Epic Games has launched a ton of information about Gears of War 3 this week, from the Gears 3 release date finally being confirmed and multiplayer beta gameplay videos being unveiled, to a chance to play the game at Microsoft's pre-GDC press event. And yes, we did play it. Make sure you read about our Gears of War 3 hands-on impressions.

Now, the cover art for the trilogy's culmination has been released, and we've got the scoop on the decisions behind it. The cover depicts Marcus, kneeling in similar fashion to the cover art from the first Gears of War, flanked by a bearded Dom on the left, Anya on the right, and the Cole Train sneaking in on the side. Sorry, Baird, no cover-love for you.

Chris Perna, the art director at Epic Games, evidently had a lot to do with the cover and during the unveiling in San Francisco, he explained the thought process behind the it:

"I think we wanted something that plays to the world a little bit. It’s further along in the story, and we wanted to try to get some sadness in there, but still have that determination. They’ve been through a lot, especially now that this is the trilogy wrap-up, and we wanted to show the weariness of the characters, to show it on their faces, but not to make them look sad or sorrowful or wimpy. We wanted to keep that resolution."

While the previous games in the trilogy have focused on the blood-red color scheme, Perna seems to have gone in a completely different direction now. While the general theme is the same, this definitely looks like a more storied, mainstream cover - or, at least, as storied as 3 people glaring at you can get. Think of it as a Gears of War movie poster:

Click to see the Gears of War 3 cover in more detail!

"We’ve kept the color scheme similar with some warm colors, but we’ve added some cool with the sky. And it’s not the same amber as in the previous two. I think if you line them up it still fits in that same family, but it’s different enough to make it feel fresh and new. That’s what we’re hoping for. I think the imagery is iconic and it’ll pop off the shelves."

Rod Fergusson, executive producer at Epic, also chimed in to say that while the purpose of the cover was to set it apart from its predecessors, they couldn't stray too far from what Gears has looked like on the front. Obviously, it's important to keep up with brand recognition, so that people who play Gears of War can immediately see the cover and recognize it as part of the series.

What do you think, Ranters? Does this seem to pop off the shelf for you? Does it do the series justice?

Gears of War 3 is set for release on September 30, 2011, exclusively for the Xbox 360.

Source: VG247