The Gears of War franchise is no stranger to success at retail. Combined sales of the original Gears of War and its sequel have reached 12 million units. Now, series shop Epic Games is stating its desire that the third entry in the shooter series--due out worldwide September 20--will keep up with the pace set by its predecessors.

　　Gears of War 3 design director Cliff Bleszinksi recently sketched out sales targets for the third game in the cover-based third-person shooter series for IndustryGamers. Epic Games is gunning for Gears of War 3 sales of at least 6 million.

　　When asked what the target for Gears of War 3 retail sales was, Bleszinski said, "Definitely over 6 million, obviously."

　　However, he hopes that it will actually be an even bigger hit than that.

　　"But deep down, just to be perfectly candid and honest, I would die if we hit [10 million units]; that would be phenomenal." he said. "But I can only pray and hope. It's up to the gamers to vote with their wallets."

　　While 6 million is a large tally to reach, the pre-release hype surrounding the game is palpable. Last month Epic Games said 1.29 million gamers from 145 countries tried out the beta for the game, which ran from April 18 to May 15. Further, Gears of War 3 reached 1 million preorders faster than any other Xbox 360-exclusive ever, beating out high-profile games Halo: Reach and Halo 3.

　　As for the title itself, Gears of War 3--originally pegged to debut in April--begins with the last human city having been obliterated and series hero Marcus Fenix trying to protect the remaining humans from the Locust horde and from newer, deadlier foes, the mutating Lambent.

　　Gears of War 3 will be available in three versions this September: standard ($60), Limited ($80), and Epic ($150). The centerpiece of this year's $150 Gears of War 3 Epic Edition will be a limited-run Marcus Fenix statue.

　　[CLARIFICATION]: This article originally characterized Bleszinski's sales target as a sales expectation. The developer has since claimed on his Twitter account that he was not claiming sales targets, but rather his hopes.

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　E3 2011: Gears of War 3 Horde Mode 2.0 Reveal Event Video Feature

　　Tears Of The Kingdom Is A Technological Marvel

　　Resident Evil 4 Is A Perfect RemakeHow Alan Wake II Made Me Face My Fear of Horror GamesGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - LoadoutFirearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerHow Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter