Gears of War Dominates Xbox Live in '06
Accolades once again heaped on Microsoft's shooter.
It's been quite a year for Gears of War. The plucky shooter by Cliff Bleszinski and his team at Epic Games has sold nearly 2 million copies worldwide and, perhaps not surprisingly, it's proven popular on Xbox Live too.
According to data from Xbox Live's Larry Hryb, Gears of War ended 2006 as the most played Xbox 360 game on Xbox Live, ahead of Xbox Live Arcade game Hexic HD, which comes free with the console, Call of Duty 2 and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter.
Final sales data for the year isn't out yet, but NPD Group says Gears of War sold over a million copies in the US. More than a month after release in the UK, the game is still doing well. It was the best-selling singleplatform game in the last week of the year.
This impressive performance and the game's unresolved storyline almost guarantees that there is more in store for Gears of War, but for now Epic says it is concentrating on new content coming soon to the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo
Satoru Iwata Video Interview - the late Nintendo president spoke with Kikizo in 2004 as 'Nintendo Revolution' loomed.
Kaz Hirai Video Interview - the first of Kikizo's interviews with the man who went on to become global head of Sony.
Ed Fries Video Interview - one of Xbox's founders discusses an epic journey from Excel to Xbox.
Yu Suzuki, the Kikizo Interview - we spend time with one of gaming's most revered creators.
Tetris - The Making of an Icon: Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers reveal the fascinating story behind Tetris
Rare founders, Chris and Tim Stamper - their only interview? Genuinely 'rare' sit down with founders of the legendary studio.
The History of First-Person Shooters - a retrospective, from Maze War to Modern Warfare