Gears of War goes gold

Microsoft Game Studios, along with developer Epic Games, announced on Wednesday that they have completed the production of the anticipated Xbox 360 game Gears of War. Set to launch nationwide on 12 November, it is Microsoft's big video game entry in the week-long period of highly anticipated mid-November product launches.

The game is a tactical, endurance-based shooter set in a sci-fi environment. With a similar feel to one of the Xbox's greatest exclusives, Halo, Gears of War has become one of the console's most anticipated holiday release titles.

Shipping of the game begins on 7 November, with nationwide rollout expected on 12 November, which is the beginning of a massive seven-day span of anticipated releases, including Microsoft's Zune on the 14th, the PS3 on 17 November, and the Wii on the following Sunday, 19 November.

As Microsoft's Xbox 360 entry into the November video game fray, the company's first party game studio is hosting a special Xbox Live (XBL) event starting at midnight (Eastern) on 12 November. Called Emergence Day, XBL subscribers will be able to compete in an online tournament, chances for hourly winnings, and have access to free supplemental material downloads for the game.

The game is rated M and will sell at the upper-tier pricing level of Xbox 360 games, at $60, the first Microsoft-published X360 game to go above $50.