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I won't be playing 'Halo 5: Guardians' and here's why
In the early 2000s, four-player, split-screen Halo was a revelation for my then-girlfriend Jenn (who would later become my wife), her two sisters and me. It was amazing, frantic, swear-filled fun. Controllers were thrown; tempers flared. But that's all sadly in the past. Last week, Halo's current custodian, 343 Industries, revealed that it's abandoning local split-screen multiplayer and native LAN support for this fall's Halo 5: Guardians. We knew from earlier reports that local campaign co-op was out of the question, at least at launch, but the Ars Technica report confirms we won't see any split-screen multiplayer modes or native LAN support. Allow me to repeat: No local multiplayer. None. In a Halo game. For me, and likely many other longtime Halo fans, the news is a bitter pill to swallow.
This is the 'Halo 5: Guardians' collector's edition statue
$250 worth of static love from Master Chief.
ICYMI: A new naval launcher, Halo on HoloLens and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-414460{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-414460, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-414460{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-414460").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The Sandia National Labs robot that walked for two and a half hours on 350 watts of power; the amazing Halo 5 HoloLens demo that makes me want to pick up a gun (virtually of course); and the new electromagnetic aircraft launcher the Navy is having way too much fun testing out.
Halo 5 kicks off multiplayer beta today
Halo 5: Guardians launched its multiplayer beta program today, Microsoft announced. The beta phase was originally planned to arrive a few days ago, but is now scheduled to run through January 18. The program was announced during the publisher's E3 2014 press conference in June and is open to those that purchased Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Additionally, Microsoft unveiled the bonuses goodies coming to those that pre-order one of the various editions of Halo 5 starting today. The $60 standard version of the game includes an exclusive poster, whereas the $100 Limited Edition includes the poster and adds "exclusive items" in a steel book case as well as bonus digital content for the game. Halo 5's Limited Collector's Edition features everything in the other two versions and adds in commemorative statue signed by 343 Industries. Halo 5 is slated to launch in fall 2015. Those missing out on the beta program can watch our archived stream of the game from earlier this month. [Image: Microsoft]
The new dance in Halo 5: Guardians
Despite likening the beta test as "coming out of the house half dressed," 343 Industries and Microsoft will use December as a showcase for Halo 5: Guardians – at least the multiplayer part. With almost 2 years of work done and nearly another year to go before launch, Halo 5: Guardians is going to be a learning experience for just about everyone: first for seasoned Halo players coming to grips with new abilities and a far more responsive output of 60 frames per second, and then for its developers, who will have weeks of data and feedback to get Halo in suitable shape on Xbox One.
Report: Cutscene from Halo: Master Chief Collection leaks
A cutscene from Halo: The Master Chief Collection reportedly leaked during a Twitch stream of the game. The video briefly shows a loading screen that lists The Heretic level from Halo 2 before showing Agent Locke talking to Arbiter about hunting down Master Chief. Some viewers believe the scene may bridge the original Halo trilogy with the coming Xbox One exclusive, Halo 5: Guardians, as Locke has a role in the next game in the series. Head past the break to check the video out for yourself, but act fast, as these types of leaked videos tend to disappear quickly. Halo: The Master Chief Collection will launch on November 11 for Xbox One. [Image: Microsoft]
'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' coming to Xbox this fall, 'Halo 5' beta in December
The next installment of the Halo series isn't coming out until next year, so there's plenty of time to revisit the franchise and catch up on the timeline. Given today's consoles, however, the four games featuring the Master Chief look like they could use a touch-up. As we reported two weeks ago, Microsoft confirmed Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which is an HD remastered collection of Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4. The new setup comes courtesy of 343 Industries and will be coming to Xbox on November 11th (the 10th anniversary of Halo 2's release) with the multiplayer experience intact, including all DLC; in addition, you'll be able to enjoy the multiplayer beta of Halo 5: Guardians this December.
Weekends with Engadget: the Moto E, futuristic Army helmets and more!
Welcome to Weekends with Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines from the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. For even more action, subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
'Halo 5: Guardians' and live-action Halo TV show set for fall 2015 launch
We've known for a while that there's new Halo game coming to Xbox One and that it could possibly make its debut this year. Today, Microsoft and 343 Industries provided some additional details on the project, most notably that the next instalment in the franchise will be called Halo 5: Guardians and that it will be pushed back to a fall 2015 launch. So what can we expect? Game specifics are scarce but we know that, like Titanfall, Guardians will run on dedicated servers. However, unlike its mech-smashing counterpart, it looks set to run 1080p at 60 frames-per-second.
Halo 5 and its 'Guardians' coming to Xbox One in 2015
The newly christened Halo 5: Guardians is coming to Xbox One in fall 2015, giving dev 343 Industries time to ensure it has "the scope, features, and scale we've been dreaming of for more than a decade." Those are the words of GM Bonnie Ross who, ahead of a one-and-a-half years wait, underlined the efforts going into ensuring the Chief's Xbox One adventure fits the bill in 60 frames per second, and with dedicated servers for multiplayer. "Halo 5: Guardians is a bigger effort than Halo 4," Ross wrote on Xbox Wire. "That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what's now a brand new and more powerful engine. Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we've invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the Xbox One's hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen." [Image: Microsoft]
Rumor: Xbox One major update, Titanfall console, Halo 2 HD, Crackdown 3
Several Xbox One-related rumors that have been swimming around for a while have been consolidated in one NeoGAF post. Whether this is a controlled leak, someone with a big mouth or having a laugh, the post definitely touches on several insider details. So, let's get started ... The highlights include Halo Anniversary 2 scheduled for this holiday, along with Quantum Break and Sunset Overdrive. Crackdown 3 isn't expected until 2016, with Fable Legends in 2015. The next Gears of War is likely another 2.5 years hence. The Verge also took the opportunity from the leak to mention a white Xbox and a Titanfall branded Xbox One console. Oh, and the first major Xbox One update is planned for March while Titanfall DLC is planned for 45 days and 120 days after release. If you'd like to sift through all the nitty gritty rumors, head on over to the NeoGaf cantina. [Image: Shutterstock / alphaspirit]
Next-gen Halo title announced for Xbox One: runs at 60 fps, available in 2014 (video)
What could be better than a live action Halo TV-series? Why, a fully fledged next-generation sequel, of course. Microsoft has confirmed that a new Halo game is making its way to the Xbox One, calming the doubts of fans who were concerned that the franchise was shifting to less traditional platforms. According to a Microsoft rep, this next-gen Halo (actual name to be determined) will not only "take full advantage of the power and flexibility of Xbox One," but will also be buffered by MS' cloud computing and, in a first for the franchise, run at a "blistering" 60 fps. Look for it to launch sometime in 2014. Update: Ballmer and Co. just published the video online and we've slotted it in right after the break. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
