Microsoft announced on Monday that the 2006 Xbox 360 classic,Gears of War, is going to get a remaster on current-gen platforms namedGears of War: Reloaded. This is notably the second time that this game has received a re-release. Back in the mid-2010s, Microsoft launched a remastered version of the firstGears of Warinstallment for Xbox One and Windows PCs calledGears of War: Ultimate Edition. This newReloadedversion ofGears of Waris basically just a slightly enhanced port ofUltimate Edition. Perhaps the biggest difference between these two editions, though, is thatReloadedwill not only be available on Xbox and PC, but onPlayStation 5, as well.
For most Xbox players, there isn’t really much to get excited about withGears of War: Reloaded. Aside from some minor touch-ups like 4K resolution, 120 FPS support, and improved reflections, the remaster doesn’t have many notable new features included in it. The game, by and large, looks almost the same as it did about a decade ago.Gears of War: Reloadedseems like it was created more with the PlayStation audience in mind and was greenlit by Microsoft mainly to introduce the once-Xbox-exclusiveGearsfranchise to rival platforms. The fact that this remaster even exists also kind of undermines the legitimacy of one of the bigHalorumors that has been circulating lately.
Microsoft May Sell Remasters of Halo Games Individually on PS and Nintendo Consoles, Like It’s Doing With Gears of War
Because Gears of War: Reloaded Exists, the Rumored Marcus Fenix Collection is Probably Not Real
Over the last few years, there have been reports about the existence ofa so-calledGears of War: Marcus Fenix Collection. This collection was said to include remastered versions of all three installments in the originalGears of Wartrilogy, along with other games likeGears of War: Judgment. In spite of all the rumors about the compilation, though, it has never seen the light of day, and this week’s announcement ofGears of War: Reloadedmakes its existence even more unlikely. Instead of releasing a $60 bundle of the series' first three games, it appears Microsoft is launching remasters of the trilogy one-by-one, with each installment costing $40 a piece.
Since Microsoft seemingly plans to sell the oldGears of Wargames individually on PlayStation, it may use the same tactic when it eventually brings theHaloseries to Sony’s consoles, as well. Back in January, the insider NateTheHate alleged that Microsoft would releasePS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 ports ofHalo: The Master Chief Collectionlater this year, but maybe this won’t necessarily happen. SinceHalo: MCCincludes the first six mainline installments of theHalofranchise and only costs $60 on Xbox and PC, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for Microsoft to launch it alongside a $40 remaster of the firstGears of Wargame.
Rather than releasing a complete version ofHalo: The Master Chief Collectionon PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, it’s possible that Microsoft will port the rumoredHalo: Combat Evolvedremaster to the platforms instead. Last year, The Verge’s Tom Warren claimed that Microsoft was in the early stages of developing an upgraded re-release of the first entry in theHaloseries, and that it was considering aPlayStation 5 releaseof the game at the time. If this remaster truly does exist, then it seems more likely that Microsoft will bring it to PlayStation and Switch 2 instead ofHalo: The Master Chief Collection.
Microsoft is Bound to Make More Money By Selling Ports of Old Xbox Exclusives for $40 Each
Xbox would, no doubt, make a lot more money from PlayStation and Nintendo players by sellingHalo: Combat Evolved,Halo 2,Halo 3,Halo 3: ODST,Halo 4, andHalo: Reachfor $40 each instead of bundling them together for $60. The potential strategy that Microsoft is taking with its multi-platformGears of WarandHaloports, by selling remasters of them individually at high prices, may seem understandable business-wise, but it will likely upset many fans, especially those on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.
