14 DAY TRIAL // Video game developer Epic Games has announced that the beta stage for its third-person shooter Gears of War 3 has attracted 1.29 million players during the multiplayer-oriented beta stage, with players offering important feedback to the development team, some of which can be reflected in the final release of the title.
The beta stage attracted players from no less than 145 countries and more than 11 million multiplayer matches have been played, totaling about 249 years of play for those who have taken part.
Epic Games also says that 927 kills were made during the beta and that 23 billion bullets were fired in anger.
Cliff Bleszinski, who is the design director at Epic Games and the man behind the success of Gears of War, has said that the beta was a success for his team and that, “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.”
It also seems that the beta was effective in creating interest for Gears of War 3 among the player base, leading to more than 1 million pre-orders for the game all over the world, the biggest number ever seen for a Xbox 360 exclusive title.
Considering that the launch date of the game is set for September 20 of this year, there's enough time for that pre-order number to increase significantly, especially once Microsoft deploys its formidable marketing machine to support the Gears of War 3 launch.
Gears of War 3 is set to be the last game in the trilogy and will see the well-known cast and some new faces go up against a frightening new enemy.
The game will face tough competition from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and possibly Battlefield 3.