360 x 2 = Marcus Fenix

As the reveal of Microsoft's next console looms before us, I find myself strangely drawn to my Xbox 360. Recently I mused that if I sold it now I'd get a much better price than I would after the Xbox 720, or whatever it will end up being called, will be announced. But I find myself strangely drawn to the loud white box that sits beneath my television, which has no internal wifi and whose faceplate needs to be taken off in order to open the disk drive and put back on in order to turn it off.
I recently gained access to all three Gears of War games, and have already sunk in a few hours into the first one. It has aged somewhat well with time - the difficulties seem fair, the combat system is impeccable, and it has split screen coop - but the charm only stretches so far.

Gears of War: featuring shiny faced Marcus Fenix

The AI in the game is completely senseless, the color scheme brings the word 'intolerable' to mind, and the levels consist of move shoot, move shoot, with very little variety.
When Gears of War came out in 2006, it was the highest rated shooter to come out for the Xbox 360 at a 94 on Metacritic. It helped define the console as one for hardcore gamers, who could appreciate a shooter. Halo 3, which helped perpetuate this culture, didn't come out for almost an entire year after Gears. And now, as we begin to wave goodbye to the 360, Judgement comes out to wave as well - if there is another Gears game coming out, I'm guessing the series will move on to the 720.

Now with more grunting.

As will the gaming community, I suppose. I will always have fond memories of my 360, and I have yet to make a decision on whether or not I'll trade it in - I certainly won't make that decision until backwards compatibility is confirmed. But, as with Gears of War, over time it will lose more and more of its appeal.
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John Schwartz
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