The Gears of War Impact

MICROSOFT CORP. said on Wednesday it had sold 1 million copies of its game "Gears of War" in two weeks, making it the fastest-selling title for its Xbox 360 video game console. Microsoft has been counting on "Gears of War", which went on sale on Nov. 7, to steal some thunder from the recent launches of rival gaming machines from SONY CORP. and NINTENDO CO. LTD. Game sales also are important because Microsoft loses money on each Xbox 360 machine it sells, so it relies on game sales to make the business profitable. Microsoft said earlier this month that "Gears of War", which puts players in the role of a futuristic soldier battling invading aliens, had booked the biggest number of pre-orders of any of its games since 2004's "Halo 2," the second installment of the flagship franchise for the original Xbox. "Gears of War" is an all-new game and arrived just a year after the Xbox 360 hit the market. Its price tag is 20% higher than that of "Halo 2" when it was launched. Microsoft also said subscriptions to its Xbox Live online gaming service have increased because of "Gears of War." Paid registrations per day for the online gaming service have climbed 50% since the game's debut.

Mighty Impressive. At least the game is very good, and deserving.