their creativity, Epic's designers are free to follow their whimsy. If we may be so bold as to make a suggestion, Epic, how about a point-and-click rhythm-adventure game set in an alternate future-history, where mathletes compete in life-or-death tournaments to decide the fate of nations? Or, alternatively, a twin-stick puzzle-racer about an army of genetically engineered Marmadukes?
Epic on Gears of War 3 leak: 'saddening' and 'frustrating'
As you might imagine, Epic Games wasn't exactly thrilled when an unfinished version of Gears of War 3 leaked onto torrent sites early last month. Executive producer Rod Fergusson told Edge in a recent interview that the breach was "saddening" and "frustrating," mostly because some fans were choosing to "ruin their own experience" before the full game's launch. Fergusson specifically called out folks who shared video of the leaked game online, adding, "I get people going, 'oh no, I just watched this thing on YouTube and it's totally given away something'. And I go, 'well, why did you go looking and why did you watch it?" Probably the same reason why we can't stop going to Nicolas Cage movies: We can't not watch them, despite the fact that they're pretty harmful to the human psyche.
Ice-T dropping new Gears of War 3 track tonight on G4 [update: And here it is!)
Music legend and adroit crime-solver Ice-T is a man of many, many talents, as evidenced by the very first part of this sentence, during which we explained that he is a music legend who solves crimes. Need further proof, for some inexplicable reason? The beverage-named gentleman, alongside his temporarily reunited musical outfit Body Count, will debut his newest music video on tonight's episode of X-Play: "Horde 2.0: Five Against All," a song inspired by Gears of War 3, which also features Ice-T's voice acting talents. We'll try to grab the video once it airs tonight on G4TV at 6:30 p.m. ET. Until then, we'll work tirelessly to corroborate these rumors that Ice-T did some of the programming on the fifth level of Gears 3, and also wrote a good hundred or so pages of the game's script. Update: Find the, uh, "music video" after the break.
Scratch one grub (card)! Gears of War board game headed to retail
Remember back in April when you were enjoying the Gears of War 3 beta, chainsawing through a locust's face, and your buddy was all, "Wouldn't this be great if it were a board game instead?" We've been meaning to ask -- does your buddy work for Fantasy Flight Games? Oh, he does? That makes a lot more sense, because his company is totally making a board game based on the Gears of War series. "Gears of War: The Board Game" will arrive in August -- the 31st, claims Amazon -- for $80, but we'd be doing you a sincere injustice to go into any more detail. Instead, we'd like to refer you to the video above, which features a sandpaper-throated gentleman detailing the game in a very serious manner. Enjoy. [Thanks Josh!]
Gears of War 3 behind-the-scenes video (Or, 'the giant curb stomp')
There are two approaches to viewing the Gears of War 3 "Crescendo" video. Option one: appreciate all of Epic's insight on the development and story of the final Gears chapter. Option 2: just drink in the spectacle – like a mech curb-stomping a fallen foe. So, yeah, you're probably going with option two.
Casual Mode returns in Gears of War 3, brings Casual Multiplayer along for the ride
The deluge of news from Comic-Con continues to, uhm, luge, even as the convention's end draws closer and closer. Game Informer reports that Epic's forthcoming Gears of War 3 will continue the series' tradition of offering an aim-assisted Casual Mode for players who aren't well versed in the delicate art of chainsaw sculpting. This time around, new players will also be able to sharpen their skills in their own dedicated multiplayer channels. According to USA Today, players who have played Gears online previously, or participated in the Gears 3 beta will be unable to join Casual multi. That seems like overkill -- the honor system would be enough, in our opinions. After all, the Internet has a long and storied history of shepherding and tenderly caring for its newcomers.
Gears of War 3 rating in Germany 'pleasantly shocked' Epic president
Epic Games president Mike Capps says he and the company were just as surprised as anyone else when Gears of War 3 obtained a classification in Germany. Last week, Gears of War 3 received an "18" rating from the German USK, making it the first Gears not to be indexed in the region. "I wish I could give you a list, because then I could tell you I wasn't shocked when I heard we didn't get indexed. I was very much surprised, I'll admit," Capps told us when we asked what changes Epic had made to the franchise formula to get the game rated. "To me, Gears 3 is not just more of Gears 2, but tons more. ... It doesn't immediately strike me as something easier to pass through. It's not a modified version there. We have a "no gore" filter, but we've had that for Gears. We didn't do anything special for Germany this time." Capps is, of course, happy that Epic can finally bring its biggest series to Germany. He told us the country was the developer's "second biggest support center for Epic products," and that Unreal Tournament was huge there. He also mentioned that several members of the company's staff at the Raleigh studio are from Germany, including their engine lead. So, is there any chance of Gears of War 1 and 2, perhaps in their Triple Pack format, being resubmitted for approval in Germany? "That's a fantastic idea." Capps said enthusiastically. "We didn't try to submit it at all. I don't think anyone thought to. We'll give it a shot."
Mad Catz announces a set of Gears of War 3 headsets
Did you miss the Mad Catz Throat Communicator? It's coming back, though this time your throat will be saying what's on its mind through a Gears of War 3-branded mic instead of one bearing the Modern Warfare 2 logo. In addition to laryngeal accoutrements, Mad Catz will also offer Gears-branded accessories for your ears this holiday season, in the form of a "Performance Stereo Headset" and a "Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset." All three are available for pre-order from Mad Catz's online store, and all three have skulls on them.
Mad Catz gears up for Gears of War with branded audio gear... gear.
When Gears of War 3 lands in September you'll be able to pick yourself up a special edition Xbox 360. If you've already got an Xbox though, you don't have to skip out on the branded accessories game completely. Mad Catz has you covered with a trio licensed goodies, including a throat communicator, a stereo gaming headset and a 7.1 surround sound headset all decked out in the iconic blood-red and black of the franchise. The special edition of the surround sound set (above) is actually just a slightly updated version of the company's Tritton AX720 headgear with a new decoder box and an extra two channels of sound. Those who want to shout at their opponents without donning bulky ear-wear will likely gravitate towards the throat communicator. All three will launch alongside GOW3 on September 20 for $30, $100, and $180 respectively. You can pre-order now at the more coverage link but, before you go, there's a pair of pics and some PR after the break.
Gears of War 3 classified in Germany without edits
Gears of War 3 received a rating of "18" from the USK in Germany, making it the first Gears of War title not to be indexed in the region. Indexing is done by the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (BPjM) and doesn't outright ban a product, but essentially treats it like porn with restrictions. The USK did submit Gears of War 3 as a "case of doubt" to the BPjM, but the title received the all-clear. The harsher restrictions in Germany prompt many games that feature violence prominently to submit a toned down ("censored") version, in the hopes of getting a rating. Eurogamer Germany reports that this is not the case with Gears of War 3, which is "definitely uncut." Joystiq also received the following statement from Microsoft: "While we can't comment on the ratings process or the subjective content standards of the USK, we can say the rating was determined following a detailed review of the game, and that the content of the German version of Gears of War 3 has not been modified from the original with the exception of a full German language localization." A representative for the USK tells Joystiq that Gears 3 "has a different feel to it than its predecessors," and that the arguments used to index the first two games didn't hold up. Update: Added official Microsoft statement. [Thanks, Timo]
Leak Alert: Gears of War 3 emerges on torrent sites [Updated]
An unfinished developer build of Gears of War 3 has been leaked online, according to NeoGAF and supported by YouTube footage, including the above video showing a "Beta" Gears of War 3 loading screen and campaign footage. The leak is a JTAG version of Gears 3, meaning it will only play on specially modded or dev-kit Xbox 360s. These are commonly difficult to come by, but just because you can't run the leaked code (you can't, right?) doesn't mean other, far less scrupulous people aren't capable. YouTube and video-streaming sites will most likely contain early videos of the game, so shoot your computer screen now if you don't want to see 'em. We've reached out to Epic Games for comment on if, and how, this will affect Gears of War 3's development and release. Update: Dana Cowley sent us a joint statement from Epic and Microsoft about the leak: "We have seen the reports of Gears of War 3 content being propped on the Web and working closely with our security teams and law enforcement to address the situation. This content is not from a final build and is not representative of what fans will enjoy when the game launches worldwide on September 20, 2011." We have removed the embedded video at Epic's request.
Encase your Xbox 360 in a vault, win a suit of Gears 3 armor
Calibur11 has announced the coming arrival of its custom Xbox 360 Gears of War 3 "Bleed Out" vault. Pictured above, the vault features a controller cradle, grim graphics and an illuminated "Crimson Omen" icon. The icon will actually interact with Gears of War 3, glowing red whenever players are downed within the game (to which you should be paying more attention). Presumably to convince people that it's a good idea to encase their Xbox 360 in plastic, each vault will also include a chance to win a life-size suit of COG armor (pictured here). Retailing for $90, the vault will be available when Gears of War 3 launches later this year.
Gears of War 3 grants extra goodies to previous Gears players
If you got yourself a golden Lancer or Hammerburst (or both) in Gears of War 2, worry not about your bling when Gears of War 3 launches on September 20 -- they'll transfer over, Epic producer Rod Fergusson told MTV Multiplayer. Other unlockables tied to older Gears of War games will mainly revolve around Achievements. "If you did something in Gears PC you get a chrome skin, if you did something in Gears 2 you get a chrome skin. The chrome set is sort of our thank you to people who played our games in the past." Fergusson also hinted at an incentive for those who've hit level 100 and unlocked the Veteran Gear Achievement in Gears 2, though he wouldn't provide exact details on what having that Achievement would mean in Gears 3. Better get cracking if you're looking to get that "Seriously" Achievement in the original Gears of War!
Gears of War 3's Anya briefs us on Horde 2.0
While we've already said our two pennies' worth on the revamped Horde mode in Gears of War 3, some of you may appreciate having actual pictures to look at, as opposed to those mental pictures we try to paint with words. And this video is, like, a ton of pictures -- moving ones, at that!
Bleszinski would 'love' to make a Kinect game
Even though nothing's come of that Kinect-compatible Gears of War rumor, it doesn't mean Bleszinski isn't open to devloping with Microsoft's peripheral in mind. He told IndustryGamers that while he'd like to give it a go, it's really an issue of time and money. Isn't that always the case? "If I had unlimited amounts of time and a team I could sit down and make a cool Kinect game, and I would love to, but it's a matter of time and opportunity costs right now," he said. While we knew long ago there wouldn't be any Kinect functionality in Gears of War 3, we fully expect something down the line. As one of Microsoft's most successful franchises on Xbox, we wouldn't count the series out after the release of its third game this September. But as of right now, there isn't any indication to suggest that a Kinect-compatible Gears is more than just a brilliant idea bouncing around the internet's collective noggin.
Gears of War 3 single-player preview: Two paths coming together
During Microsoft's E3 2011 press conference, Cliff Bleszinski and Ice-T took to the stage to show off some single-player co-op action in Gears of War 3. In a small room high above Microsoft's booth here at the LA Convention Center, I was given an extended look at that sequence by Bleszinski himself, who was keen to show me the destructive capabilities of the mech, which I would ultimately get to see more of in my time with Horde mode. As you can imagine, the Silverback mech is pretty powerful. But before we could get to that, Bleszinski set the scene. "The section we saw at the press conference showed Marcus and Dom on a flotilla, dealing with a Lambent Leviathan. It's ultimately taken out by them in a Silverback while Cole and Baird up above take a giant crate of Tickers and empty it onto it. Once we're done with Marcus and Dom, we're going to swap over to Cole and Baird and play with them during that same sequence." %Gallery-125877%
Gears of War 3 Horde mode preview: Cash, challenge waves and boss battles, oh my!
Epic has been waiting to reveal Horde mode for Gears of War 3 for quite some time. I was able to go through two different sessions, ten waves a piece, each putting me Lancer-to-face with some of the Locust horde's toughest enemies. Make no mistake: some of the tougher nasties from Gears of War 2 make a return, but now COG soldiers have to take down Berserkers and immulsion-infected Lambent Locust, too. But that's not the biggest change. Horde mode is now held up by a cash system. Players earn skrilla by killing enemies and surviving waves. Cash goes into everything: ammo, new guns (save for the ones picked up from dead enemies, of course), barriers, decoys, turrets and the Silverback, a bipedal mech sporting dual chainguns and some rocket launchers (it was shown during the Microsoft E3 2011 press conference). Cash can also resurrect players, and can be shared with all teammates via a handy chest. %Gallery-125799%
