Video game history is filled with surprising stories that only get talked about many years after they happen in real-time. Today, we’ll talk about the Gears of War franchise and how it became a part of the Microsoft brand. The games first came out on the Xbox 360 in 2006 and later on PC in 2007. The game had a great marketing campaign and delivered an incredible gameplay experience and story that helped set the tone for many “cover shooters” to come. The game was made by Epic Games, who used their impressive Unreal Engine 3 to create the title.
Within just ten weeks, the game sold over 3 million copies on the 360. That helped establish it as one of the best games on the market then and the fastest-selling game of the year. Two sequels came out for the saga, and each one was better than the last. They improved the story, the visuals, and of course, the multiplayer. Gears of War became a phenomenon in all the ways that mattered. That included making their lead developer, Cliff Bleszinski, the face of the franchise and an icon in the gaming industry. However, after the third title, Gears of War was sold to Microsoft outright, who continued to make the titles without Epic Games and Cliffy B.
Back then, it might have just seemed like a “business move, ” which Epic profited from and nothing more. But in a new interview, Cliffy B. revealed that they had a more fundamental reason for getting rid of the franchise: they didn’t think they could do more with it.
“The [Unreal] engine was doing rather well, but they were growing and they probably needed the income even though they really didn’t know what to do with the future of the franchise.”
He also surmised that another key reason that Epic sold the franchise was that he and two other critical developers for the trilogy had left the company once the trilogy was done. Cliffy B. felt that selling the franchise to Microsoft did help secure Epic Games’ future, which we know now is filled with money because of games like Fortnite.
As for where the saga went, Cliffy B. said that he feels they don’t have the “heart” of the original three. That’s something many fans would agree with. He specifically called out how in one of the games, the player could choose between a character living or dying, and he felt that was lame because in their games, they “committed” to Dom and Maria’s death, which made it more heartbreaking when it happened.
The franchise’s future is still up in the air, but at least we know the reason it’s in the state it’s in now.
Source: IGN
