“Gears of War 3” Soars Past Three Million in First Week Sales, Propels Franchise Beyond $1 Billion
Blockbuster finale to the award-winning trilogy becomes the biggest game of 2011
The most anticipated video game of the year arrived last week with the worldwide launch of “Gears of War 3.” Following more than 22,000 midnight madness launch events, Microsoft and Epic Games today announced that the Xbox 360 exclusive sold more than three million copies in its first week since release, cementing “Gears 3” as the biggest game of 2011 and catapulting the franchise beyond one billion dollars in lifetime sales.
In just one week, “Gears 3” has already grossed more than any 2011 video game to date. In addition to topping this year’s sales charts, the “Gears of War” franchise joins the elite ranks of only a select few game franchises to surpass one billion dollars in lifetime sales. Taking the milestone even further, “Gears” now stands as the first Xbox 360-exclusive franchise introduced this console generation to eclipse the billion dollar milestone.
“‘Gears of War’ was the first killer app for Xbox 360, and the series has continued to contribute directly to the overall success of the platform ever since,” said Microsoft Corporate Vice President Phil Spencer. “‘Gears of War 3’ kicked off the biggest holiday in Xbox history with a bang last week, setting the standard for the kinds of amazing, action-packed experiences gamers should expect on Xbox 360 this year.”
Game modes like Beast and Horde 2.0, along with the addition of dedicated servers, has driven more than three million unique users to log into Xbox LIVE to play Gears of War 3 to date. Hailed by critics as a “triumph” 1 and a “masterpiece of exciting gameplay and emotional storytelling,” 2 “Gears of War 3” has already garnered more than 50 perfect review scores and become the highest-rated Xbox 360 exclusive of the year. 3
Developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Epic Games, “Gears of War 3” is available worldwide in three distinct editions – Standard ($59.99 USD), Limited ($79.99) and Epic ($149.99). For a limited time only, the custom-designed Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Gears of War 3” Console is also available worldwide for a suggested retail price of $399.99 USD, and features a copy of the game, two specially-designed Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers, limited edition downloadable content, built-in Wi-Fi and a massive 320 GB hard drive. The Limited Edition Wireless Controller is also available separately for a suggested retail price of $59.99 USD. For additional details on the game, custom console and controller, please visit: http://gearsofwar.xbox.com.
About Unreal Engine 3
Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for its cutting-edge graphics, best-of-breed tools and scalability across multiple platforms. Unreal Engine 3’s highly mature toolset and content pipeline consistently evolve along with its advanced mobile features, multi-core processor support, optimizations for numerous platforms and massive world support. Unreal Engine 3 is designed to accelerate developers’ productivity for computer and video games, mobile games and applications, training simulations, 3D visualizations, digital films and animated entertainment. Integrated with two dozen leading middleware technologies, Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 technology awards. Additional information on Unreal Engine 3 can be obtained at http://www.unrealengine.com.
About Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its “Unreal” series, including “Unreal Tournament 3” for PC, PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®. The first two games in Epic’s “Gears of War” franchise have sold more than 13 million copies and won more than 50 game of the year awards. The third installment, “Gears of War 3,” sold more than 3 million copies within its first week of release, catapulting the franchise beyond $1 billion in lifetime sales. Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 industry technology awards and powers many bestselling games. Additional information about Epic can be obtained at http://www.epicgames.com.
Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War, Gears of War 3, Unreal, Unreal Development Kit, UDK, Unreal Engine, UE3, and Unreal Tournament are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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