Epic Games has crafted a classic franchise and this piece of news seems to affirm the same. As the upcoming installment’s beta kicked off to extend a glimpse of the in-game world, the developer has accomplished a new achievement. Microsoft and Epic Games recently disclosed that they have received more than one million Gears of War 3 pre-orders.
Touted to be the fastest pre-ordered Xbox 360 exclusive title, these tall figures are said to display the saga’s strength in the realm. This show of solidarity by fans in support of Marcus Fenix and other COG soldiers has been looked upon as a ‘final stand’ against the dangerous Locusts hordes.
“An overwhelming success – we can’t thank the fans enough,” remarked Epic Games Design Director Cliff Bleszinski. “While the beta was a fun way to give players an early taste of our game, it also provided us with invaluable feedback to help us refine and polish ‘Gears of War 3’ to ensure it’s truly the culmination of the trilogy we promised to the fans.”
The recently held beta seems to have offered the developer and publisher a reason to beam as well. The public multiplayer beta registered over 1.29 million fans from across 123 countries. It has been stated that participants of this beta logged into the system to immerse in more than 249 years worth gameplay on the Xbox Live.
Revelations further indicate that during the four week period of the multiplayer beta, 11 million matches were played. The system has also recorded over 927 million kills and 131 million executions. Besides, gamers have managed to earn 460 million ribbons and 294 million medals. In addition, the data suggests that about 234 thousand players have obtained the rights to employ the exclusive Gold Retro Lancer in the retail game via this beta.
Gears of War 3 has been slated for a September 20, 2011 release. It will be available in three editions namely Standard, Limited and Epic at 49.99 GBP (approx. Rs. 3,636), 59.99 GBP (approx. Rs. 4,363) and 99.99 GBP (approx. Rs. 7,273).