The Gears of War 3 beta officially kicks off today. If you've pre-ordered the game or purchased Bulletstorm, you're good to go. However, if you're one of the poor souls who didn't do either of those things and still wants to play, we can help.
We'll be giving out codes to access the Gears of War 3 beta via IGN's Twitter account.
Simply tweet @IGN with the hashtag #gears3beta for your chance to win!
Related ArticlesClick here for more of IGN's Gears of War 3 Beta features...
If you're just joining the Gears of War 3 beta today, then you're not that big of a fan, are you? Sure, it means you've pre-ordered the game from GameStop (or another participating retailer outside of the US) and secured your ticket to the beta, but true Gearsheads have been playing through their copies of Bulletstorm for a full seven days now. What's your excuse?
Your half-assed engagement means that you're already way behind in the race to unlock the most demanding rewards before the beta ends on May 15, including the "Thrashball Cole" character skin and the Gold-Plated Retro Lancer weapon skin (both pictured). And, of course, you've already excluded yourself from adding the Flaming Hammerburst to your permanent arsenal -- it was only available to beta players last week.
If you're saying to yourself, "I really don't care about the unlockables -- I just don't wanna get owned by all the 'cheaters' who have been playing the beta forever already." Well, for one, you're lying to yourself. But you can also check out some tips for preparing to enter the beta from senior gameplay designer Lee Perry over on Ars Technica. And you can relax a little, too. The beta's been scaled back for the next week to just the Team Deathmatch and King of the Hill modes on three maps.
Next Monday, May 2, Epic will reintroduce the Capture the Leader mode and the fan-picked Old Town map (not to mention, "special events and surprises" will occur "throughout the beta"). But if you wait until then, it's kind of like why bother?
If you've managed to snag yourself access to the Gears of War 3 beta, you ... need to go play it. Right now. Don't watch the video after the jump, just go experience the magic for yourself. Everyone else, check out the beta's one-day Easter egg after the jump. It's both gory and adorable.
#surprise
Those lucky enough to be in on the Gears of War 3 beta today were treated to this, either cute or disturbing depending on your sensibilities. Pick a male character, COG or Locust, and voila, bunny hat. [h/t reader Hazel H.] More »
We all have a special combination of weapons, equipment, and perks for the Gears of War 3 Beta that works for us. But there's definitely a learning curve when it comes to online multiplayer. That's where the pros come in. We've assembled a team of experts over at Major League Gaming to share their best loadout combinations, specific map strategies, and even some tips for beginners. So bro-out with these loadouts and learn from the best...
We were going to force our newest IGN crew member, Peter Eykemans, into playing the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta for video capture purposes anyway, so it made sense to have him chronicle his experience with the beta. Here are his thoughts.
April 19, 2011 -- I killed a man today.
I kill...
Those jerks in the press (and those other jerks who won codes from us) aren't the only ones who get to enjoy the Gears of War 3 beta anymore. You too can be a jerk (and help fine-tune the multiplayer of a major game!) if you picked up the "Epic Edition" of Bulletstorm.
The beta is open to Bulletstorm buyers today, and will open even further, to those who pre-ordered Gears 3 at Gamestop, on April 25. It will run through May 15.
The Gears of War 3 beta officially kicks off next Monday, April 18, for Bulletstorm "Epic Edition" owners, followed by the April 25 entrance of those who pre-ordered the game from GameStop. As the first public taste of Gears 3, there's a lot of content for fans to digest -- and that's where this handy guide and video preview come in! So rev up the old Lancer and roll past the break to take it all in.
Oh, and make sure you make it to the end. We've got some early access codes to give away!
If you're a Gears fan, you probably can't wait to get into the multiplayer beta. Not sure if you're eligible for it? Check out our Gears 3 Beta FAQ to learn more...
If you're a Gears fan, you probably can't wait to get into the multiplayer beta. Not sure if you're eligible for it? Check out our Gears 3 Beta FAQ to learn more...
The Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta will run from April 25 until May 15 for those who preorder the game from GameStop and other select retailers. This new video gives a taste of the gameplay. Oh, pink lancer, you will enrage so many bro-dudes as you sever them in twain.
It's going to be a busy month on Xbox Live. Not only is the Gears of War 3 beta set to drop on April 25 for those who pre-ordered through GameStop (April 18 for those who snagged Bulletstorm), there's also a half-month full of XBLA games, Games on Demand titles and deals -- even some slashed prices on Microsoft Game Studios content, like the Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack and Alan Wake's The Writer DLC.
#watchthis
I'll stay out of the way of this one, since I know you really just want to watch it. I will indulge myself to say, however, that I like the slight cooling of the color palette while still allowing more color than previous titles. It's still "gritty" but looks much cleaner. More »
The Gears of War 3 online multiplayer beta launches on April 18 for Bulletstorm Epic Edition owners, and those who pre-ordered Gears of War 3 from participating retailers get in a week later, on April 25. The beta kicks off with Team Deathmatch on four maps: Thrashball, Checkout, Trenches and Old To...
Not only are we excited about the prospect of joining the Gears of War 3 beta next month because, you know, of all the dude-sawing -- we're also hopeful that the tests will prevent a rough start-up for the full game's multiplayer experience. In an interview with IGN, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski acknowledged (the beta test-less) Gears of War 2's less-than-optimal online offerings at launch, saying the developer "can't afford to make that mistake twice."
The outspoken developer explained, "if we release Gears 3 and it has the same launch as Gears 2 online then the franchise is dead." He later added, "to be fair, over the course of the six title updates, we got Gears 2 in a very good position. And we need to take it to great. And that's what this will help do." We've got another suggestion for making the game "great" -- two chainsaws. One on your gun, and another one on your chainsaw.
The Gears of War 3 beta launches in late April, six months before the game hits store shelves. Back in 2008, Epic Games did not have a beta of Gears of War 2 and the result was an online multiplayer experience that was broken...
In a candid talk during the Game Developers Conference on Thursday, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinksi advised attendees to "have an educated gut," and to be cognizant of the value of marketing and long-term relationships with customers. He encapsulated his talk in the "power creative," a project member who is unique, valuable and visibly tied to the game's identity. "This could be anyone," Bleszinski said.
With consumers constantly immersed in an information feed -- via social networking platforms like Twitter and Facebook -- it's important for game designers to be "surgical" and "devious" in creating IPs that thrive in an always-on, heavily branded world. According to Bleszinski, the market only tolerates games that land on the far ends of the spectrum between freemium "snack" games and big-budget games like Gears of War. "I believe the middle class game is dead."
#xbox360
If you want to dress the "Cole Train" in a Thrashball uniform or demand that your guns come in one flavor—flaming—play the Gears of War 3 beta when it kicks off on April 18. More »
Nobody should have to wait for the chance to carve up their best friends with gas-powered chainsaw rifles -- luckily, interested parties can ensure their entry into the Gears of War 3 beta on April 25. All you have to do to grab a golden ticket is pre-order the Locust-massacring shooter at GameStop, and you'll be eligible to participate in the three-week beta testing process.
If you grabbed the Bulletstorm "Epic Edition," you'll be able to get your hands dirty one week earlier, starting April 18.
Participants in the beta will be able to unlock not only the Gold-Plated Retro Lancer, but a whole bevy of bonuses (listed after the jump). All that's left to do now is plan what kind of murders you're going to make first. Us? We're gonna shoot a guy, and then stomp on him, then stand him up, and then do something unspeakable to him with a grenade.
#xbox360
Gears of War design director Cliff Bleszinski wants you to play his game's upcoming beta, not only to extract a "metric *crag*ton of data" from your playing time, but for you to upload whatever bugs you see to YouTube. More »
