Gears of War 3 has set shop tills ringing across the world after storming past the three million sales mark in a little over a week since its debut.
The Xbox 360 blockbuster has proven to be a chart-topping smash hit in many countries, including the UK, and already ranks as the top-grossing videogame of the year to date.
Gears 3's barnstorming start means that the acclaimed franchise has become one of the few to surpass the billion-dollar mark in lifetime sales, making it the first Xbox-exclusive series of this generation to do so.
Microsoft corporate vice-president Phil Spencer said: 'Gears of War was the first killer app for Xbox 360 and the series has continued to contribute directly to the overall success of the platform ever since.'
Epic Games' trilogy finale has earned plaudits from gaming critics worldwide and chronicles hero Marcus Fenix and his Delta Squad comrades' last battle against the monstrous Locust.
The game is also proving to be a huge multiplayer draw, with more than three million users logging on to Xbox Live to try out new modes such as Beast and Horde 2.0.