The Gears Of War 3 launch saw 20,000 different stores around the world open at midnight. One of those was GAME's flagship shop in London, which attracted 500 gamers. "Yesterdays launch of 'Gears of War 3' kicked off the biggest season of blockbuster games in the history of Xbox 360," said Phil Spencer, Microsoft Corporate VP. "The team at Epic Games has raised the bar yet again and we're extremely excited to see fans around the world get their hands on the game and jump into the action." The game has been well received by critics, earning a Metacritic score of 91. "This is our biggest 'Gears' game yet, and even though it's the third instalment in the trilogy, it's the easiest to jump into if you're a new fan," added Epic's Cliff Bleszinski. "We've added more co-operative game play options and built in accessibility features throughout the game to make it approachable and fun for new players and series veterans alike."