"Ninja Gaiden did bad."
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=7709®ion=All
810k. Do some research before you make those kinds of assumptions.
As for Gears 1 doing so well because Epic made it, no. That is not valid, because their other games don't sell multiplatinum. It was marketing. You saw ads of Gears for weeks.
A flashy-first game is awesome when it comes out. A great-first game is awesome forever.
Plus, just for the hell of it: Kelly Brook at the 2008 BAFTAs