A rumored PC version of Gears of War 2 is starting to look doubtful as it becomes apparent that much of the information about the game was actually lifted wholesale from another game entirely.
IGN reported on the rumor yesterday, with a link to an online game seller called Beantown Games which had apparently posted pre-release information about an upcoming PC version of the hit shooter. Included in that information was a shot of the Gears of War 2 box art with the Games for Windows logo and details of a limited edition release of the game.
But as Kotaku has pointed out, there are problems. For one thing, the detailed description of the game is a verbatim copy of the press release for the Xbox 360 version, with “Xbox Live” replaced with “Games for Windows Live.” In fact, a few of the Xbox Live references were missed; one line in the game description says it “[takes] full advantage of the Xbox Live service, which boasts 10 million gamers.”
The box art, meanwhile, appears to be a Photoshopped version of the 360 cover as well, including an “Artwork Not Final” notification across the bottom of the image. Finally, the advertised UPC code, MPN (manufacturer’s part number) and ASIN (Amazon standard identification number) all match up to a completely different game: The PC version of The Golden Compass.
A Microsoft representative told IGN that the company is putting all its attention into the Xbox 360 version of the game and that “there are no plans to bring the game to the PC.” It’s a fairly standard denial but the link provided by IGN no longer leads to a Gears 2 page, real or not, but to the PC version of the original Gears of War, which was released in November 2007. And of course it’s difficult to ignore the fact that Epic’s Cliff “I Told You To Stop Calling Me CliffyB” Bleszinski has repeatedly and emphatically denied that the game will be coming to the keyboard-and-mouse set.
The condensed version? Anything’s possible but I wouldn’t hold my breath. You’ll wake up with a nasty headache.
