Gears of War 3 is “really focused on being cinematic,“ says Epic Games’ Rod Fergusson on his Toronto stop for the Gears of War 3 beta preview.

The Ottawa native is the executive producer of the Gears franchise at Cary, North Carolina-based Epic Games. The previous two Gears games have sold 12 million units and the anticipated third and final installment in the franchise is slated for a September 20 release.

“As we mature as an industry, look at how far video games have come,” Fergusson tells Playback Daily, who quotes Epic design director Cliff Bleszinski, referring to video games as “sit forward” entertainment, rather than the “sit back” attitude with film.

Epic’s goal was to push the medium from a storytelling aspect, much of which is told through cutscenes – film-like sequences – during which the game takes on more of a cinematic feel. Many games offer players the option of skipping the cutscene, but Fergusson says Gears doesn’t include that option, as it devalues the story.

Other similar touches that Epic included in GOW3 was in the heads-up display – the transparent data display that shows everything from weapons and health meter. Normally, the HUD is on screen at all times, but Fergusson says that when the player isn’t in combat, it disappears off-screen. “It allows people to engage the story in a more clear view,” says Fergusson.

The Gears of War team also brought on sci-fi author Karen Traviss (City of Pearl) to be “the living story bible” as she’s also penned of several of GOW books. She’s been used as a resource for specific details in the back story, from moments in a past battle to the middle name of the main character’s father.

Sound and voice overs were recorded at Technicolor’s Burbank studio in California. As someone who knows the franchise inside and out, Fergusson was on hand during the sessions to provide story context for the voice actors.

“We’re getting more resumes from film people, particularly in animation and effects,” he says, adding that some folks on the Epic team have worked on Avatar. “It’s not assembly-line animation when you work in games and it’s a different energy – there’s more interactivity and creative freedom.”