Gears of War 2 splash page strongly hints at Nov 9 release date

by Ross Miller { Jul 8th 2008 at 5:40PM }

Visiting the official Gears of War 2 page right now sends you to a splash page with the above image. The dog tags and the image name have the same numerical combination: 033-116-117-126-071. When converted from Octal to ASCII you get "ESC Nov 9" (ESC as in the control character). Microsoft hasn't issued a press release, but it's hard to argue against November 9 being the official release date for Gears of War 2. We expect a confirmation by next week, if not before.

[Via Epic Forums]

Tags: breakingnews, epic, gears-of-war, gears-of-war-2

Related From Joystiq

Sony to release 'non-game' dev kits in Q2 2010
9 days ago
Select GameStops in NY, OH and PA selling Modern Warfare 2 already [Update: Activision responds]
20 days ago
Golgoth confirms Joe and Mac remake in the works
22 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

LeadBoxx @ Jul 8th 2008 5:44PM

It's going to drop on a Sunday? Okay....

The Aggie CEO @ Jul 8th 2008 5:52PM

it wont be the first nor last game to do so..........

The Aggie CEO @ Jul 8th 2008 5:52PM

it wont be the first nor last game to do so..........

LeadBoxx @ Jul 8th 2008 5:55PM

What was the last game to drop on a Sunday?

ballistic3188 @ Jul 8th 2008 6:05PM

an exmaple is super smash bros brawl released on a sunday

ChooChooCharlie @ Jul 8th 2008 6:17PM

Well, Brawl and GH3 did.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 8th 2008 6:18PM

Mario Kart and SSBB were released on Sunday.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 8th 2008 6:19PM

Mario Kart and SSBB were released on Sunday.

Anticrawl @ Jul 8th 2008 6:27PM

Emergence day was a Sunday.

OMGOMG @ Jul 8th 2008 6:36PM

Well, seeing as the presidential election in the US is on the 4th, and the very real chance that this thing could be in the news for a while AFTER THE ELECTION ala 2000 (watch the great late Tim Russert's theory shortly before he died at a 269-269 tie in electoral votes), I could see them trying to have a non-typical release date.

Anticrawl @ Jul 8th 2008 6:46PM

Linkage: http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/03/emergence-day-emerges-as-gasp-nov-12/

So yes Emergence Day was on a Sunday. It didn't release on a Sunday but I don't see why November 9th couldn't be some sort of important date for their marketing BS like Emergence Day was. ESC is likely an acronym for some event in the GOW universe like Emergence Day was.

Dannyboi68 @ Jul 8th 2008 7:22PM

Maybe it doesnt matter BUT: the juggernaut that Gears of War "replaced" was Halo, and Halo 2 (2 specifically) was also released on Novermber 9th...coincidence?

kastonie @ Jul 8th 2008 11:45PM

it wont be the first nor last game to do so..........

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jul 8th 2008 5:44PM

see i love splash pages like this that actually have a meaning. lol hell it got me all excited and i dont even have a 360.

on the same note, i wish i could figure out what the hell the Resistance 2 splash page meant. im SO confused!

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jul 8th 2008 5:45PM

well not "that actually have a meaning" but have a decipherable meaning, i should say.

PojoMofo @ Jul 8th 2008 8:16PM

the GAF has a pretty big thread on it, seems to be ilovebees all over again

ComradeTrotskii @ Jul 8th 2008 5:53PM

This is what I read:

"Visiting the official Gears of War 2 page right now sends you to a splash page with the above image. Using some sort of witchcraft you get Nov 9th as a release date. Microsoft hasn't issued a press release, but it's hard to argue against November 9 being the official release date for Gears of War 2. We expect a confirmation by next week, if not before."

I'm so glad there are people on the internet to do this sort of stuff for us.

Marty @ Jul 8th 2008 6:21PM

Ignorance is bliss?

The Aggie CEO @ Jul 8th 2008 5:54PM

Cant wait.......

Gadget Man 007 @ Jul 8th 2008 6:00PM

Halo 2 was also released on November 9th if I recall correctly.

ThePerfectCompanion @ Jul 8th 2008 5:59PM

Sweet....locust killing time.

Obie @ Jul 8th 2008 6:03PM

That's nice dorky detective work Joystiq!

ToRo @ Jul 8th 2008 6:48PM

lol it's coming out in november i think everyone can agree on that for sure. There are a lot of other games coming out before that as well so we'll be busy.

Robert @ Jul 8th 2008 6:35PM

i think its coming out on the 11th because of Veteran's Day would make a whole lot of sense

Dan J @ Jul 8th 2008 6:37PM

What a hideous piece of promo artwork. The "art style" is simplistic digital painting without even an attempt to invoke some kind of mood or feeling with the technique. Impressive work... six years ago. Composition-wise, the image crops in all four directions as soon as it might possibly start to get interesting. Shoulders, gun, the landscape in the distance... all could have been interesting, and all are lost in the crop.

All four fingers have been violently broken and dislocated from the hand... which is as lifeless and flaccid as the dangling dog tags. Not even a fist holding the chain, or the tags themselves being contemplated in the marine's palm. The only "motion" in the piece -- two helicopters in the distance -- is actually obscured by the hand, the most uninteresting element of the image.

No artistic weight, horrible composition and cropping, and dull, uninspired subject matter. Honestly, I couldn't be *less* interested by this image.