All Articles: Gears of War 3

Microsoft has drawn first blood in the cutthroat competition for “biggest game of the fall” by announcing that Gears of War 3 sold three million copies worldwide in its first week of availability. Available in three different (and pricey) packages, a $59.99 standard edition, a $79.99 Limited Edition and a $149.99 Epic Edition, Gears of War 3 has also pushed the franchise’s total monetary take past one billion dollars. That could buy a lot of chainsaws.

“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 Christmas period in Xbox history, setting the standard for the kind of amazing, action-packed experiences gamers should expect on Xbox 360 this year.”

Three million sounds pretty impressive until you remember that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will sell close to eleventyjillion copies.

Gears of War 3 is taking the L.A. Noire route, offering players the option to purchase a “Season Pass” instead of buying all the DLC separately. The season pass – which comes in at $30, or 2400 Microsoft Points – will save consumers 33% on the total cost of the content.

There will be four installments included in the pass, which will be available when the game launches on September 20. It will also include a special bonus – the “exclusive” Liquid Metal Weapon Set. The first DLC pack will launch in November.

I, for one, am actually into this idea. DLC is so ridiculously expensive initially and ends up dropping to nothing after I stop playing the game. Consider me incentivized.

Gears of War 3‘s September 20 release date is exactly a month away and Microsoft has unveiled the game’s cinematic. Taking its cues from a big budget Hollywood blockbuster, the game dishes out the storyline so far thanks to an audio diary being recorded by Anya Stroud.

It looks, in a word, epic.