It’s Easier to Say Gears 5, Isn’t It?
Microsoft brought a strong showcase at this year’s E3, hitting us with back-to-back games. Despite the flurry of content, the latest change to the Gears of War title did not go unnoticed. During the conference, the 4th sequel title was listed as Gears 5, and it seems there’s a reason for this. An explanation was provided by Xbox marketing boss Aaron Greenberg.
After years of hearing the franchise referred by its shortened version – whether it be “Gears” or “Gears 2″ or Gears 3″ – Microsoft felt it would serve a convenient change. The name has been shorthand for the franchise near the time of its inception, used colloquially by fans. Thus, Greenberg and crew decided on a legitimate switch.
“People shorthanded it Gears anyway. It’s a cleaner look for the brand and the line. Of course, the franchise is still Gears of War,” Greenberg said.
In just about every gaming context, the use of “Gears” without the “of War” has always entailed an in-the-now reference to any game cover with Marcus Fenix. Plus, there’s no denying the social media convenience of a shorter title. The Xbox executive even made a joke about the fact: “To save you room on Twitter; that was the whole idea.” Additionally, we can’t forget, the shorter title makes falls in line with The Coalition’s spin-off titles, Gears Tactics and Gears POP! Coincidently, the change works better for the sake of SEO in articles… huh. Nevertheless, the title of the franchise as a whole remains Gears of War.