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  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. Gears of War

Baird was originally inspired by David Beckham, and other Gears of War secrets

Features
By OXM Staff published 14 July 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Role reversal, gender bending, and General Raams Indian cuisine

Role reversal, gender bending, and General Raams Indian cuisine

As we edge closer to a new chapter in Gears of War, now feels like a perfect time to burrow down to the roots of the series and see exactly how the legend began. We spoke to Jim Brown, the lead level designer at Epic Games, to find out some of the secrets behind the original Gears of War.

Click here for more excellent Official Xbox Magazine articles. Or maybe you want to take advantage of some great offers on magazine subscriptions? You can find them here.

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
Baird it like Beckham

Baird it like Beckham

Between the original reveal trailer and the game appearing on shelves, Marcuss character model and voice actor were both changed entirely. Cole and Bairds roles were entirely reversed at one point with Bairds original sports star persona partly inspired by David Beckham. Look at the haircut, and it all makes sense. Eventually the team decided to swap the two, using Jamie Foxxs character from the film Any Given Sunday as their archetype for Cole.

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
Tank you very much

Tank you very much

The original plan for Gears of War was very different. The initial concept was based on large-scale multiplayer warfare with an emphasis on vehicle combat. This was dumped in favour of the cover-based shooting style eventually seen in the final game, while the original concept eventually morphed into Unreal Tournament 3s Warfare mode.

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Raam bam, thank you mam

Raam bam, thank you mam

General Raam was a last-minute addition to the game, and almost didnt make the cut. Due to production deadlines, the development team didnt have time to entirely explain how Marcus and the team ended up fighting him on the back of a train. His story has since been fleshed out and is being completely revamped for the Ultimate edition

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Friends with benefits

Friends with benefits

Many of the characters in Gears are inspired by the lives of the Epic development team. Damon Baird was named after a childhood friend of Cliffy B, and The Cole Train was named after Epics level designer Phil Cole. Best of all is Raam, who was named after the owner of the teams favourite Indian restaurant. Were not sure wed have the balls to ask General Raam for a lamb bhuna, if were honest.

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Wonder woman

Wonder woman

The third Gears game was the first to include playable female characters, but its something the team had been thinking about for a while. At one point during development, the team considered letting players choose the gender of Dom opening up the opportunity to play as Dominique Santiago.

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
CATEGORIES
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OXM Staff
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The official source for everything Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Xbox Series X. We're also a magazine, covering all things Xbox in the UK and the US. Originally established in 2001, the magazine was discontinued in April 2020. 

See more Xbox Features
Read more
Key art for Gears of War.
Gears of War creator admits he can't explain a key event within one of his games: "Sometimes ya just put stuff in a game you think is cool"
Gears of War: Reloaded screenshot
It may seem strange to some that Gears of War will be on PS5 this month, but the game's OG designer is "thrilled that more people are going to get to experience a big part of my legacy"
Max Payne
Max Payne's iconic mug came about because of its creator's university TTRPG club, but he got so "self-conscious" after the game's release that he had to change his hairstyle to remain incognito
Charlie in Death Stranding 2
Hideo Kojima initially had other ideas for Death Stranding 2's peculiar mannequin Charlie, including making them an invisible man, glowing silhouette, or "a 2D anime-style figure"
Tekken 8
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Baldur's Gate 3 pale vampire elf Astarion, a man with curly white hair and red eyes
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Gears of War: Reloaded screenshot
Gears of War: Reloaded release time – here's when you can dive into the remastered 2006 shooter on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S
Gears of War: Reloaded screenshot
It may seem strange to some that Gears of War will be on PS5 this month, but the game's OG designer is "thrilled that more people are going to get to experience a big part of my legacy"
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11 years later, Gears of War mastermind Cliffy B is "still bitter about the internet finding it hilarious that my studio folded" and now "happy consulting" instead of returning to game dev
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