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Gears of War 3 emerges on September 20
Start saving your cash and begin building up your mental tolerance for gore. Microsoft just announced that Gears of War 3 will be released worldwide on September 20. If your calendar isn't at hand, don't worry about marking the date -- we're quite certain Microsoft will spend more than the GDP of some countries on Gears advertising. Later this summer, you won't be able to not see the Gears of War 3 date. In the meantime there's Bulletstorm, which serves both as a way to build up that mental tolerance and as a delivery system for the upcoming Gears 3 beta.
PSA: Bulletstorm disc required for Gears of War 3 beta access
Tomorrow (or midnight tonight, depending on your level of enthusiasm), Bulletstorm will launch across the country. For a select group of Xbox 360 owners, this purchase will be partially driven by the desire to play Gears of War 3 early -- specifically, the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta that's included with Bulletstorm's "Epic Edition." Epic's Rod Fergusson warned Twitter users that a code alone wouldn't secure early entry in the multiplayer beta. Entering the code actually adds an option to Bulletstorm's main menu, which will grant access to the multiplayer beta when it becomes available. Just like Crackdown hosted the Halo 3 beta, the Bulletstorm disc is needed to play the Gears 3 beta. While we're on the topic, Fergusson has also promised more news on the multiplayer beta will be available later this week. Keep your eyes on the 'Stiq for it.
Killzone 3 & other pre-orders net $20 credit on Amazon
The frugal folks at Thrifty Nerd have informed Joystiq that Amazon has upgraded some of its pre-order deals; specifically, pre-ordering Bulletstorm, Top Spin 4 or Killzone 3 will now snag you a $20 credit instead of $10. The credit will be applied to all Bulletstorm pre-orders regardless of when they were placed, so don't worry if you pre-ordered before the deal went into effect. Thrifty Nerd notes further that both Gears of War 3 and FEAR 3 pre-orders are good for a $20 credit, and there are a number of $10 credits available as well. Check out Thrifty Nerd's pre-order credits page for all the deals.
Mad Catz to produce Gears of War 3 accessories for Xbox 360
Mad Catz has announced an agreement with Epic Games allowing the peripheral company to produce Gears of War 3 branded accessories for Xbox 360. Gear of Gears of War, if you will. The accessories, planned for release this holiday season alongside the game, include "specialty controllers, headphones" and other unspecified peripherals. Unfortunately, the company has yet to release images, so for now you'll just have to imagine, like, a totally manly headset, and an Xbox controller from which Marcus Fenix's face grimaces at you. Mad Catz and Epic previously partnered on carrying cases and "skinz" for Gears of War and Gears of War 2.
Gears of War 3 multiplayer footage appears in UNC news report
The UNCTV report posted after the jump is noteworthy for two reasons: First, it shows off a bunch of Gears of War 3 multiplayer during a tour of Epic Games' HQ. Second, it's a mainstream news report about video games that isn't awkward and condescending enough to peel the flesh off your bones.
Gears of War 3 maps will be brighter, thanks to Gears 2 data
Gears of War 3 senior gameplay designer, Lee Perry, has revealed a surprising trend in the gameplay habits of Gears-heads. He told OXM UK that the most-played Gears 2 maps have one thing in common: They're bright. "You can almost rank how much [maps are] played by how bright they are," Perry told OXM. "The darker, dreary, more depressing maps tend to be on the bottom." Hmm, maybe if they weren't so dreary or depressing? Perry said this knowledge has served Epic well in developing next April's holiday's Gears 3. The third installment sports a new lighting model, which has helped in the creation of brighter maps. "Even the maps that are 'dark,' they're 'movie dark,'" he explained. "It just means they're more blue than dark." You know, blue can still be pretty darned dreary and depressing -- just saying! Additionally, comments from lead multiplayer level designer Jim Brown suggest Gears 3 might rethink how it presents downloadable maps to users. The Gears of War 2 Flashback map pack, bundled with all new copies of that game at launch, was downloaded by less than 30 percent of the people who played the game -- a figure that puzzles Brown. "It was free, in the box, they just never bothered to do it," he said. "Is it a matter of accessibility? Is it people don't like typing in a 16-digit code? What's the reason?" We'll posit that it was actually because most people never took the manual out of the case.
Gears of War 3 to include 'special unlocks' referencing other Epic games
Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski has tweeted that Gears of War 3 will feature some "special unlocks" for fans of other games the company has had a hand in, including Unreal Tournament 3, the upcoming Bulletstorm and Chair Entertainment's Shadow Complex. Don't worry if you don't happen to own one of those, though, as Epic tells Joystiq directly that Bleszinski was talking about "unlockable content" for everyone rather than something specifically for owners of those other games. "Everybody gets the content," we were told, but "those 'in the know' will just 'get it.'" As in "get a little more excitement out of it," because Epic fans will understand the references. In fact, Epic even added one more title to the list of references that the third Gears of War game will make: its iOS hit Infinity Blade. And if you don't know your God King from your Jason Flemming, or what an Impact Hammer is, then you've got plenty of time to find out before Gears 3 debuts later on in 2011.
Bulletstorm 'Epic Edition' includes Gears of War 3 beta early access
Not sure how you feel about the we-hope-it's-satire taste level in Epic's Bulletstorm? Allow us to help you make peace with the shooter: Buying the newly-announced "Epic Edition" for Xbox 360 will grant you early access to a Gears of War 3 beta. Yum yum beta juice. The beta is scheduled to begin sometime this year. Bulletstorm is still on for February 22. The limited-run, 360-exclusive Epic Edition will retail for the same $60 price as the standard edition and includes in-game extras in addition to that all-important beta access -- like 25,000 bonus experience points, "visual upgrades" for your leash, new boots and armor, and the "Peace Maker Carbine."
No Kinect in Gears of War 3, Bleszinski assures
Cliff Bleszinski has curb-stomped the rumor of Kinect functionality appearing in Gears of War 3. Responding to a report by IGN that suggested motion-control features would emerge in a Gears of War game, the Epic Games developer said on his Twitter: "No Kinect in Gears of War 3." The IGN piece did leave some wiggle room for itself, noting that it "cannot clarify whether or not this is an all-new Gears of War for Kinect or if it's an existing Gears of War game, retro-fitted for the camera controller." The reveal will apparently be made at the Spike TV Video Games Awards. Master of WORLD EXCLUSIVES, Geoff Keighley, has already started to hype the show's "world premiere announcements," teasing two earlier reveals set for Wednesday. If Microsoft wants to combine Gears of War with some optional Kinect functionality, it seems like a perfectly reasonable way to get more core gamers interested in the peripheral, which is a little too family friendly with its catalog at the moment. However, if we don't get a Tickle-Me Dominic™ minigame, we'll consider any Kinect/Gears crossover a failure.
See Gears of War 3's murders and executions
Epic dished out some footage of the various new executions in Gears of War 3's updated multiplayer mode. Since you won't get to try out the new murder techniques until next year, we've put together this video to give you a taste. So what are you waiting for? Mantle on past the break and check it out! %Gallery-104480%
Gears of War 3 multiplayer preview: In the Trenches
While you will have to wait an extra five months to get the full version of Gears of War 3 at retail, Epic Games is offering up a concession in the form of a free multiplayer public beta. You'll be able to check out the new multiplayer well before the game ships, although Epic has not released the exact date yet. And the extra development time will allow the developer to take full advantage of feedback from players and implement that information into the final version of the game. "A big part of what we're trying to do is embrace the different play styles that people have, so this public beta is going to be a very big chance for us to throw it out in the wild and see how well we've met the needs of what players want in order to use different tactics," said Lee Perry, senior gameplay designer, Epic Games. Epic held an open house, showing off its newly expanded digs in Cary, North Carolina and offering a first taste and hands-on gameplay with a trio of multiplayer maps – Checkout, Trenches and Overpass. Each map showcases a different aspect of gameplay strategy: Checkout is set inside a large market; Trenches is a map focused on trench warfare that has a large hill at its central point that leads to a very powerful sniper position; Overpass is a section of street with buildings on one side and a bus stop on the other with a large overpass dividing the two sides of the road. %Gallery-104482%
Gears of War 3 gains multiplayer beta in 2011 'featuring dedicated servers'
Who said delays weren't good for something? In an effort to fill the intervening months between Gears of War 3's one-time April 2011 release and its new "holiday season" 2011 release, publisher Microsoft issued the following terse announcement: "We plan to host a public multiplayer beta for Gears of War 3 in 2011 featuring dedicated servers." With all that extra development time between release and the beta, Epic should be able to implement feedback from gamers into the final boxed product. We don't have many other details regarding the beta, but we do have a preview of the game's multiplayer component, in which lead level designer Jim Brown told us that dedicated servers should level the playing field for gamers and help the dev circumvent the issues Gears of War 2 experienced at launch.
Gears of War 3 bumped from April 2011 to 'holiday season' next year
It's begun. As was the case earlier this year, next year's Spring lineup is densely packed with high-profile games. As such, the inevitable migration to the holiday season begins with Microsoft's announcement that Gears of War 3 – one third of its blockbuster trifecta at this year's E3 – will be relocated from its already announced April 5, 2011 release to later in the year. "The teams at Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games have done great work thus far readying the title for release in the Spring of 2011," a statement released by Microsoft said. "However, we've elected to move the launch of Gears of War 3 until Fall 2011 to make it the marquee title for the holiday season." The move is ostensibly designed to better position the third installment in the pachydude simulator and, we imagine, pad out Microsoft's holiday 2011 releases. That doesn't leave a lot of room for E3 surprises if Gears 3 is the Xbox's "marquee title" for the 2011 holiday season. No bother, we're still holding out for that Blinx: The Time Sweeper HD update.
Gears of War 3's 'Fate of Carmine' campaign raises $150K for Child's Play
The fate of Gears of War 3's Clayton Carmine is sealed. Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski and Rod Fergusson wouldn't reveal what fate would ultimately befall the latest Carmine, but announced that the "Fate of Carmine" campaign has raised $150,000 for Child's Play. Although the promotion/charity event ended September 1, it appears that the shirts are still available for purchase (SAVE CARMINE Male, Female / CARMINE MUST DIE Male, Female) on the Xbox Marketplace. We're sure that buying the apparel now won't affect Clayton's chance at survival, but it's unclear if the proceeds still go to charity -- we're following up with Microsoft. Update: The shirts should no longer be available, therefore the whole promotion is over. %Gallery-97904%
Gears of War: Anvil Gate novel dropping August 31
Are you curious about the events that transpired between Gears of War 2 and the upcoming Gears of War 3? Apparently, there were enough to fill up an entire novel -- the recently announced Gears of War: Anvil Gate. The book, which focuses on a Locust attack on the titular settlement of Anvil Gate following the previous game in the series, was penned by prolific Gears scribe Karen Traviss. Gears of War: Anvil Gate will arrive in bookstores on August 31, which should give you plenty of time to study up before Gears the Third comes out. Unless you're like, the slowest reader ever. In which case, you should go to bed, dude. It's already tomorrow.
Gears of War 3 Carmine watch: He just might live
Gears of War fans, we were wrong about you. A few weeks ago, Epic announced that fans would decide the fate of the latest Carmine in Gears of War 3. Here we were, assuming that all the chainsaw-loving Locust killers out there were ready to send another Carmine to his death, and now Epic reports that the majority of fans have voted for him to live. So far. You see, voting is still open until Thursday, September 2, and apparently the race is still tight. As Epic notes, there's still time for all you procrastinating sadists to cast a vote by picking up a "Carmine Must Die" Avatar shirt on Xbox Live, or by purchasing a real one for yourself. Alternately, proactive peace-lovers can keep on snagging "Save Carmine" Avatar shirts, or their real-life counterparts. Remember, all the proceeds go to Child's Play, so there's no need to feel bad about toying with Carmine's life. Xbox.com: Add Save Carmine Tee (male) to your Xbox 360 download queue ($1.00) Xbox.com: Add Save Carmine Tee (female) to your Xbox 360 download queue ($1.00) Xbox.com: Add Carmine Must Die Tee (male) to your Xbox 360 download queue ($1.00) Xbox.com: Add Carmine Must Die Tee (femaie) to your Xbox 360 download queue ($1.00)
PSA: Gears of War 3 Carmine gear now available
The Gears of War 3 Avatar shirts that will determine the fate of Clayton Carmine are now available on the Xbox Marketplace for 80 MS points ($1), with proceeds being donated to Child's Play. We know that Gears Executive Producer Rod Fergusson wants another Carmine stuffed over some locust mantel, but we hope you'll think of Mama Carmine when making your purchase. Those who couldn't care less about the fate of another bullet-magnet Carmine meat shield, but still want to donate to Child's Play, can do it directly on the charity's site. Also, in retrospect, we wish Epic had done something like this for Dom's interpretation of "till death do you part" in Gears 2. Links to queue up the Carmine shirt DLC can be found after the breaks. %Gallery-97904%
See how the other half lives in Gears of War 3 'Beast Mode' footage
We didn't think there was anything slower in the whole, entire universe than one of Gears of War 3's lumbering, impossibly muscle-bound protagonists. We were wrong -- as evidenced by the two GameTrailers videos posted after the break, that honor goes to the new Beast Mode's "Berserker" character.
North Carolina to provide tax breaks for game companies
North Carolina is going to provide some epic tax breaks to video game developers. According to the ESA, a bill signed by Governor Beverly Perdue will provide a 15 percent tax credit on "wages and compensation for employees involved in digital media production, or the creation of a platform or engine to run such media." Of course, the big winner here is North Carolina-based Epic Games, which swims in a lake of Unreal Engine money and develops games in its spare time. However, other benefactors of the tax breaks include Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and another dozen or so developers in the state. The incentives take effect January 1, 2011. Publishers, developers and governments use tax breaks like Ezio wields the hidden blade. It's a weapon, either for financial defense (which seems to be the case in North Carolina) or aggression. With Canada's relentless siren call of tax incentives, if other countries and states don't step up their game, The Great White North will continue its Tim Hortons-fueled march to eventually developing most of the world's video games.
Gears of War 3 producer wants Carmine dead
Rod Fergusson is the executive producer of Gears of War 3, and he wants Clayton Carmine to die. He wore a "Carmine Must Die" t-shirt at Microsoft's Comic-Con party last night, casting his vote for the fate of the third Carmine brother, but he's willing to leave the decision up to the fans: "They kept saying, 'How can you be so mean,' and 'What about Mrs. Carmine,' and 'What's that like [losing her sons]' -- all this stuff," he told us at the event. "And so we're like, let's just question them and see what they want." Fergusson also shared a few development updates, relaying the most difficult part about designing the new Beast Mode: getting all of the playable beasts to control as solidly as Gears and Locust characters. "Just making sure the camera works from a Ticker to a Serapede to a Berserker," he explained, "just refining the technical ways of making people feel like they have control and that they're grounded in the character." It's not so much about balancing the beasts, though -- Epic wants these creatures to feel powerful, so "even if it's overbalanced a little towards the monsters, that's cool. We want to make players feel successful." Thankfully, some development components have gone down smooth. "Ice-T is kicking it as Griffin," Fergusson reconfirmed. "We recorded it this week remote from New York ... Ice is doing a great, great job -- we wanted him to be him somewhat, but he's just bringing that character to life for us. It's really fun working with him on that stuff."
