"Gears of War 2" poised to be top entertainment premiere this holiday season in the UAE

A total of 20,000 retail locations in 20 countries, including leading retail outlets across the Middle East, will open their doors to the crowds waiting to get their hands on this must-have entertainment experience.

Fans and critics around the world are predicting that "Gears of War 2," available only on Xbox 360, will be the biggest blockbuster of holiday 2008.

"Gears of War 2, builds upon the original title in every way. Globally and even in the UAE, the sequel is said to have surpassed the total pre-sale orders of the original game. Our pre-sale orders started from Gitex shopper and were a massive hit with consumers. Gears of War 2 is poised to become the must-have video game this holiday season and fans can look forward to some deep, immersive storytelling with rich visual effects never experienced in video games before"

said, Aman Sangar, Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division Middle East.

Under the creative leadership of Cliff Bleszinski, the team at Epic Games Inc. has pushed the franchise into bold new territory, greatly expanding upon the game's themes of hope, survival and loss.

Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde.

Developed by Epic Games exclusively for Xbox 360, Gears of War achieved major success since its release, having sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

The sequel continues the story of Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero, as he leads Delta Squad on a series of perilous and adrenaline-pumping missions.