Gears of War 3 will be released on September 20th, 2011 as confirmed by a press release issued by Microsoft. Microsoft is counting on Gears of War 3 to be the blockbuster title for the Xbox 360 that will kick off the race to the holiday selling season. An official multiplayer beta is coming soon, but no additional details were announced.

Gears of War 3 has a story line that is set eighteen months after the story in Gears of War 2. The game will present a number of new challenges and threats from the Locust. The game will offer a five-on-five multiplayer mode, as well as the four player co-op mode that we saw last year. In addition, the title will include a number of new game modes and weapons.

So far, Gears of War 3 is one of the major (if not the major) exclusive title that has been announced for the Xbox 360. The Gears of War franchise has been very successful for Microsoft and continues to be a main attraction to the platform. While some feel that it is at times overshadowed by Halo, Gears continues to be a stellar example of the exclusive titles that the Xbox 360 offers.

Right now, Microsoft has a lot riding on Gears of War 3, as it will be one of the major titles for the Xbox 360 this year; analysts that we spoke with agree that the success of the title is vital for Microsoft this year, as it is one of the few exclusive titles that the platform will release this year. From what we have seen so far, Gears of War 3 should have no problem delivering the experience that fans are looking for it to offer.