14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that Gears of War 3, the third game in the cover-based shooter created by Epic Games, is set to be launched early in April 2011, with an announcement coming from the developer and the publisher, probably Microsoft, on April 8. The information is from an inside source that works for a well known United States publisher and asked for their identity to be kept secret.
The source talked to gaming magazine Edge and mentioned that a full reveal of the title was slated for this year's E3 trade show, where the Microsoft presentation will be centered around it.
Apparently, Epic Games could actually finish up development on the game this year and have it out by Christmas but the software giant is keen on making sure that the fall release space is cleared for Halo: Reach, the Bungie-made Xbox 360 exclusive, which will serve as a prequel to the series, and for the launch of the motion tracking Project Natal.
As always, Microsoft has responded to the report by saying in a statement that it “does not comment on rumour and speculation.” But the rumor seems to be corroborated by a statement from Mark Rein, vice president at Epic Games, who said that this year, his company would be focusing on the Unreal engine and its development, with the focus on a new release returning in 2011.
The first Gears of War was launched on the Xbox 360 in 2006 and was one of the first games to power the rise of the console. It arrived on the PC, complete with new content, one year later. Gears of War 2 was only outed for the Xbox 360 in 2008 and has managed to sell more than 5 million copies worldwide. Gears of War 3 will likely see even bigger sales.