Cliffy B confirms the inevitable sequel; Marcus Fenix and the COGs heading to Xbox 360 in just a matter of months...

It had to be. With the a double-pronged onslaught of shooters scheduled for release exclusively on PlayStation 3 by the end of 2008 in the form of Resistance: Fall of Man 2 and KillZone 2, Microsoft needed something to bolster what is otherwise a shooter-less first-party line-up for the Holiday '08 period. At the platform holder's GDC Keynote Speech tonight, that something was unveiled in the form of the inevitable Gears of War 2 from Epic Games.

Following a presentation of a technology update to Epic's much-licensed Unreal Engine 3, which featured Fenix showing off new specular lighting techniques, high density crowds (featuring Locusts, naturally), and new fluid effects, Lead Designer on the first Gears Cliffy B, jumped on stage to reveal that not only was the Gears sequel in the works - but that it would also be heading to Xbox 360 in November.

"To our team the original game was just a tease, the appetizer to the 'Gears of War' characters and new style of gameplay. We were so amped to get to the next chapter, and dig deeper into the universe of this franchise," said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer for Epic Games. "'Gears of War 2' is an even bigger, better, and more badass experience than the first game, and we can't wait to get it in the hands of eager gamers this November."

Little is known about the finer details surrounding the sequel, but one thing is for sure - there'll be several Xbox execs breathing a sigh of relief now they won't have to rely on largely original IP to combat the Helghast and Chimera this Holiday.

The teaser trailer for the game is now live on Xbox Live Marketplace. (www.totalvideogames.com)