Gears of War is a tactical third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games (the creators of the Unreal series) using Unreal Engine 3.0 technology and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released for the Xbox 360 as an exclusive title on November 7, 2006 in select stores in the United States, and later broadly released in major U.S. retailers on November 12, 2006. The game was released on November 17, 2006 in Europe outside of Germany, where Microsoft Game Studios did not publish the game after it was denied a rating. A Limited Collector's Edition was also released, which included a disc of bonus content and an art book titled Destroyed Beauty that detailed much of the game's back-story.

The game centres on the soldiers of Delta Squad as they fight to save the human inhabitants of the fictional planet Sera from a relentless subterranean enemy known as the Locust Horde. The player assumes the role of Marcus Fenix, a former prisoner and war-hardened soldier. When in cooperative play, the second player takes control of Fenix's best friend and fellow soldier Dominic Santiago ("Dom").

Gears of War has been highly successful since its release; it sold over three million copies in just ten weeks and was the fastest-selling video game of 2006. A film adaptation is currently in the works, and the game is slated to be the first of a trilogy. At E3 2007 Microsoft confirmed the persistent rumor that Gears of War would be ported over to Windows. The game is a Games for Windows title, and was shipped on November 6, 2007.A Mac OS X release was confirmed by Epic's Mark Rein, speaking on a July 14, 2007 episode of Game Head.

Gameplay

Gears of War is a third-person "over-the-shoulder" shooter. In an interview with Cliff Bleszinski, lead developer for Epic Games, he cites three games that were the primary influences in the game's design including the third person perspective from Resident Evil 4 and the tactical-cover system from kill.switch. These design choices reflect themselves in the gameplay, as Gears of War focuses mainly on sound team-based and cover-dependent tactics with limited weapons rather than brute force.

Epic Games placed emphasis on the importance of cover, and on the harder difficulty levels being exposed to enemy fire for only a few seconds can result in death, making cover essential. While behind cover, players can choose to aim carefully with their weapons or use blind-fire to avoid subsequent damage from showing their heads from behind cover. Players have a wide assortment of rolling and cover maneuvers at their disposal with the press of a single button. The player can perform a roadie run, or a sprint, where the camera will lower towards the ground and bob considerably, as if the camera were being held by another person running behind the player. This, of course, makes targeting enemies much more difficult.

Setting

Gears of War takes place on Sera, a planet inhabited by humans, who have warred over a phosphorescent, low-viscosity fluid known as "Imulsion". Over several decades, the Pendulum Wars took place between various human countries, and ended with the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) taking control of the planet. The war quickly came to an end on "Emergence Day", when a ravenous force known as the Locust Horde bursts from underneath major human cities using a network of underground tunnels.

The Coalition, unable to defend against the sudden attack, is routed, and the Locust Horde takes control of the majority of Sera's urban, military, and manufacturing centers within 24 hours. The COG orders any survivors to Jacinto Plateau, a safe haven from Locust underground attacks, and then uses orbital laser weapons in a scorched earth strategy to deny the Locust Horde its gains. The human survivors that could not make it become known as the "Stranded" and have to survive on their own. In the 14 years since "Emergence Day", the Locust continue to attack the fortified Jacinto Plateau and force the COG to turn to the infirm, the young, and the condemned to replace their dwindling numbers. The game begins as Marcus Fenix, a COG soldier imprisoned for abandoning his post to attempt to rescue his father, is pardoned after only four years of his sentence and freed from prison by his friend Dominic Santiago.

Characters

Gears of War focuses primarily on Marcus Fenix, the main character, and Delta Squad's (consisting of Marcus, Dominic, Augustus "Cole Train" Cole, and Damon Baird) encounters with the Locust Horde. Players take control of Marcus Fenix, freshly rescued by Dominic Santiago from the Jacinto Maximum Security Penitentiary. When in co-op two player, the second player assumes control of Santiago. All four of the squad members are available for play during multiplayer games, along with Victor Hoffman.

Some of the characters received voice-overs from popular culture icons. Marcus Fenix is voiced by John DiMaggio, best known as the voice of Bender in Futurama, and Augustus "Cole Train" Cole is voiced by Lester "The Mighty Rasta" Speight, who plays "Terrible" Terry Tate, the "Pain Train", in the Office Linebacker commercials made for Reebok

Plot

The game’s actual plot begins fourteen years after Emergence Day. Marcus Fenix, a former COG soldier, is reinstated into the military after spending four years in prison. Dominic Santiago successfully extracts him from the prison, and takes him to meet Delta Squad. The group seeks to obtain the "resonator", a device that will map the Locust Tunnel, and later deploy the "Lightmass Bomb", which will destroy the heart of the Locust forces. Fenix and his allies recover the device, but suffer multiple casualties in the process. Amidst the chaos, Fenix leads the remaining soldiers through the ruins of Sera, to a mining facility, and finally into the planet’s depths.

Delta Squad succeeds in detonating the resonator, but only to shortly discover that the device failed to map the entire tunnel network. Fortunately, they discover a near complete map of the network that originates from Fenix’s old home, specifically his father’s laboratory. The group ventures to the Fenix estate at East Barricade Academy, encountering heavy Locust resistance. The data is collected, revealing that the Locust Tunnels are honeycombed throughout the entire planet's crust and are much larger than anyone ever expected, and the group then boards a train carrying the Lightmass Bomb. Fenix and Santiago battle their way through the train, and defeat General RAAM, before finally uploading the data. Fenix activates the bomb while Santiago escapes onto a helicopter and then, with the help of Colonel Hoffman, pulls Fenix onboard after the Bomb is activated. Fully activated, the Lightmass Bomb launches into Sera's underground, and eradicates the Locust tunnel networks. In the game's final sequence, Hoffman delivers a victory speech as the tunnels collapse and explode, whereupon the voice of the Locust Queen promises that the Locust will keep on fighting.

Collector's edition

At the game's release, Epic Games released a Limited Collectors Edition. Some of the notable differences are a steel case instead of the normal-style case and an extra disc which contains artworks of environments and stages including Locusts that never made it to the game. The disc also contains a time-lapse on the creation of the "Emergence" mural. The game's disc and case has a different cover and instead features the Omen background. Another of the Collector's Edition extras is a book titled Destroyed Beauty which illustrates the games back-story and includes concepts, sketches, and descriptions of the game's characters. The Collector's Edition also includes the same instruction manual and 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial as the regular game does.

Soundtrack

Gears of War - The Soundtrack

Gears of War - The Soundtrack is the soundtrack of video game music from the game Gears of War. It was released on July 31, 2007 by Sumthing Else Music Works. The music was composed by Kevin Riepl who has previously worked with Epic Games on soundtracks for Unreal Tournament 2003 and Unreal Championship.

Future developments

Gears of War lead designer Cliff Bleszinski said he hoped for the game to expand into graphic novels and eventually film. On November 21, 2006, Microsoft Corporate VP of Global Marketing and Interactive Entertainment Business Jeff Bell stated Gears of War is the first in a trilogy, through sequences on E-Day and the battle of Jacinto Plateau, as well as information on Adam Fenix and his research (which the character finds in Gears). Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein posted a message on the official Gears of War Internet forums, stating "It's not over until it is not fun anymore", and, in his view, Gears of War may become the next Halo series in terms of popularity.

The ending to Gears of War heavily suggested a sequel is in the works, and at the 2007 Game Developers Conference, Bleszinkski confirmed that Epic Games does "intend to do a sequel" to Gears of War

Film

On March 20, 2007, it was announced that New Line Cinema had purchased the rights to make a Gears of War film, with Stuart Beattie writing the script along with Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, who will be producing it. The film is scheduled to be released in 2009. Producer Wyck Godfrey said of the film adaptation, "I'm not a gamer, but what blew me away about Gears was how it captures the mythology of a war mission and how high the stakes are." It has been announced in the May 2007 issue of Game Informer that Cliff Bleszinski (lead designer of the game) will be the executive producer of the film. On August 3, 2007, AICN.com reported that Len Wiseman was to direct the movie adaption of Gears of War'

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Proper care of CDs

Proper care and maintenance of your CDs will ensure a lifetime of listening enjoyment.

Your CDs have the potential to live a long, lustrous life. Take care of them, and they'll take care of you. You'll have years of listening enjoyment by exercising proper care and maintenance.

Create an environment for your CDs. Show that you care for them by handling and storing them correctly. Follow these simple tips to keep your CDs in top condition:

Always handle and pick up discs by the outer edge or centre hole. Never touch the disc surface!

Store CDs individually in CD jewel cases. Store them upright, not flat.

The best environment for CD storage is cool, dry, dark and clean. A temperature of 39-68 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for long-term storage.

Return the disc to its case immediately after playing.

Don't stack CDs out of their cases. They can scratch one another.

If you have to lay a disc down, always face it shiny side up. This way, you won't risk scratching or soiling the side that the CD player reads.

Do your best to avoid spilling, smudging or otherwise soiling your CD. Even the tiniest smudge or speck of dust can affect its ability to play correctly.

Never bend CDs. Although they're flexible, they're not unbreakable. Any bowing of the CD can affect play.

Use a non-solvent based CD writing pen to mark the label side of a homemade CD. Don't use adhesive labels.

Never expose your CDs to bright sunlight or extreme heat. If you keep CDs in your vehicle, protect them in the summertime. One way is to store the CD book under the seat and/or cover it with a towel.

Avoid eating, drinking and smoking around open CDs. The best way to prevent damage is not to invite it.

If a CD becomes soiled or damaged, here are some tips to repair surface flaws, from minor smudges to deeper scratches:

To clean smudges, dust and other minor blemishes, use a clean, damp piece of cotton fabric (old Hanes t-shirts work great) and rub in a straight line from the center outward. Do NOT rub in a circular motion. Do not use a dry cloth, it may scratch the surface.

To clean more stubborn grime, use rubbing alcohol or a special CD cleaning solution. Dry with a lint-free cloth.

If your CD has some scratches, all is not lost. There are a few methods that may help fix them. Keep in mind that scratches perpendicular to the CD (line from the inner hole to the edge) are easier to repair than parallel scratches which run with the data tracks.

To remove minor scratches, use a mild abrasive such as toothpaste or silver polish. Rub the CD in a straight line from the centre outward. Use water or rubbing alcohol to remove the excess abrasive, then dry with a lint-free cloth.

For deeper scratches, or if an abrasive is ineffective, try filling them with wax. Regular car wax will work fine. Apply the wax over the entire CD and buff with a lint-free cloth, rubbing in a straight line from the centre outward. Buff until the CD shines like new. The scratches should be filled by the wax, and the CD should play fine.

Collector's Guide: Autograph collecting tips

Collecting autographs is a fun hobby, tips on the best way to get your baseball or book signed?

You look down at the scrawl in your notebook, reliving the experience over and over again of standing in line for hours; waving your pad and paper in the air at the slightest sign that your idol would come out to you and the other fans. Suddenly it happened; the pen taken from you and the notebook, the quick signature shoved back into your hand as another wave of fans pushed by you towards the barrier as you retreated, lost in a wave of happiness as you add the autograph to your mental highs. But getting an autograph can be both easier and harder, depending on how you want to proceed.

One way of getting an autograph is to attend the function and stand in line, hoping that the star you're attracted to will spend the time to sign autographs. The only problem with this is that there's a big chance that he/she won't stop and sign - many stars these days are concerned with personal safety and security and rarely hesitate for a session - or their own personal bodyguards disapprove and move them along as quickly as they can. But this is one of the best ways to assure yourself that the signature is authentic and certainly the most thrilling.

Another less stressful way is to send your book backstage with one of the stagehands or security guards; attaching a small note and perhaps a few flowers for your idol, asking politely for a signature. Most stagehands or guards will perform this small errand for free or for a few dollars, delivering the package backstage in plenty of time for the person to sign at their leisure. Returning after the performance to the stage door or where you met the delivery person and retrieving it is another way of obtaining the autograph and not putting any stress on anyone. Many stars appreciate this method because it is at their own discretion and on their own schedule, not a mixed mob of screaming fans waving books in their faces. Your odds are much higher with a nicely-worded note of thanks as well as a good attitude all around.

This also works for sports fans; sending the intended baseball or poster into the clubhouse via a security guard or usher. Most players greatly appreciate not being disturbed during the preliminary warm-ups of the game and will willingly sign at their own speed while waiting for their turn to play or a break in the action.

The last and perhaps the riskiest in a way is to purchase an autograph from a dealer. This is a great alternative if you want a foreign star's autograph or someone who doesn't live in your part of the country and therefore is unlikely to be available for a local performance. Many on-line auction sites and local conventions will have dealers who carry a plethora of autographed pictures for sale of almost anyone who's ever been on screen or television - and others can be found with a few clicks of the mouse.

The only caveat is that you don't know where or when the autograph was given - nor if it is authentic. Unfortunately there is a chance that you might get a forgery, although this is small indeed. Many dealers include a certificate of authenticity with their product guaranteeing that this indeed is a real signature and valid and the average collector would be best to keep said certificate and pursue any legal action should your purchase prove to be false.

Many people think that if their specific autograph is different from another displayed in a magazine or auction house that it must be false. This, unfortunately, is not true. As our own signature changes over time, celebrities have their own changes as well. Signing dozens of autographs a day can result in a scrawl that has no resemblance to the neat signature shown in another catalogue and the buyer should remember that before accusing any dealer of forgery. Again, you can only be truly certain of authenticity by obtaining it yourself which is why the autograph market is so fluid - it truly is a case of supply and demand.

If you want to get it yourself, always be prepared with the right items - a working pen and a clean sheet of paper at the least. Many stars don't have the time or inclination to stand around as you fumble for a new pen or scribble their names below the parking ticket stub. Be aware that these people are on the clock constantly and your autograph will depend on how fast you are prepared and willing to go with the flow of traffic.

Autograph collecting can be fun and profitable for anyone who wants a little bit of stardom for their home or office. And with a few quick tips, you can score every time with the right stuff!

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