If you had ever hoped to see Gears of War show up for your Mac or iPad, it's pretty safe to assume it's never going to happen. On Monday Microsoft Studios confirmed it has acquired the game series from developer Epic Games, according to GamesIndustry International.
Gears of War is the popular third-person action game franchise developed for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It's spawned sequels and expansion packs. The game is a futuristic shooter in which the troops of an elite squad of soldiers battles against a subterranean alien enemy.
The game uses Epic's Unreal Engine, which Epic has ported to different platforms including OS X and iOS. In fact, it's been used for iOS games like the Infinity Blade series. That cross-platform support made some Apple gamers wonder if Gears of War might ever see a Mac or iOS treatment. Even Donald Mustard, head of Chair Entertainment, Infinity Blade's developer, once thought Gears could run on the iPhone.
Gears for Apple devices was, quite frankly, always a longshot, as the series has been exclusive to Microsoft platforms since it launched. Still, the possibility remained — even for the head of Microsoft's game studios, Phil Spencer. Spencer was asked by Kotaku in November about the possibility of Gears remaining an Xbox exclusive. It was up to Epic, he said at the time.
With Microsoft buying the game property outright from Epic, Gears will stay locked on Microsoft hardware and software. From here on out, Microsoft is going to make sure the property remains a showcase game for their platforms.
Source: GamesIndustry International

This ultra-rare Apple computer just sold for $468,750
An Apple-1 computer hand-numbered by Steve Jobs has sold at auction for $468,750.

iOS gaming recap: Drop into the Disney Mirrorverse and more from Netflix
This week in the iOS gaming world, Netflix made some more big moves to bring a beloved game to mobile, while Disney is doing more multiverse madness.

Review: This ZAGG Apple Watch band is a good Braided Solo Loop dupe
We love the Apple Braided Solo Loop, but that $99 price tag can be hard to swallow if you want multiple colors. Thankfully, ZAGG has a good alternative that costs half of that.

Looking for a new controller for your Switch? Look no further!
If you want a more conventional gaming controller for your Switch and don't want to spend more on the Pro Controller, you do have other options. Here are my favorite third-party controllers for Nintendo Switch.