Action figure:Gears of War 2 Action Figures: Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago

It all began with Ralph Baer, the "Father of TV Games." His ideas ushered in a new era of electronic entertainment and sparked the home video game revolution. In the nearly four decades since the release of the Magnavox Odyssey, home video game consoles have become a significant part of American culture and the industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. The gaming world was once populated primarily by pre-teen and teenage boys, often huddled around televisions in each other's living rooms. Today, players are boys and girls, men and women, both young and old. They still play in their home or dorm room with friends, but increasingly they play online as well. The games they play are a unique combination of technology and graphic art, and game developers have continually pushed the limits of design to create exciting new settings and cutting-edge graphics. The possibilities for the future seem limitless, and "gamers" eagerly await the release of advanced consoles and new game titles.

Gears of War is a third-person shooter game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios in 2006. Players control the character Marcus Fenix, a soldier of the Delta Squad, which is protecting the planet Sera from the evil Locust Horde. Players rely heavily on strategic and tactical shooting to progress through the game. Gears of War was the fastest-selling video game of 2006, selling over three million copies in just ten weeks , and was the second-most played game over Xbox Live during 2007.