'Gears Of War' Creator On Gaming's Future

'Gears Of War' Creator On Gaming's Future

Mary Jane Irwin, 12.29.08, 03:40 PM EST

Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski chats about his inspirations and innovations.

A chainsaw revs. The heavily armored Marcus Fenix lumbers forward, ripping through a Locust soldier as if he were shredding turkey with an electric carving knife. The combination assault rifle and mechanized saw blade, known as a Lancer, is one of the most recognizable components of "Gears of War," the Xbox 360 shooter that asks players to save humanity from an alien horde.

The most recognizable man behind the franchise happens to be Cliff Bleszinski. The 33-year-old design director of Epic Games has cultivated a rock star aura, despite the videogame industry's general lack of celebrity. He started out in the business when he was 17. Now he is in charge of one of the largest franchises on Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) console. "Gears of War 2," his latest title, launched in early November and sold 2 million copies its opening weekend. The game is expected to be one of the best-selling games this holiday season. 

Bleszinski, who recently unleashed a new pack of multiplayer maps for "Gears 2" over Xbox Live, talked to Forbes.com about the impact downloadable content has on games, making hardcore shooters appeal to casual audiences and his love for "Super Mario Brothers."

Forbes.com: What game inspired you to make games?

Cliff Bleszinski: The first game I ever played was "Space Invaders" on the Atari 2600. I was instantly hooked by the idea of manipulating images on my television screen but wasn't quite old enough or aware that this could be a possible career. The title that inspired me the most would have to be the original "Super Mario Brothers" on the Nintendo Entertainment System. There was something about these cartoony worlds that unfolded before me that were filled with secrets that, at the time, I believed were not meant to be discovered by the designers.

What is the defining moment of your career, so far?

I'd have to say presenting the original "Gears of War" at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2006 to a crowd that was incredibly impressed is right at the top of the list. I hope that there are many more exciting moments like that in store.