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The announcement of a new videogame spin-off from the popular Halo franchise has fans buzzing but the developers of a third title in the series remain tight-lipped. At the end of Microsoft's Xbox event last week, the lights dimmed and the screen filled with the recognisable characters and crafts from the Halo games. With a third game in the series under development you will have been forgiven for thinking this was a new trailer for the fans to digest. But the studio name at the start of the short film was Ensemble and not Bungie, and it quickly became clear this was a new addition to the Halo universe. Halo Wars is a real-time strategy (RTS) title being developed for the Xbox 360 and its unveiling followed Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson's announcement that he is developing a new form of interactive entertainment based around the Halo games. Coupled with a movie based on Halo, ongoing novels, a graphic novel and the third core Halo title, it's clear Microsoft is keen to cash in on one of the most popular franchises in the games industry. But is it a sign that Bungie, the developers of Halo, are letting go of their precious creation? Brian Jarrard, community manager at Bungie, said: "It is a precious franchise and that hasn't changed. "We can only do so much as Bungie. It's Microsoft's IP (intellectual property). "Halo has been extremely popular, it's a valuable franchise for Xbox." Claude Errera, who runs the popular fansite Halo.Bungie.Org, said reader reaction to the new game had been mixed. "There is of course the group that resists all change and thinks that Bungie is selling out. "But equally there are those who feel Bungie can do no wrong but are afraid the company will have no involvement in the game, and those who are adopting a wait and see approach." Mr Jarrard said it made sense for Ensemble to make a Halo RTS. "Halo started as an RTS. Would the Bungie team love to do one themselves? Possibly. "We are not focused on that. We've got a lot of w**k to do on Halo 3 and a trilogy to finish." The people who are interested in expanding the franchise who w**k at Bungie want to do so because they have a lot of stories to tell Claude Errera, Halo fansite editor He added: "When it came down to having awesome partners that are the best in the business at what they do you don't feel so bad about sharing the baby at that point. "I don't think we would have been supportive of these projects if we didn't feel they would bring something new to Halo and add value to franchise. "We are excited on both fronts." Mr Errera said there were many more stories left to tell in the Halo universe. "The people who are interested in expanding the franchise who w**k at Bungie want to do so because they have a lot of stories to tell. "The games are going to run out at some point. They have already said that Halo 3 is the end of this particular story arc. "The entire team has been w**king on Halo games since 1998 and they are probably tired of it. But there are still stories to tell." But even if the Halo RTS fails, the movie bombs at the box office and Peter Jackson's new form of interactive entertainment turns out to be suspiciously like the old Dragon's Lair game of the 1980s, the core fans will forgive all, if Halo 3 turns out to be a success. For the hard-core fans, the new spin-offs are little more than a distraction as they wait to hear more details about Halo 3. And Halo fans are a patient bunch - few details escape from Bungie before launch. "Community has always been super important to Bungie - it's sort of at our roots," said Mr Jarrard. "We have this mantra of under-promise, over-deliver. We are perfectionists. "We should have some more information about multiplayer soon; a screenshot or two. "When things get a little quiet we stoke the coals a little bit." Expect Microsoft to stoke the fires like a furnace when the game is released next year. With PlayStation 3 finally on shop shelves in November and available worldwide by next March, Halo 3 will be Microsoft's less than secret weapon. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Halo fans to get choice of three Fans will get to choose between three versions of the game Three separate versions of the eagerly awaited game Halo 3 are to go on sale when the final instalment of the trilogy is released late next year. A regular edition will be available for $59.99, US retailers revealed. But for an extra $10 fans could opt for a collector's edition, with additional, although as yet unspecified, content. Or for $99.99, the legendary edition will contain more content, a behind the scenes look at Halo along with a replica helmet. BBC.co.uk |
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| Halo 3 to have public beta test Halo 3, one of the most anticipated videogames for the Xbox 360, will be released to the public in test, or beta, form next year. The online multiplayer element of the game will be made available to the public with feedback going to developers Bungie. More than 14.5m copies of Halo titles have been sold and more than 800m hours of online Halo games have been played. The announcement comes in the week Sony and Nintendo release new consoles. "We can confirm that our fans will have an opportunity to play Halo 3 multiplayer over Xbox Live before the final game is available," wrote community manager Brian Jarrard on the Bungie website. We can't really blame you for potentially being a little upset at this news Brian Jarrard, Bungie The decision to release the multiplayer as a public beta marks a significant departure for Bungie, which is traditionally highly secretive when it comes to releasing details about its games. Bungie has also said that new online multiplayer maps for Halo 2 would only be available to Xbox 360 owners and not players of the first Xbox. That decision is likely to anger many Xbox owners, a fact acknowledged by Bungie who made clear the choice was made by Microsoft. "We can't really blame you for potentially being a little upset at this news," wrote Mr Jarrard. "We have the opportunity to give our fans some new content over two years after the game shipped but ultimately, when it comes to pricing and timing and distribution and exclusivity, it's not up to Bungie." Halo is the Xbox's most valuable franchise and Microsoft will be hoping that releasing an unfinished element of Halo 3 to the public and new maps for Halo 2 only on the Xbox 360 will keep gamers loyal to the platform. Story from BBC NEWS: |
| QUOTE (willowroolz @ Nov 7 2006, 08:15 AM) |
| Downloaded the trailer for Halo Wars a couple of days ago. Brilliant trailer but I'm not convinced about RTS games on consoles (assuming it's 360 bound), especially having played the LotR demo :ponder: |
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| Halo 3 public beta arrives in May Halo 3, one of the most anticipated videogames for the Xbox 360, will be released to the public in test, or beta, from 16 May. The online multiplayer element of the game will be made available to the public with feedback going to developers Bungie. More than 14.7m copies of Halo titles have been sold and more than 800m hours of online Halo games have been played. The beta will last for three weeks and ends on 7 June. Three multiplayer maps will be available - Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla. Halo 3 is expected to be released in the last quarter of 2007 and is a key weapon for Microsoft in its rivalry with Sony and Nintendo. The game has become an important franchise for Microsoft and has evolved into an industry which encompasses action figures, graphics novels, books and clothes. On the website of Halo creators Bungie, content manager Frank O'Connor said the beta would contain "quirks, a couple of roughedges". He added: "A lot of secret features are hidden in this beta. We're keeping a lot of our powder dry for Fall." Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Halo 3 debuts in the US on 25 September and one day later in Europe. A trial version of the online portion of the game was released on 16 May. Microsoft has only released information about US pricing. The basic game will cost $59.99 (£30), a limited edition for $69.99 and a legendary edition for $129.99. It is likely that European prices will be higher than direct exchange rate conversions suggest. |
| QUOTE (prophecy girl @ Jun 14 2007, 02:45 PM) | ||
:unsure: /bbc co uk |