20,000 stores to open for Gears of War 2 midnight launch

Over 20,000 retailers worldwide are opening at midnight on November 7 for the release of Gears of War 2.

Microsoft has revealed that pre-orders of the shooter developed by Epic Games have surpassed pre-orders of the original title, released back in 2006.

Consumers attending the Midnight Mayhem events will receive a token for a limited-edition in-game item, and over the launch weekend players will be able to take on the development team at Epic over Xbox Live.

Everyone buying Gears of War 2 will also be able to download a free map pack and gain free access to the Xbox Live Gold service for 48 hours.

Exclusive to Microsoft's console, Gears of War 2 is the company's big release for the hardcore consumer before Christmas.

Epic's Cliff Blezinski had recently told GamesIndustry.biz that although the title is aimed at shooter fans, it's does have a softer edge which may appeal to a wider audience.

"There's still a fair amount of jock, fratboy, macho bullshit in the game - I'm not going to lie," he said. "But at the same time, there's a little bit more personal elements in there, and some of the themes in the game with loss, retribution and the sadness of war, I think they're coming through a lot more in this game."