In
the world of video games, a little star power always helps. Epic Games and
Microsoft Game Studios are apparently pushing that celebrity angle for “Gears
of War 3,” as they’ve tapped Drake, the Grammy-nominated artist behind the
current hit “Find Your Love,” to play one of the game’s main
characters, Jace Stratton.

“When
Epic came to me with the role, I couldn’t pass it up,” the
actor-turned-rapper said in a press release. “They’ve created an amazing
character in Jace, and I’m looking forward to my tour in Delta Squad.”

Jace
Stratton only appeared briefly in “Gears of War 2,” and in that game
the character was voiced by Nolan North. But the character has played a much
more prominent role in the “Gears of War” comic book series. Stratton
is one of the four playable characters in “Gears of War 3,” which
comes out in 2011, so Drake will get plenty of screen time.

Epic
Games executive producer Rod Fergusson said in the release that timing was
everything when it came to deciding that Drake, whose debut album “Thank
Me Later” comes out Tuesday, was right for the part. “[Drake’s EP]
‘So Far Gone’ had just been released, and Drake’s combination of heart and grit
was just what we were looking for. Rather than search for somebody who sounded
like him, it was clear that we should approach him directly … fortunately he
turned out to be a huge fan.”

“Gears
of War 3” completes the story of Marcus Fenix and his battle against the
Locust on the planet of Sera. For the first time in the franchise, the game
will support four-player cooperative play throughout the main campaign, in
addition to a range of new multiplayer modes and features.

MTV
News will get its first hands-on with the game during E3 next week, so be sure
to check out MTV Multiplayer, which will also have all the latest gaming news
and impressions from the show floor. (Via MTV News)