Well another big name game has been released... early... or in other words "leaked". With Gears of War 2 officially scheduled for release on November 7th (almost a month away), it seems a member of NeoGAF has managed to get the game already.

"The PS3 has an exclusive sci-fi shooter called Resistance 2 due on November 4th. The Xbox 360 has an exclusive sci-fi shooter called Gears of War 2 due on November 7th. Should you view the two as competitors? Gears of War 2 designer Cliff Bleszinski doesn't"

"Microsoft and Epic Games, Inc. announced today that “Gears of War 2,” the blockbuster action sequel to the five million unit selling original, has gone gold.

“After two years of pouring our heart and passion into ‘Gears of War 2,’ the team is immensely happy with what we’ve created,” said Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski. “This is Epic’s best work yet, and we can’t wait to see the response from fans and newcomers to the series alike.”"

"What can we say - 3 events in 2 days, wow sounds like we are going around the country touring with Metallica or something. (or the Pussycat Dolls - ohh we wish)

You can bet that most of the Sydney based staff here at XboxOZ360-gamer will attend all 3 events for “just” you. We will be very diligent and take down notes, pictures, video footage and dare I say, even ask questions so that we can bring you the latest in the happenings of these major blockbuster titles which are set to hit the Au..."

"Nearly everyone I know is waiting impatiently for Gears of War 2 while I sit here with my mouth clamped shut. You see, not only have I played the game, I’ve beaten it. And I only have a handful of other people that I can talk to about it. Just last week, Microsoft invited about 30 journalists to tear through a near-final build of Gears 2 with over a month remaining before the game’s release. While I can’t even begin to give you my overall impressions (due to embargos and NDAs), I am allowed t..."

"The actual gameplay is an over-the-shoulder style experience, with frantic action that takes place in deathmatch-esque environments. The only difference between this and Gears of War appears to be the armor variations."

Microsoft announced a new Special Edition Gears of War 2 Zune with 120GB of memory. To be available soon in the US and Canada. Product pre-orders available starting today.

"Gears of War 2 is "85/90%" complete, series mastermind and PR pet Cliff Bleszinski has revealed.

The 360-exclusive sequel joins other first-party efforts Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise, which is almost in the shops, and Fable II, which is (apparently) finished and 'gold'.

Speaking to Xbox World 360, Cliffy said, "We're basically at the 85/90% polish stage right now, doing some last minute optimisations.

"I boot the game up every morning and go through campaign mode, making sure it..."

"[Epic's Design Director, Cliff Bleszinski]: You can unlock these characters in Gears 2 if you earn the Achievements in Gears 1 through Xbox 360 or PC, provided you are using the same Gamertag.

Does this mean you are planning a Windows version of "Gears of War 2"?

Cliff: Gears of War is a great franchise first and foremost for Xbox 360, and therefore we're focusing on that platform for Gears of War 2. We've decided we're not going to do a PC version this time around."

"The November 7 release date of Gears of War 2 is steadily approaching and that means that the hype train is steadily starting to pick up steam. As with every massive holiday release, Gears 2 has some serious expectations to live up to. The first game has sold more than five million copies and with Epic's Design Director, Cliff Bleszinski throwing around the phrase "bigger, better, more" at every turn, gamers the world over are expecting a lot from the second entry.

--

At Comic-Con in S..."

"Yes, you did read the title right and we're just as amazed/shocked/confused about it as well.

If you’re willing to spend the equivalent of $130 for a special edition of a game, then you’re clearly off your rocker to put it blunt. But being able to own your own lancer? That is quite a tempting offer.

It is clearly a lot better then the previous crap offered by special editions bundles such as the Bioshock miniature Big Daddy which was one of the worst quality figurines I’ve ever seen or ..."

"Last year, the Legendary Edition of Halo 3 took advantage of the most diehard of the series' diehard fans by charging them $129 for a bundle that included the game and replica Spartan helmet packaging. Microsoft is pushing the upper limits of pricey premium packages a little further with this year's Xbox 360 sci-fi shooter sequel, Gears of War 2.

Amazon.com is now taking preorders for an exclusive Gears of War 2 bundle that includes the game and a lifesize replica of the series' iconic cha..."

"- Complete Act One in Gears Of War, unlock a playable Anthony Carmine in Gears of War 2
- Find 10 COG tags in Gears Of War, unlock Minh Young Kim in Gears of War 2
- Kill Raam in Gears Of War, unlock a playable Raam in Gears of War 2"

"Epic Games, Inc. and Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, announced today that Del Rey will publish three novels set in the gritty world of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Gears of War video game series. The first novel, GEARS OF WAR: THE BATTLE OF ASPHO FIELDS, written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss, will go on sale October 28, 2008. The Gears of War 2 video game, the highly anticipated sequel to the genre-defining thir..."

"

• Collectible SteelBook™ DVD case

* "Beneath the Surface: An Inside Look at Gears of War 2," a 48-page hardbound book including character profiles, exclusive concept art, and foreword by Design Director Cliff Bleszinski
* Bonus DVD including exclusive making-of-the-game video footage, design galleries with audio commentary by Epic Games, and promotional videos including the E3 2008 trailer,
* "Rendezvous." An exclusive gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle available during online play"

"Adam Sessler and Kevin Pereira present X-Play's award for Best Game of E3."

"One of these videos is the game-play footage of the story that Cliff Belinski (head designer behind Gears, and Gears of War 2 at Epic game studio's) walks us through at the live E3 Microsoft Press Conference. One of these videos features the new game mode introduced at the conference, Horde. Horde, is a new multi-player game mode announced by Cliff at the microsoft press conference. The game mode will feature online play with up to 8 players, where you and your fellow allies go up against wav..."

"Q: How is Gears of War 2 going?

Mark Rein: We had some folks in recently for the multiplayer play test and it was so much fun. I think the new game types are really good, really fun. Gears was always pretty popular online and it's still - almost two years later - in the top ten on Xbox Live and I think that Gears 2 is an improvement on that on a lot of things.

Q: Do you think Gears of War 2 will push console sales, considering that the biggest launch this year - Grand Theft Auto IV - d..."

"Video-gamers are in for some interesting news. Len Wiseman, director of the Underworld movies, is going to direct the highly anticipated Gears of War movie. While some of you might be cringing right now (and I wouldn’t blame you), hear me out.

In recent years, a lot of video game movies have quite frankly sucked. (Doom and Bloodrayne, anyone?) Whether the reason was bad adaptation, unfaithful storyline, poor graphics, or general lack of interest…something came up short. A lot of these movi..."

"New Line had initially aimed for a summer 2009 release for the pic, but further development on the project now will likely delay that plan.

"It's like with our games, you can have it right or have it right now," said Epic Games topper Mark Rein. "We want to get it right. There's no timetable for us. We just want to make as good a movie as we can, and we think (Wiseman's) the guy who will do it.""

"New and Modified Weapons
Scorcher Flamethrower -- This sucker will appear only once on a multiplayer map. It benefits from a longer range if you can hit the active reload perfectly and will glow red when it's ready to bring death to the masses.
Gorgon Burst Pistol -- Faster rate of fire than other pistols and shoots in short bursts.
Poison Grenade -- Spews a nasty purple haze that brings down everyone in its path.
Shield -- This sucker can be chucked into the ground beneath you and used a..."

"Microsoft has announced plans to re-release Gears of War in North America with updated maps and achievements.

The updated version of Epic's game will be available from June 24, and cost USD 39.99 for the Xbox 360 and USD 29.99 for the PC."

"We're usually pretty skeptical about rumored release dates as developers and publishers often keep that card close to their chests -- however, we can't help but put our complete faith in a man with a name as awesome as Lester "Mighty Rasta" Speight. Yes, Mr. Rasta, who voiced Gears of War's "Cole Train", recently made an appearance at the TriForce panel at Wizard World to shoot the breeze about the company's line of GoW-related replicas. When asked about the sequel's release date, the TriForc..."

"Rumor has it that Gears of War Redux will be coming in next month. This would be if GameStop's placement would be believed. According to their site, the product is "Gears of War with Maps."

Now, apart from the pricing detail (it is tagged for US$ 39.99) and the pre-order shipment date, which is for June 24, 2008, not much detail is revealed. Although, Kotaku reports that it seems like this reissue will be containing content that were made available by DLC before."

"A popular video game for the Xbox 360 is getting a sequel this year - and it seems to be raising eyebrows with its level of gore and detail.

The game presents the player with a number of projectile weapons, but also features a chainsaw for melee attacks. In the demo, the player can use the chainsaw to cut a person in half, starting at the groin and moving upwards. Also, players can pick up the corpses of fallen enemies and use them as a "meat shield" to protect themself from enemy fire as ..."

"The Xbox 360 lineup will be led by "Gears of War 2," which was shown to reporters at Dogpatch Studios in a demo controlled by the game's lead developer, Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games. The game might not be done, but the talking points are far along.

Bleszinski reminded reporters that the game was "bigger, better and more badass" than its predecessor several times. To prove it, he controlled returning protagonist Marcus Fenix in an early level of the game. Bleszinski had Fenix standing on ..."

"How do you make a game girlfriend-friendly?

You do jump-in, jump-out co-op. You have configurable difficulty settings for the other player. You have very cool and bad-ass main characters that have a very human side. And you make sure that the female characters in your game don't have ginormous tits and aren't bad stereotypes."

"Things Learned From Gears of War 2 Gameplay Trailer
The Locust now have the ability to sink entire cities with giant emergence holes.
To defend against the Locust onslaught, the COG transport vehicles called Derricks bring tunnel machines called Grind Lifts to Locust occupied areas. Underground combat ensues.

Campaign level act one, chapter three is named "Assault".
Reavers are back for GoW2 and they are trouble.
Both the cover system and active reload look to stay true to their Ge..."

"That's all you need to know, really. 1UP's GameVideos will be the very first place online you'll be able to see the footage, and we'll be posting it in all of its HD glory. And trust us when we say you're going to be blown away. So this Friday, go to dinner, go to the movies, or go play some GTA IV -- but whatever you do, make sure you check back here at 10:30 p.m. PST for the exclusive first Gears of War 2 video."

"Gears of War 2 will take place six months after the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb at the end of the first game, Gears of War."

"Jonesing for your first taste of Gears of War 2 gameplay footage? Fortunately you don't have too long to wait.

Gametrailers TV just secured themselves the first in-game footage from the game. The bad news? It won't be airing until May 9 at 1 a.m. The good news? The footage, which features Marcus Fenix, includes a special introduction by bunny-loving Epic game designer Cliff Bleszinski."

"Before you jump on my ass over this column's title, please know that the author of this column is a rabid Gears of War junkie. I've spent countless hours on the original Gears, and I still play the original game quite often. I played the game so intensely at one point, that I even got invited to a handful MLG tournaments (yes, I'm bragging) and had some high spots on the game's online rankings. As you could have imagined, the announcement of Gears of War 2 initially had me absorbed with hype,..."

"Epic Games has confirmed to Shacknews that it is not planning to release a demo of the cover-heavy action title Gears of War 2 (X360) demo in advance of the title's November launch.

"[There are] no plans for a demo," associate producer Tanya Jessen told Shacknews. "The reason being that it's been such a fast turnaround. A two year production cycle, for a game of this caliber, is really short."

The lack of a demo continues the tradition Epic set forth with the original Gears of War, whic..."

"Mark Rein of Epic told Eurogamer today the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3 could include a special easter egg-style treat for Gears of War fans.

"You might want to keep a close eye on the Unreal Tournament 3 disc. There might be something Gears of War 2 related on that," said Mr Rein, who would not confirm the exact nature of the content.

Mr Rein went on to claim Gears of War 2 would be a "much better" game than the original.

"I think Gears 2 is a much better game than the..."

"These scans are from the May 2008 issue of Game Informer which features a Gears of War 2 exclusive cover story. The screens look much better in the magazine, so pick it up as soon as you can! I want to get this out to you guys as fast as possible, so instead of summarizing the article myself, you can read it for yourself in the scans, or, you can check the link where there is a summary of all the important points by SHOTEH FOCK OP at NeoGAF.

Go to the source to check out the scans."

"If you recall, earlier this week a press release was sent out on behalf of Comic Con that mentioned Epic's Michael Capps and Joshua Ortega would be in attendance talking Gears and giving a first glimpse of GoW2. But now, according to Videogaming247 who contacted Epic about the Comic Con news, Mark Rein is denying that GoW2 will be shown at the event saying that "I'm not aware that we're showing anything there." Sounds like a big ball of confusion to us. Since the whole GoW2 Comic Con unveilin..."

"Though it's hard to imagine anything more exciting than obtaining The Hulk's autograph or shaking hands with Iron Man (watch out for that palm beam!), this month's New York Comic Con will also give attendees a glimpse of upcoming testosterone-fueled chainsaw epic, Gears of War 2. The convention will host a special "preview" of the Xbox 360 shooter on Sunday, April 20th, delivered courtesy of Michael Capps, president of Epic Games and Joshua Ortega, a man described as a "writer" for Gears of W..."

"In the first Gears of War, getting chainsawed was an unpreventable means of death once your enemy was in range with their Lancer revved. For the many of you who saw the recent Gears of War 2 Teaser, the first thought that probably sprang to mind when the battle of chainsaws between Marcus Fenix and the Locust enemy occurred was, “So we’ll be able to do this in the game?”.

Yes, yes you will.

More info at the source."