Gears of War 2 is launching globally this Friday (November 7) at 12:01 am and Microsoft is expecting huge returns. The company sent word today that it's going to make the game available at a whopping 20,000 retail locations in 20 different countries. Analyst Jesse Divnich of EEDAR recently predicted that Gears of War 2 would be the single best selling SKU of the entire holiday season. Microsoft believes this as well, noting that the title is "poised to be the top entertainment premiere" this holiday.
"Each holiday season in this current console generation, Xbox 360 has led the industry with the best lineup of blockbuster video games, and we are poised to lead the charge again in 2008 with Gears of War 2," said Phil Spencer, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. "Holding the title of fastest-selling video game of 2006, Gears of War has sold more than 5 million units to date, and this next chapter in the franchise will raise the bar yet again."
More than 10,000 of the 20,000 retail locations will be in the U.S. These retailers all plan to open their doors at 12:01 am local time to kick off the massive launch. Additionally, there will be Midnight Mayhem flagship events in Los Angeles, New York City and Bellevue, Washington, where attendees will have a chance to win limited edition Gears of War 2 Xbox 360 hardware and other prizes; they'll also have an opportunity to receive autographed copies of the game and meet the creators from Epic Games. Fans who attend a Midnight Mayhem event and purchase Gears of War 2 will also receive an exclusive Xbox Live token to download an in-game, gold-plated Hammerburst for use during multiplayer gameplay. More information on the retail locations and scheduled events is available at gearsofwar.com.
Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski, who previously said that Gears 2 is Epic's best work yet, commented, "Epic's goal was to create an emotionally engaging experience that will not only satisfy core gamers, but also attract new players who want to experience something akin to watching a heart-pounding movie that draws you in and doesn't let you go until the very end. With Gears of War 2, we're taking storytelling in the Gears universe to places it's never been before, and we hope it'll deeply connect with everyone playing the game alone or with friends."
Gears of War 2 Gallery
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 1 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 2 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 3 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 4 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 5 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 6 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 7 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 8 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 9 of 36)
Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. (Screenshot 10 of 36)
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