Gears of War 2 Pre-orders Surpass Original

Pre-sales for Epic's cover-heavy action sequel Gears of War 2 (360) have surpassed the total pre-sale orders for the original Gears of War, publisher Microsoft has announced.

Based on these figures, Microsoft declared that the Xbox 360-exclusive sequel is now "poised to become the must-have video game this holiday season."

Packing two-person online or offline cooperative story mode, ten-person online multiplayer, and a five-person online cooperative battle against AI opponents, Gears of War 2 arrives November 7.

Those that purchase the game new will receive a free one-time use code for a downloadable map pack featuring arenas from the original Gears of War.

Meanwhile, those that participate in the Midnight Madness launch events will acquire a token for a gold-plated Hammerburst gun, the change being purely cosmetic. A similar code for a gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle will be packed in the $70 Limited Edition.