Gears of War‘s online multiplayer was an Xbox Live chart topper for months after release, before being finally taken down a peg or two by Halo 3. Its deathmatch stylings have kept the title as one of the Xbox 360’s most played games and cemented Gears as an early new-gen classic. Can you believe that at one point, Epic Games was going to pull it entirely? Start believing.
“I was going to cut multiplayer from Gears because I thought it wasn’t coming together fast enough, right,” confessed Epic president Mike Capps. “The day before E3 I’m like “no guys, it’s not pulling together.” And they made it, they pulled it together, and then we won every award.”
It’s amazing to think that at one point, the game’s beloved multiplayer wasn’t working out, and that it was due for the knacker’s yard. Capps must feel like a man who dodged a bullet, as this wacky and unpredictable industry serves us yet another dose of irony. Thankfully, the developers never listened to their boss and, months later, the term “shotgun bitch” was born. Thank the Lord for small mercies.
[Via Evil “so above that kind of thing” Avatar]
