Take a look at the Gears 2 preview in GI.  Gears 2 is using the new rendering engine, and the preview actually compares the same scene in Gears 1 to Gears 2 (according to the author Gears 2 has a version of one of the same battle maps as Gears 1).  There's no way the graphics are the same.  Not even close.

^^^ LINK

Hahaha!!!...love the sarcasm...

 i seen the gameplay vid.

I have the print version of the magazine... let me see if I can find something in GI online...

Sorry... you have to be a Game Informer subscriber to get to the online version of that article.  It's in the May 2008 issue if you have a Gamestop near you or a friend that still has a copy.

In the article they have a comparison screenshot from Gears 1 and Gears 2, and they point out how the new engine Gears 2 runs under dramatically improves the same scene.  I wish I had a way to show the comparison online...

Οk, now thats an occasion, where a stupid thread title is leading to some nice conversation, and reveals that most of the people posting here have played 3-4 games this generation and wait to play another 3-4 till 2012

From what I've seen GeoW2 is gonna be better comparing to the original in ALL aspects (my assumption based on what I've seen and read so far). Gears of War, except the short storyline, is still near perfect. HOW THE HELL GOW2 is gonna have average reviews???
I think thats the part where we desperataly search for rationality. and logic

3millions FIRST WEEK. Near October, it will be a BET!

ahh....so you will take my bet Epine? 

Alright just to get the parameters down, it's the first week of sales based on VGchartz.com sales for it's first week out.  Not the first seven days, but the first weekly figures for the game including all regions.  If it's above 3mil you win, below 3mil and I win.  Would you like to do a bet for a month of sig ownage or keep it safe and do two weeks?

It'll almost certainly be over 3 million in three weeks. This game will be huge.

Believing GoW2 will see 3m LTD sales is about as likely as the overly optimistic 10m sales number I've heard being dropped by Epic.

I'll go even further, insert my totally subjective opinion here and say that 3m is far less likely than 10m LTD even though I don't see either as being on the mark.

While I don't believe the current hype ("Bigger, Better, more Bad-Ass!") will match the actual release, it will be the most significant new release in November for the 360 and will most likely sell to the same demographic that bought the original, plus the new 360 owners who favor shooters.

I'm buying it and I'm not even a huge fan of the 360 due to the lack of true exclusives (also a PC gamer). It's the one game coming out this year that I'm genuinely looking forward to playing on the platform without any reservations.

3 million/3 weeks doesn't sound too crazy to me.

There, fixed :D

I like it how there are three views on this matters. PS3 people say the game will bomb. 360 people thinking it'll hit harder than Mike Tyson. And the Wii people who are mostly uninterested. :)