In a panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, a couple of new details were dropped regarding the latest chapter in the Gears franchise. Firstly, the game will feature a system called “Linked Achievements”. What does this mean to you?  It means that all the hours you put into getting a perfect Gamerscore in the first Gears title might actually be worth something more than just a slight boost to your self-esteem. Depending on how well you’ve done in Gears, you will be granted access to premium content (multiplayer characters, weapons, etc) in the sequel.

Secondly, the game will be getting a collector’s edition (surprise, surprise). However, this is not your everyday, shiny-packaging-and-a-keychain kind of collectors edition. No, this one will feature a replica of everyone’s favorite fictional weapon, the Lancer. How much would you be willing to pay for such a bundle? $2,000? $5,000? Well you’re in luck, because you can get your hands on your ticket to Gears of War heaven for just $130 US dollars. Yup, for slightly more than the cost of two regular Xbox 360 games, you’ll finally have a weapon to defend your home from invading locust.  What will they think of next?