I have to wonder about beta access to games – shouldn’t we be getting paid for this or something? Yet, still – the dangling carrot of beta access has introduced many gamers to top-notch products they might have otherwise ignored – like Crackdown and, more recently, Bulletstorm. But what happens when beta access is used to sell the actual game itself? Is an early glimpse at a game enough to get you to pre-order?
EB has an exclusive offer running at the moment – pre-order Gears of War 3 at any EB store in Australia and gain early access to the public beta running later this year. The public beta runs from April 25-May 15, but if you pre-order you get the chance to play a week earlier, along with the folks that picked up Bulletstorm, and play from April 18.
Is this the kind of deal that’ll convince you to pre-order at EB?
More details below.
Pre-Order “Gears of War 3” exclusively from EB Games and Secure Access to the Multiplayer Beta on April 25th
Join the biggest gaming event of the Autumn and earn exclusive in-game unlockablesGet ready to jump back in the action with Delta Squad beginning this April by pre-ordering “Gears of War 3”* online at www.ebgames.com.au or www.ebgames.co.nz or from any EB Games store in Australia or New Zealand.
Fans can pre-order one of the three distinct Gears of War 3 editions — Standard ($99.95), Limited ($129.95) and Epic ($199.95) — and gain access to three weeks of multiplayer beta action on Xbox LIVE, beginning April 25th.**
Over the course of the beta program, three new competitive multiplayer modes and four exclusive maps will be rolled out, all running on dedicated servers and providing fans with the opportunity to help shape the biggest blockbuster game of 2011. Two of the four multiplayer maps, “Trenches” and “Old Town,” were selected by Gears fans through a Facebook poll that generated thousands of votes.
The Gears of War 3 public multiplayer beta kicks off April 25 and runs through May 15. “Bulletstorm: Epic Edition” customers will get early access beginning April 18 through the Bulletstorm disc.***
Key Beta Dates:
• Bulletstorm Preview, April 18-24
Owners of “Bulletstorm: Epic Edition” are eligible for a one-week beta preview period featuring the new Team Deathmatch mode on four new maps (Thrashball, Checkout, Trenches and Old Town).• Gears of War 3 Beta, April 25-May 15
The full public beta period begins April 25. Players can look forward to special events and playlists throughout the beta period. Two additional competitive game modes, Capture the Leader and King of the Hill, will be added over the course of the beta period.• May 15 – Beta concludes.
Not only will fans who participate in the beta have the opportunity to get an early taste of the year’s biggest game, but they’ll also have the opportunity to unlock exclusive content they can carry over to their retail copy of “Gears of War 3” when it launches on Sept. 20.
Unlockables:
• Beta Tester Medal – Complete one match in the beta to unlock the Beta Tester medal, which will carry over to your gamer profile in the final game. The Beta Tester title will be featured in the Gears 3 multiplayer lobby as well.• Thrashball Cole – Complete 50 matches in any game type to unlock the Thrashball Cole character variant in the beta. Once unlocked, complete 10 matches as Thrashball Cole during the beta and the character will carry over to your gamer profile in the final game.
• Gold-Plated Retro Lancer – Show your ultimate Gears of War fandom by unlocking the Gold-Plated Retro Lancer. Complete 90 matches in any game type to unlock it for the beta, and score 100 kills with it once unlocked to carry the exclusive weapon skin over to your gamer profile in the final game.
• Flaming Hammerburst – Complete one match by Sunday, April 24 and unlock this weapon variant.
• Flaming Lancer – Complete one match during the week of April 25 and unlock this weapon variant.
• Flaming Sawed-Off Shotgun – Complete one match during the week of May 2 to unlock this weapon variant.
• Flaming Gnasher Shotgun – Complete one match during the week of May 9 to unlock this weapon variant.
For additional details on Gears of War 3 and the public multiplayer beta, please visit gearsofwar.xbox.com. Up to date news and information about Gears of War is also available on www.facebook.com/XboxANZ and www.twitter.com/XboxAustralia.
Published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Gears of War” franchise has won more than 50 “Game of the Year” awards, sold more than 13 million copies worldwide and redefined the third-person shooter genre this generation. One of the bestselling Xbox game series of all time, “Gears of War” is exclusive to the Xbox 360 and its riveting multiplayer action makes it one of the most popular titles on Xbox LIVE.
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