Gears ousts Halo 2 as top XBL game

Marcus Fenix and the Locust Horde stomp Halo's Spartans as Gears of War becomes the most played game on Xbox Live.

The cacophony of exclamations of "running riot!" has been drowned out by the sounds of chainsaws, because Xbox Live's Major Nelson has posted the weekly activity of gamers over Xbox Live.

Halo 2's longtime run at the top of the Xbox Live activity charts has ended, according to Major Nelson. The new king is Gears of War, Epic Games' first offering for the Xbox 360, which was the most played game over Xbox Live for the week of November 13.

Gears of War was released on November 7 to much critical acclaim. The game's multiplayer portion features battles between teams of up to four players each in three game modes. Halo 2, on the other hand, was released on the original Xbox on November 9 of 2004 and is backward compatible with the Xbox 360.

368 Comments

  • roxythethegreat

    Posted Dec 20, 2007 12:34 am PT

    "halo beats gears in replay value, gameplay, online atmosphere, subject matter, gunplay, and pretty much everything else. anyone who disagrees with me is pretty much a b!tch."

    wow your pretty pathetic anyone that actually belives that halo was genius is obviously just lost in the last generation with its crappy graphics, boring storyline which i couldnt even be payed to listen to a full time and there guns are nothin new, but a chainsaw on a gun thats revolutionary. i think the choice of which is better is obvious
    if you agree with chiggins28 yur probally his mom

  • soccerjosh

    Posted Apr 17, 2007 4:20 pm PT

    'anyone who disagrees with me is pretty much a b!tch.'

    So pretty much, you're just another Halo fanboy? Personally, I like Gears alot more (both campaign-wise and online), simply because I find it more fun.

  • chiggins28

    Posted Apr 17, 2007 1:46 pm PT

    never EVER compare GOW to halo. EVER.
    i don't care how cool you think the duck and hide and then get up and aim and then duck again idea is....but its not nearly as genius as halo. i'm sorry. you are wrong. halo beats gears in replay value, gameplay, online atmosphere, subject matter, gunplay, and pretty much everything else. anyone who disagrees with me is pretty much a b!tch.

  • InDridTheCold

    Posted Mar 31, 2007 6:38 pm PT

    Gears Of War is a great game an i like the single player way way more than either halo games, but i mean seriously Gear's multiplayer is lame as **** after a while because of all the damned kids, if anyone is mature here add InDridCold117

  • ef_teddy

    Posted Feb 10, 2007 10:43 am PT

    I personally love both games...

  • luizen

    Posted Jan 29, 2007 10:21 am PT

    I MUST agree with you RigthOn44, Halo is a incredible and amazing game, in which you always get some fun; no mather how much you have played. my experience is a year with Halo2, and no mather what they say: it kicks GoW's ass. (but i didnt like so much Halo2 storyline tho)

    Not beacuse it have some good graphics, means its the best game ever in the 2006, that made me quite sad.

    Anywayz, some Hellos to the Gamespot team! You are the real ones who know about of games

  • fototoestel

    Posted Jan 27, 2007 1:36 am PT

    yeah I played halo 2 for a long time and the way you must enter a online game is verry hard, you cant even make you own variant

  • clevelandrox23

    Posted Jan 26, 2007 1:37 pm PT

    Gears of War online setup is mediocre compared to the way Bungie has it. With rankings, friends, clans, joinable lobbies, and it doesn't take 10min to get a game.

  • RightOn44

    Posted Jan 25, 2007 1:29 pm PT

    "Gears of War is so incredibly boring to play online... The Single Player mode offline is sweet but why more people are playing Gears of War online beats me... Only thing i can guess is the game is new so people have to play it like 10x just to figure out how bad it actually sucks online. "

    Looks like most people disagree with you because GoW IS FUN online and this article proves it because people are enjoying it.

  • Syntrax1987

    Posted Jan 24, 2007 12:04 pm PT

    Gears of War is so incredibly boring to play online... The Single Player mode offline is sweet but why more people are playing Gears of War online beats me... Only thing i can guess is the game is new so people have to play it like 10x just to figure out how bad it actually sucks online.

  • thehellmonster

    Posted Jan 10, 2007 8:53 am PT

    halo rocks and thas is the only thing you need to know yeah wait to see halo3 and halo wars YEAH!!!!!!!

  • simian92

    Posted Jan 9, 2007 10:24 pm PT

    why does everyone think, gears of war is soo much better than halo 2, or vice virsa?

    each game has its unique advantages and disadvantages.

  • fibaglassmonkey

    Posted Jan 4, 2007 11:48 am PT

    Halo 3 will rape it back

  • fibaglassmonkey

    Posted Jan 4, 2007 11:44 am PT

    Halo 3 will rape it back

  • jesse400858

    Posted Dec 19, 2006 5:57 pm PT

    halo 1, and 2. it is the best halo game for all year.

  • ckKoto

    Posted Dec 17, 2006 1:40 pm PT

    Both games are great and have their own pros and cons.
    GoW can have 8 players in a server and Halo 2 can have what 16?
    GoW has more of a teamplay feel to it and Halo 2 is an upright gun game.
    Its going to be neck and neck for long time. Halo 3 will most likely take the top but then there is GoW 2?

  • gagongpinoy

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 8:33 pm PT

    The_Legend501.......wtf are you talking about mann........how is halo 2 over rated ..halo 2 wass the best FPS in that date ...nd it took this long for a game to finnaly take its place in the XBL spot..and that game happenes to be GOW ..which is also a great game

  • gagongpinoy

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 8:20 pm PT

    DATS GUD 4 G.O.W BUT I DONT THINK IT WILL LAST LONG SINCE HALO 3 IS COMMING OUT SOON ..THEN IT WILL RULE AGEN THEN AGEN

  • nyjrad

    Posted Nov 28, 2006 12:16 pm PT

    i hope they know Halo 3 is going to come out. Lets see who's going to be king of the hill..............

  • jt_2012

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 11:21 pm PT

    BS!!!!!!!Halo 2 is WAY better than that cr@py xboxlive G.O.W.(gears of war) game!I have GOW,when i go on xbox on it , BEARLY anyones on!!OMFG,im soo furious.in my opion,nothing EVER!!(except halo 3 maybe)will beat halo 2's xbox live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • _Sam_

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 12:44 pm PT

    I can finally play it soon...

  • OluDara

    Posted Nov 24, 2006 12:18 pm PT

    Oh snap. I still like Halo 2 better though.

  • Kiith_Somtaaw

    Posted Nov 23, 2006 3:27 pm PT

    Gears of War looks good and gameplay is good, but it did not give me that tingling feeling like Halo 2 did, so in my opinion I believe Halo 2 was much better. It will only be some time until Halo 2 is on top again.

  • S1ckle

    Posted Nov 23, 2006 11:18 am PT

    Hell yeah. Gears ftw.

  • wakemeup893

    Posted Nov 23, 2006 7:13 am PT

    finally.

  • ryanverse

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 9:24 pm PT

    omfg Halo 3 will RULE!!!!!!!!!

  • GingeOnGinger

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 3:06 pm PT

    Halo 2 offline is not that great, not that great at all. I can imagine though the fun it would be online and by this christmas i will be experiencing it first hand. But yer why not Gears Of War looks fantastic. But just wait till Halo 3 and the tides of Gaming war will have changed.

  • klusps

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 1:44 pm PT

    omg, I knew this will happen.

  • Thorpe89 Site moderator

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 9:40 am PT

    Gears of War surely must be a game we will all remember sometime because of it's great single player and online modes.

  • Tetradore

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 9:12 am PT

    wow halo 2 has finally been trampled i think its for good now, but i bet the halo 3 multiplayer beta will be most played when that comes out, great for gears of war makes all the more fun being able to play against a large variety of players in which to improve ur mad SKILLZ and have more fun lol

  • shevanel09

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 6:06 am PT

    One day I will be among those who have gotten to play gears of war online. Can't wait!

  • WarriorWithin52

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 5:45 am PT

    dang...

  • raze-boi

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 3:39 am PT

    In the credits, there is a woman said that: "Epic rules!" and I love that quote!

  • lovermanxxx

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 1:39 am PT

    this game rocks! the chainsaw death action never gets old!

    wanna kill locust? gamertag: neoco

  • nev70

    Posted Nov 22, 2006 12:41 am PT

    The_Legend501
    over rated HALO GAME?
    ...........................................................................dont be bitter get a xbox/360 and try it then you might realize how 'illinformed' you are......................

  • juggerboy2

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 11:35 pm PT

    about time, thats all i say

  • NeleNel

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 7:35 pm PT

    New game ousts old game? SWEET

  • Bradley_d23

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 7:31 pm PT

    cybergooch you r the sh*t dude, that was hilarious

  • Sandman100

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 7:03 pm PT

    It time that Halo wasn't number one. Once Halo 3 comes out it well regain it thorn at top the Xbox Live Chart. But Great for Gears.

  • cybergooch

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 5:43 pm PT

    Let me get this straight Graydawg...you are going to get a Wii after you get a PS3? So...you don't have ANY NG system? OK, it is official...you are talking out your blowhole. How do you feel that your inexperience with a NG system qualifies you to even EXIST on this page? Seriously, H2 was made for the 360? LOL, the 360 was a glimmer in MS's eye when H2 was released for the Xbox. The new maps just show that there is enough people playing on 360 to justify a map worthy of graphical/computing power of the new system. Now, get back to your game of Chutes and LAdders and let the grown-ups talk a bit.

  • byronman91

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 5:41 pm PT

    I played on E-day and got the theme ^_^

  • SteeleInd

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 5:00 pm PT

    I played on E-Day as well. I had the game before that though.

  • Eh_Steve1478

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 4:51 pm PT

    Halo 2 had a good run... but what until Halo 3! ?OMG it's gonna be sick! Halo 3 + Gears of War = the PS3 getting pwned. I think Halo 3 will stay on top longer that Halo 2 becuse it will be more improoved

  • nyoe

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 4:29 pm PT

    who here played on E day (raises hand)

  • Xa31nov1s

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 4:25 pm PT

    That's good for Epic. Microsoft now has two major franchises on their hands, let's just hope they use them to their full potential. Halo 2 is a great game anytime I play it, I even played it last night, and Gears of War is a good breath of fresh air on the Xbox 360, something entirely new and enjoyable. I still personally find Halo 2 to be more fun, but it's always good to enjoy different games.

  • Xa31nov1s

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 4:14 pm PT

    @ The_Legend501

    Halo overrated? No, the most overrated thing in the gaming community right now is easily the Playstation 3, without a doubt.

  • simian92

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 4:11 pm PT

    even though GOW is outplaying halo 2 on live now, you know that in a few months, halo is going to be right back on top

  • kambion313

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 3:21 pm PT

    No "sweetdrix" no one has noticed that.....by the way, tell us how you really feel, since no one asked

  • Sweendrix

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 3:03 pm PT

    Attention to everyone...it seems that everyone is talking about the graphics in Gears of War and how awesome they are. I do not contend this statement as it is very true that the graphics in this game are quite stellar...HOWEVER...I want to point out...(At least on an HD Plasma)...that Call of Duty 3 is even more impressive in the graphics department than Gears of War is, not that Gears isn't Impressive, it's just that Call of Duty 3 really has some amazing things going on that makes Call of Duty 2 look extremely dated. Has anyone else not noticed this?

  • RacerSVT

    Posted Nov 21, 2006 2:43 pm PT

    grandgundam3,
    I didn't misunderstand the concept behind your statement. I was just stating that your analogy using Saints Row and GTA were flawed. There was no way people could have called Saints Row the "GTA killer", according to your statement, because GTA was already on XBOX when Saints Row was announced for the 360. I did get the part when you stated "was calling it", but after saying that, you insisted that "They could" still call it that. .
    .
    I get, and agree, about what you're saying as far as what other people say about dubbing GeoW as the "Halo Killer" (which is like MS chopping off it's own arm), but I was just being anal and wanted to sound like a geek of all geeks sort a thing. Apologies and cheers.

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