Emergence Day emerges as *gasp* Nov. 12
The reason viral gaming campaigns bug us is 'cause the hype never matches the delivery. Last Monday Epic's Mark Rein declared, with a theatrical wave of a rather ham-shaped hand, that there would in fact be a "BIG announcement coming next week." At the same time, in another corner of the gamerverse, XBL gamertags using the fictitious names of fictitious characters pleaded with eager (or disinterested) gamers, "We need your help. Can't talk now. Don't know who to trust. Will send more tomorrow."
Codes were delivered, codes were broken, retail sites were apparently updated a little too early and now, on Thursday of the foretold "next week," we know the truth: Gears of War is coming out this fall ... specifically, November 12th! And gone is the Microsoft-published pricepoint of $49.99. This fall, $59.99 (with $69.99 special edition, natch) is the new $49.99. Yay?
You see? It's just not that exciting. We already knew it was coming out this fall and educated guesses would have pegged November, just prior to the Nov. 17th PS3 launch, as a likely candidate. And announcing a higher than expected price isn't usually received very well (just ask Sony). Then again, maybe this isn't the BIG announcement. Maybe this is all part of a cleverly orchestrated plot by this guy to get our hopes up, dash them against the rocks like so many brains, and then, when we've hit bottom, throw a face melting Gears of War demo in our very melt-able, exceedingly cynical faces. Your move, Epic.
Emergence Day Revealed: Critically Acclaimed Xbox 360 Title "Gears of War" to Surface Nov. 12, 2006
Countdown begins for the most anticipated game of 2006 as gamers eagerly await the flagship title from Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games.
REDMOND, Wash. - Aug. 3, 2006 - Since the first frightening images appeared a little over a year ago, gamers worldwide have felt the ominous rumblings of something approaching that defies all convention. Sightings as recent as at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2006 have confirmed its existence, leaving gamers breathless. Microsoft Corp. today announced what anxious players have been eagerly awaiting: Emergence Day 2006. Available exclusively for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the highly anticipated title "Gears of War" will be available in North America on Nov. 12, 2006.
Developed by Epic Games Inc. and published by Microsoft Game Studios, "Gears of War" tells the harrowing story of mankind's struggle against the monstrous Locust Horde through stunning high-definition graphics and an intense storyline on the scale of a blockbuster movie.
One of the most anticipated next-generation console titles of 2006 and the critic's choice winner for the E3 2006 Best Console Game, "Gears of War" will explode onto store shelves with a standard edition available for $59.99* and a limited collector's edition available for $69.99. The limited edition will offer an even deeper look into the graphically stunning and frightening world of "Gears of War," providing an official "Destroyed Beauty" art book and a bonus DVD featuring an inside look at the making of the game - all enclosed in a highly collectible metal box.
"'Gears of War' represents the emergence of a thrilling new franchise for Xbox 360 and is the must-have game of 2006," said Shane Kim, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. "Combining the best in innovative gameplay, next-generation graphics and interactive storytelling, Epic has harnessed the extraordinary power of Xbox 360 to create an extremely powerful and immersive entertainment experience."
"Our vision is to deliver a one-two punch of cinematic action paired with a thrilling and compelling interactive experience," said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer at Epic. "With 'Gears of War' we've created a title that will place gamers directly in the shadows of a ravaged world, surrounded by the beautiful remnants of a destroyed city and the horrific dangers that hide in the rubble."
"Gears of War" thrusts gamers into humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. Blending the best of tactical action games with the best of survival horror titles, "Gears of War" features cinematic, beautifully rendered interactive environments with high-definition visuals.
Demand for the game is high as retailers anticipate the one-two punch of "Gears of War" and Xbox 360 appearing in quantity on store shelves this holiday season. "The interest and buzz on this game has been intense," said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop Corp. "Certainly gamers are counting the days until Emergence Day arrives, as pre-orders have been very strong."f
* Prices herein are estimated retail prices. Actual retail prices may vary.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MusashiX2 @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:02AM
like things ever live up to the hype, nevermind a company one-upping the hype....
Todd H. @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:08AM
I can't believe M'Soft is backing off the $49.99 price point, it's not like they've ever done anything like this before.
Todd
http://www.proxbox360.com
Zebra Danio @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:08AM
"most anticipated game of 2006"? That's odd. I thought that was Zelda. Maybe they should have said "most anticipated shooter of 2006."
Thomas Crymes @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:10AM
When did November become winter?
I didn't think winter actually started until late December.
I'd say late fall, but I don't think I could use the term winter until December at the earlies regardless what the calendar says.
pandlcg @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:12AM
winter officially starts Dec 21st
Dracula Jones @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:13AM
$60 is a bold move... perhaps foolish. They're banking on this being a system seller to compete with PS3 and Wii (and the launch lineup for both consoles) this holiday. I suppose they'd know better than I would, but $60 seems like it might lessen the impact this game has on the holiday console war.
Jason B @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:15AM
Thomas C, I thought the exact same thing. Actually the Winter solstice is arount Dec. 22 which is generally considered the first day of winter in the Northern hemisphere.
-jasonB
Jason W @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:18AM
Im getting use to the big buck price on games. I buy from play asia and Lik-sang. This game I will buy day one just because it looks so good.
Thomas Crymes @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:22AM
Considering GoW was at the top of most people's "Best of E3" list, I think it is fair to say it is the most anticipated game of 2006.
Zelda is a game that has a lot of people excited, and probably will be a fantastic game.
Where are the people decrying Nintendo for having a Game Cube game as one of Wii's launch titles? I mean if MS simultaneously released a title for both XBox and XBox360 where the 360 title was the same as the XBox game barring some XBox Live features, people would be up in arms. Nintendo does it and it's OK.
I don't get it. Or do I have my facts mixed up? The last I heard, the Wii Zelda was exactly the same as GC Zelda with Wiimote support.
Jason W @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:23AM
Anyone wanna be we are going to see a Halo 3 online Demo pop up right before the PS3 comes out?
MosquitoControl @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:23AM
Don't care.
Honestly. Why the hell should I care about a release date now? I'll care about it a week or two before it comes out. Now? All it tells me is that I need to wait longer.
This is one of my more anticipated games, but is a release date news? Not when it's three months out. It's really hard for me to give a damn about a game until it goes gold.
Tim Sonderman @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:28AM
Nov. 9th meant a lot to me when it was announced. I think GoW developers were epecting to get the kind of reaction that Bungie did when they announced the firm, real, not delayed, actual date.
LunarDuality @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:30AM
I imagine that the price point is a result of this being more of a 2nd party title...it's not an MS owned studio, but it's published by MS so it's really neither 1st or 3rd party.
Epic has to make their money I guess... (x_x)
DrJack @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:31AM
Wow... angry Thursday? Don't worry the weekend is almost here. I'm glad we have an official release date now. Do companies overhype these little things? Absolutely. But thats just life.
I for one think this game is one of the few that looks like it could be worth $60. Maybe even $70 if the collector's edition is more than an aluminum box and an extra dvd of how the made the game.
Levi @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:37AM
"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine"
PhoenixJ @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:37AM
@ Thomas Crymes:
What does Zelda or Nintendo have to do with anything in this post? Don't try to spark this into another stupid flame war.
Eric @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:49AM
Don't get your panties in a bunch, PhoenixJ, he was just responding to post #3 (but didn't explicitly say so).
soco @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:52AM
3. "most anticipated game of 2006"? That's odd. I thought that was Zelda. Maybe they should have said "most anticipated shooter of 2006."
i used to anticipate that game before it got delayed so much. i'd honestly forgot it was getting released this year until you brought it up, and was more looking forward to the DS version.
mxcl @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:52AM
I'll be buying it, it looks amazing.
I don't think I'll enjoy it much gameplay wise though, just graphically, but I hope to be proved wrong!
It looks like yet another shooter in many ways.
Jdoki @ Aug 3rd 2006 11:55AM
Maybe Epic are just taking a leaf from Sony's book.
High price MUST equal high quality dontcha know?!
SUPERGHOST @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:00PM
Good to see a release date. I venture to guess the game is done and is in testing as we speak. Launching when it is only to steal some of the competitions thunder and show the true power of the 360. Will it stop some people from buying competitors systems? No. It will show that the 360 is the system you SHOULD OWN.
JimmyHACK @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:06PM
pretty good time..
take a couple days to beat, then play online for a few days... way to kill time while waiting for ps3
Clint @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:08PM
I've never heard this game mentioned in the real world outside of the Xbots hear blabbing about it. It's really not going to do well at $60! I mean nobody's gonna have any money left! We're all saving up for the PS3 and the true next generation of games.
Les Doodis @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:08PM
3. "most anticipated game of 2006"? That's odd. I thought that was Zelda. Maybe they should have said "most anticipated shooter of 2006."
What did you expect them to say? "This is the most anticipated game of 2006, right behind the fantastic titles our competitors are releasing, that is."
Moogle @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:08PM
I imagine they're pretty confident it'll be a million + seller, and they're probably right. An extra $10 from each copy means an extra $10 million at least, right? In this case, I think someone's more likely to get fired for NOT raising the price. Normally the trade off would be whether $10 more would mean 200,000 less sales. I don't think they have too much to worry about, at least not before a price drop in half a year or so (how long does it usually take?).
bv @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:10PM
$59.99 seems like a reasonable price point for a game that is as high in production value as Gears of War. The game play looks revolutionary compared to the dozens of third person shooters out there. As long as this game lives up to its hype, I will continue to respect Cliffy B and his productions. If not, I may be forced to replace his shampoo with black hair coloring. Damn him and his frosty tipped locks.
MosquitoControl @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:11PM
" I've never heard this game mentioned in the real world outside of the Xbots hear blabbing about it."
And what PS3 games have been mentioned, in the real world or otherwise?
C'mon, Clint. You know this game has been on the cover of magazines and had some half-assed hour special on MTV.
Can we get another ban on this child?
KawF @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:14PM
How close to the release of PS3 (in japan, Nov. 11th) will this be with timezone adjustments incorporated into the calculation?
Seems like a bold move from Microsoft to be that close to the day we will start to see some reports from "the trenches" of the Japanese PS3 release.
Riot9 @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:23PM
"Then again, maybe this isn't the BIG announcement. Maybe this is all part of a cleverly orchestrated plot by this guy to get our hopes up, dash them against the rocks like so many brains, and then, when we've hit bottom, throw a face melting Gears of War demo in our very melt-able, exceedingly cynical faces."
I'm pretty sure this IS the big news. I was over in the GoW forums for the last two days working on the code with everyone else, and this morning Mark Rein, VP of Epic came into the GearsofWar IRC channel to talk to us all about the news. He wanted to let us know that to them, committing to an actual date is "BIG news".
I had my hopes very, very high for an earlier release, but I think it's safe to say this is the real deal.
Fenris @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:23PM
Gee there is a shock, Clint bashing everything but the sony product.
Go have you mom microwave you some pizza rolls a shut up! The adults are talking.
On topic: A release date can really only cary weight as a big announcement if there is a prior fanbase clawing for its release. Just my thought. I am looking foreward to playing this one.
Jeff @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:45PM
KentPaul.com... Degenatron.com... now that's how you do viral marketing.
Grant @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:50PM
Thomas Crymes, are you kidding? LOTS of people are upset about Zelda being released on both systems. Anyway, it was originally just going to be for Cube, so we're getting more than we bargained for, not less.
BMWM3P @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:23PM
They actually hurt themselves by launching it close to the ps3 launch date. Instead of hurting PS3 sales like ms is hoping, it's going to be the other way around. 360 owners will definitely buy it, but potential 360 buyers will go to the store see GOW and right next to it the PS3 launching in 5 days, giving even more exposure to the ps3. Ms is underestimating the power of the Playstation brand.
jc @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:25PM
A street date (and price)is good, but I was hoping for some details about the online multiplayer.
On a side note, I agree with MosquitoControl 100%.
georgedakota @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:26PM
shut up about when winter actually is, who cares, everyone knows winter is dec. 21/22. anyway who cares if its $59, ps3 games probably will be more than that, deal with it.
shivr @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:30PM
Am I the only one that keeps confusing the acronym GoW for "God of War"?
Otherwise... that press release (thats what it is right?) is a pretty funny read, as all hypish press releases are want to be :)
Have fun with your GoW this thanksgiving fellas, I'll sit back and watch the reviews from here
chad @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:41PM
It's not that surprising that it's going to cost $60 since almost all 360 games are $60 when they first come out.
pat @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:44PM
Epic accomplished their goal, they got everyone like us talking about GoW, and its release date. Their advertising, however viral it might be, has been successful.
MosquitoControl @ Aug 3rd 2006 1:50PM
"but potential 360 buyers will go to the store see GOW and right next to it the PS3 launching in 5 days, giving even more exposure to the ps3."
The difference is that GoW will be on shelves, the PS3 will be on ebay.
Honestly. Does anyone expect them to be in stock anywhere for more than an hour or two? They'll all be sold before they get off the trucks and on to the shelves.
DeezNuts420 @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:04PM
Honestly, seeing that PS3 games are rumored to be around the $90 mark, $59.99 doesn't seem all that bad.
I just hope GoW isn't a HUGE dissapointment like PREY was!!!!!!!
matthew @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:05PM
My my, we are a jaded bunch.
Dux @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:06PM
I dont know about you guys, but I go around fourms and all I see is a bunch of people bitching " That this isent a big announcment","Its on a Sunday", and "We already knew it was coming out in November/October/December"( Not really knowing when they say 3 different months.)and the funny thing is that these people would still be bitching anywayz if Epic and Microsoft would not have released a release date for some time. Now thats what I see around on OTHER fourms and such.
I am personally really happy that they announced a Release date, and that we know NOW when its coming out. Not having all the nonsense of date release speculations,"leaks", and rumors plaguing gaming news is a good thing. I will be getting the Hard Case edition come this November.
matthew @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:09PM
I love how people always say
"I want to know A about this game."
Then when that information is released:
"It's nice to finally know A but I'm not happy and really mad because they haven't told us about B yet!!! I want B!"
Then when B is released and exactly what they wanted, they find a C to whine about.
Ah well.
cynic @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:30PM
Let's all play "spot the bitter PR guy"!
Yay!
Intangible 360 @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:32PM
Errr..you are mistaken 49.99 is only for games developped in house. Last I checked Epic is not owned by MS.
josh @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:42PM
"They actually hurt themselves by launching it close to the ps3 launch date. Instead of hurting PS3 sales like ms is hoping, it's going to be the other way around."
...except for all the people who go to the store with $$$ to burn, only to find empty PS3 shelves... and this cool looking 360 game... hey wait, they have 360s in stock... "MOM! Buy IT!" etc.
i'm sure gears of war will do well. the initial PS3 shipments will be sold out, regardless... but there could definitely be a spike in 360 sales as well, if the people at the stores see the 360 and a cool game.
also don't forget that mainstream media writers always write about the competition... so there will be a story in EVERY local paper about the PS3 launch, and then they will mention "and the competing Xbox 360, with it's new game Gears of War..."
This is a good move by Epic.
Thomas Crymes @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:16PM
I'm sure MS influenced the release date to coincide with PS3. They are hoping that GoW is one of those types of games that sell systems. They are hoping that the droves of people who can't get their hands on a PS3 will see Gears of War and decide that a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.
And if GoW is third party as others say, then MS can do little more than suggest a $49.99 price point and can't promise anything. $59.99 seems to be what all third party titles are going for.
PS3 titles won't be $90, but $70 isn't out of the question. I'd think that they'd have to get games down to $60 like the X360. If not they'll be in a heap of trouble.
Kronos @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:27PM
AHAHAHAA @ #15
classic..i love that movie
Ameen @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:35PM
"Gears Of War, one of the most anticipated mash-up game."
Yeah, Guys did any one of you play Kill.Switch made by Namco for Xbox, PS2 and PC. Cross it with the Unreal Tournament Game Franchise, add online co-op play, rename the Alien Bots as Locust Horde add a bit of spookiness from Silent Hill and Large Monsters, thats what this game is all about.
Did you guys actually check out the Similarity between Gears of War's models dont they look similar to what Unreal Tournament Models were like, (beard, faces). Dude Microsoft is so Pathetic, they approach Epic to make an exlcusive game and do viral marketing on the Xbox Live.
What's next? Halo 4 under development.
Ameen,
http://gamebot.co.nr
diskoboy @ Aug 3rd 2006 3:46PM
Emergence day is on my birthday..
sweetness.